Cycling
5 key takeaways from the Tour de France opener in Barcelona
Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, led by Remco Evenpoel and Florian Lipowitz, began the 2026 Tour de France with a top-five ride in the opening team time trial. Here's everything we learned from stage 1.
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The 113th edition of the Tour de France kicked off on Saturday afternoon, as the battle for the GC began in Barcelona with the race's first team time trial since 2019. Remco Evenepoel led the way for Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, steering the team to a fifth-place finish on stage 1, while Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike ultimately claimed the first yellow jersey. Here are the key takeaways from this year's Grand Départ.
01
How did Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe perform on stage 1?
This year's opening stage threw teams straight into a fast and technical 19.6km team time trial through the streets of Barcelona, where every second counted from the start ramp. Despite the end result falling short of the stage win, Red Bull - BORA – hansgrohe delivered a smooth, controlled ride to secure fifth-place on the day.
We can absolutely be satisfied with our performance today
Kitted out in their upside-down number 13 jerseys, the team rattled past landmarks like the iconic Sagrada Família on their new Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 bikes, but couldn't quite match the pace of rival teams like Visma-Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates XRG.
"We can absolutely be satisfied with our performance today,” team sports director Klaas Lodewyck said. “On a day like this, there is simply more to lose than to win. Remco did an enormous amount of work today and feels excellent.”
With 20 stages still to come, the mission on a very hot day one in Barcelona was simple: stay in the fight. Job done.
02
Remco Evenepoel's battle for the yellow jersey begins
No one wins the Tour on stage 1, but contenders can lose it. Evenepoel, who secured third place overall at the 2024 Tour, put in a solid display on a stage that suited his strengths. The world-class engine was there, and while the result didn't produce a time gain over main rivals Vingegaard or Tadej Pogačar, it left him well placed after the first GC shake-up.
Remco Evenepoel was happy with his first day's work in Barcelona
© Maximilian Fries/Red Bull Content Pool
I don’t think we could have ridden any faster. It was a successful first day
The gap to Vingegaard may be 19 seconds, but a deficit like that isn't enough to change the shape of his Tour, and only seven seconds separate him from race favourite Pogačar, who finished in third place on the first day. There's no doubt the Belgian remains right in the frame heading into the opening road stages.
"This is more or less the result we expected,” Evenepoel told VTM NIEUWS. “It was quite okay. I don’t think we could have ridden any faster. It was a successful first day.”
03
Florian Lipowitz passes the first Tour test in Barcelona
For Florian Lipowitz, this opening day was about all about staying calm, staying protected and avoiding unnecessary damage. The German, who finished third to claim the white jersey last year, came through the stage 35s down on Vingegaard, 23s behind Pogačar and 16s behind Evenepoel – a manageable gap that keeps his overall challenge alive.
Florian Lipowitz (R) and Remco Evenepoel are co-leaders this year
© Conny Mirbach/Red Bull Content Pool
Just as importantly, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe kept its co-leader strategy intact. Evenepoel clearly remains the sharper card against the clock, but Lipowitz walks away from stage 1 still well-positioned for the climbing battles to come.
04
Jonas Vingegaard claims the yellow jersey after stage 1
Even without the injured Wout van Aert, Visma-Lease a Bike were the clear winners of the day, producing the best collective ride as two-time Tour winner Vingegaard struck the first psychological blow of the Tour.
Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates XRG also emerged from the opening test in a strong position. Third on the stage left the defending champion 12 seconds behind Vingegaard – close enough to keep the pressure on as the race moves into terrain better suited to his all-round strengths.
Stage 1 ranking
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike (21m 47s)
- Netcompany Ineos (+8s)
- UAE Team Emirates-XRG (+12s)
- Lidl-Trek (+15s)
- Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe (+19s)
General classification key contenders
- Jonas Vingegaard – Team Visma | Lease a Bike Leader (21m 47s)
- Tadej Pogačar – UAE Team Emirates-XRG (+12s)
- Remco Evenepoel – Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe (+19s)
- Florian Lipowitz – Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe (+35s)
05
Explained: The Tour's new team time trial format
For the first time since 1971, the Tour de France kicked off with a team time trial on stage 1. Not only that, but a twist on the old format ensured that the opening day would throw up some interesting tactics as teams adjusted to a novel way of competing together.
Nico Denz gets some much needed hydration on a hot day in Barcelona
© Maximilian Fries/Red Bull Content Pool
Under the old format, each team's time was taken when the fourth rider crossed the finish line, so squads had to keep at least four riders together, often sacrificing speed to protect teammates and limit time losses. This year, the team classification was based on the first rider home, while every rider earned their own GC time, allowing contenders to keep pushing without waiting for dropped teammates.
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