Tour de France 2027: The Pyrenees return to the spotlight

The 2027 Tour de France looks set to play out its showdown in the Pyrenees . The summit finish at the Col du Portet , a feared and far from trivial climb, is in pole position to close what could be the toughest mountain stage of the entire race.

According to La Nouvelle République des Pyrénées, the Portet (described by Tadej Pogačar in 2021 as a "never-ending story") could be preceded by two legendary Hors Catégorie giants: Aubisque and Tourmalet . The result would be a ferociously difficult stage, a candidate for the general classification's justice of the peace. The key stages are expected to be the 18th and 19th , with the Pyrenees replacing the Alps as the stage for the main high-altitude challenges in 2027.

The Portet isn't as famous as the Tourmalet or the Aubisque, but it's also Hors Catégorie and has viciously uneven gradients. Its Tour debut dates back to 2018, when it was the finish of one of the shortest mountain stages ever, just 65 km, won by Nairo Quintana , who thus claimed his last victory at the Grande Boucle. The Tour returned here in 2021: Pogačar won ahead of Jonas Vingegaard , further extending his already robust lead in the standings. It's 16.2 km long with many sections exceeding 9%, and with the Slovenian poised to chase a record-breaking sixth Tour, a new duel with the Dane on the same climb is far from unlikely.

Nothing has yet been revealed about stage 19, but the most likely possibility is a stage in the western part of the mountain range, before the return to Paris for the final weekend.

How the Tour is changing: an easier first week and fewer Alps

According to Velowire, a site specializing in route previews, the first week looks much smoother than in 2026, when the Pyrenees already appeared on stage 3 and then in a much more complete version with the Tourmalet to Gavarnie-Gèdre on stage 6. In 2027, after the transfer from Wales with the three stages in Great Britain and a long trip through northern France, the first summit finish could be on stage 9 on the Grand Colombier . A very irregular climb, with sections at 20%, where in 2023 Vingegaard and Pogačar cancelled each other out.

The Alps, which featured seven stages in 2026, will be much less prominent. After a rest day in the Northern Alps, stage 10 is expected to pass through the Sallanches World Championships circuit and the Côte de Domancy, where Bernard Hinault dominated one of the toughest World Championships ever in 1980. The route will also anticipate the 2027 World Championships: the men's elite race will be held on the same course on August 28th, and the women's race a week later.

Stages 11 and 12 are expected to feature fairly gentle Alpine finishes. The Dauphiné Libéré features the Col de Samoëns 1600 , a steady 11km climb with 900m of elevation gain, and then the Col des Saisies , 14.6 or 15.2km depending on the slope, never exceeding 8%. It may be the first ever uphill finish at the Saisies, but such gentle gradients leave the Pyrenees to be the true judge of the race.