Pogačar on his way to his sixth Tour de France: Everything you need to know

The 2026 Tour de France is already history, but cycling fans are already turning their attention to next year's edition, the one in which Tadej Pogacar could set the all-time record for victories at the Grande Boucle.

Pogačar will be approaching 29 when the race kicks off in Edinburgh, an age once considered the peak for a Grand Tour rider. The precocious development of modern champions has lowered this age to 24 or 25, but the Slovenian seems to know no limits or decline. This year, he won five stages, gifting at least two more to his teammates, and looked fitter and more serene than ever.

After earning the coveted Club des Cinq this year—the select group of five-time Tour winners—Pogačar sent a clear signal about his future: "I don't like clubbing, so let's try to get out of this club..." he joked to Eurosport. Translation: a sixth Tour is his stated goal.

The 2027 route: a very British Grand Départ

The 114th edition of the Tour de France will start in Great Britain with three stages taking riders from Edinburgh, Scotland, to Cardiff, Wales , via Liverpool and the north of England. It will also be the fourth British Grand Départ in the race's history: after 1974, the resounding success in London in 2007, and the historic Yorkshire stage in 2014, 2027 promises to revitalize cycling in the United Kingdom.

The first stage (184 km from Edinburgh to Carlisle) will be mostly flat, offering sprinters the chance to claim the first yellow jersey right from their debut—a significant advantage over 2026, when finishers had to wait until stage five. The second stage, from Keswick to Liverpool (a full 223 km, including the hills of the Lake District), will be one of the toughest of the entire race. The third, from Welshpool to Cardiff, through the rugged Welsh countryside with 3,000 meters of elevation gain, could already ignite the first spark in the general classification: the Côte de Caerffili, just 10 km from the finish, could favor the Ardennes riders.

The route in France: Pyrenees first, then the decisive Alps

The full route will be revealed at the end of October, but the leaks so far already paint an interesting picture. After returning to France via the Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy (with a stage around the port of Cherbourg), the race heads towards Brittany and the coast, before tackling the Pyrenees on the second weekend . The Alps will host the decisive stages.

Among the names circulating for the Alpine climbs: the Col de Granon (where Vingegaard broke Pogačar in 2022), the Col de la Loze via Courchevel, Tignes, and La Plagne. The return of Alpe d'Huez, however, does not appear to be on the cards. The Montmartre circuit, a major success in 2026 with its cobbled streets and Rue Lepic, is expected to be confirmed as the Parisian finale instead of the Champs-Élysées. A cycling fantasy : watch out for classics and baroudeur riders like Mathieu van der Poel, who could give pure sprinters a run for their money on those mixed routes.

Will ASO try to curb Pogačar's dominance?

Technical director Thierry Gouvenou admitted he underestimated Pogačar's ferocity in 2026, including the Col du Tourmalet too early in the race. For 2027, he expects smoother mountain stages in the first half, to close the gaps in the opening weeks. With Paul Seixas the junior time trial and cyclo-cross world champion, it wouldn't be surprising to see two time trials and/or a gravel stage : a tactical move that could complicate the overall standings.

Will Pogačar win for the sixth time?

A year ago, many thought the Pogačar era was coming to an end. How wrong we were. The Slovenian later revealed that he rode much of the 2025 Tour with a sore knee, nearly missing out on Paris. In 2026, however, he appeared in stellar form and unrivaled. He's likely to compete in the Vuelta a España to complete his hat-trick of Grand Tours, before focusing on Paris-Roubaix and the Tour in 2027. He has a contract with the UAE until 2030, but rumors are circulating that he may retire after the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games—meaning he could add two more Tours, reaching an all-time record of seven victories .

Pogačar's rivals: who can challenge him in 2027?

Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) — The Dane had rediscovered his best form by winning the Giro d'Italia and seemed capable of challenging the Slovenian, but first he exploded on the Tourmalet and then abandoned the race after a crash on stage 15. At 30 years old in 2027, the risk that he has missed the boat is real. Fantasy cycling advice : monitor him carefully when building your team.

Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) — The Belgian silenced many critics by finishing second. He lost four kilos during his preparation and closed the gap on the climbs. In Paris, he was five minutes behind Pogačar: there's room for improvement. An interesting profile for fantasy cycling : reliable, consistent, excellent in time trials.

Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) — The Mexican, born in 2003, made his Tour debut, finishing third at just 22 years old, with the support of Pogačar. His friendship with the Slovenian could become more complicated with the arrival of Paul Seixas in 2028. A talent to watch : he could truly explode in 2027.

Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) — The 19-year-old French teenager, making his debut, was the youngest rider in the race and finished fourth, just 24 seconds behind Del Toro until the second stage on Alpe d'Huez. The big surprise of 2027 fantasy cycling : he could earn valuable points at a reasonable price.

Other names to watch in 2027

2026 has also opened up interesting prospects for other GC riders. Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) could finally aim for the Tour with targeted preparation. Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), winner of the polka-dot jersey, remains a potential threat if he manages to avoid injury and illness. At Lidl-Trek, all eyes are on Juan Ayuso and Mattias Skjelmose , while among the youngsters to keep an eye on are Florian Lipowitz , Lenny Martinez , Jarno Widar (Lotto Intermarché), and the very young Lorenzo Finn (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), a possible rookie in the 2028 Tour.

The other jerseys: who will fight for green and polka dots?

Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) dominated the points classification with a tight sprint-by-sprint battle: he's the clear favorite for 2027. With the new points scale, a pure sprinter will need to win at least four stages to challenge for the green jersey. For the polka-dot jersey , Carapaz has shown he can attack late in the Alps: but ASO could change the rules to make the climbers' classification more spectacular, rewarding pure attackers more. Fantasy cycling tip : investing in a breakaway rider for the polka-dot jersey could prove to be a winning move.

An evolving platoon

There's talk of reducing the team size from eight to six riders to limit UAE Team Emirates' dominance, but it's likely that 23 eight-rider teams will still be present in 2027. Some teams are seeking new sponsors: Movistar, Jayco AlUla, Visma-Lease a Bike, and NSN are seeking funding, while TotalEnergies could give way to Unibet Rose Rockets as a wildcard. Pinarello-Q36.5, Tudor, and Cofidis appear set to confirm their presence.

The full route of the 2027 Tour will be revealed at the end of October. The start is scheduled for July 2nd in Edinburgh : another blank page ready to be filled with excitement, tactical battles, and, almost certainly, the usual signature of Tadej Pogačar.

Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency