Who Are the Riders to Know in the 2026 Tour de France?
It's Tour de France time! Here are the favorites to win the 2026 race.
Key Takeaways
- Tadej Pogacar enters the 2026 Tour de France as the favorite after winning four Tours since 2020 and pursuing a fifth career title.
- Jonas Vingegaard remains Pogacar’s biggest challenger, with Tour de France victories in 2022 and 2023 plus recent Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana success.
- Rising talents Isaac del Toro and 19-year-old Paul Seixas are emerging riders to watch, with strong climbing ability and impressive recent results.
Winning the Tour de France is one of the greatest accomplishments in all of sports. In just a few weeks, another rider will come to the end of three weeks of cycling across the French countryside, cycle up the Champs-Elysees in Paris, and claim the title. But who will it be?
There are several favorites heading into the 2026 installment of the Tour, which kicks off July 4 and continues for most of the month live on Peacock. They include both past winners, up and coming stars, and the most dominant cyclist of his generation. So, with the Tour launching this weekend, let's take a quick look at four names you'll definitely want to know as the racing begins.
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Riders to watch in the 2026 Tour de France
Tadej Pogacar
The clear favorite heading into the 2026 Tour is the rider who's won it the last two years, and in four of the last six years. Tadej Pogacar, the 27-year-old Slovenian phenom, feels untouchable right now. He won the Tour de France in 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025, took the Giro d'Italia in 2024, and won both the World and European Road Race Championships in 2025, among many other titles. He's a dominant force, and he's on a quest to become just the fifth cyclist in history to win the Tour de France five times. He's not the only potential winner, but he is the man to beat.
Jonas Vingegaard
Pogacar's closest competition for the 2026 Tour de France win is the cyclist who took the crown in 2022 and 2023. Jonas Vingegaard, the 29-year-old Danish star of team Visma-Lease a Bike, is known for his climbing, making him a threat in the many stages of the Tour at elevation. He doesn't have as many wins to his name as Pogacar, but he's ranked second in the world just behind his Slovenian rival, he's the reigning Giro d'Italia champion, and he took the Vuelta a Espana crown last year. He's perhaps the one cyclist in the field whose victory of Pogacar wouldn't be considered an upset, because he's been there before, and he's very capable of being there again.
Isaac del Toro
If you're looking for a rising star to root for, Del Toro might be your man. A climber with a bright future, he ranks third in the world right now behind Pogacar and Vingegaard, and won the Giro d'Italia's Young Riders Classification last year. He's got a lot of potential and he could be on the verge of a major breakout, so keep an eye on him during the Tour.
Paul Seixas
A very younger rider, entering the tour at just 19, Seixas is one of the riders singled out by NBC Sports experts as a major contender this year, possibly good enough to challenge even Vingegaard and Pogacar. Still in the very early stages of his career, the Frenchman won the Tour of the Basque Country earlier this year, along with the Ardeche Classic and La Fleche Wallonne. Now, he gets to ride in front of his home country and attempt a major upset in the sport, while building his reputation.
Watch every stage of the 2026 Tour de France live on Peacock.
