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The Tour de France will pass through Vic in its historic 2026 Catalan stage
Vic will be one of the protagonist cities of the Catalan start to the 2026 Tour de France. The French race will cross the municipality on Monday 6 July during the third stage, a historic day starting in Granollers and finishing in Les Angles, already in French territory.
Passing through Vic will form part of a stage of almost 196 kilometres that will take the peloton from Vallès Oriental towards Osona, Ripollès and the Pyrenees. It will not be a simple transition: the Tour will enter demanding terrain very soon, on a route that will become tougher before leaving Catalonia through the Toses area.
The stage will start in Granollers and pass through municipalities such as Sant Feliu de Codines, Centelles, Hostalets de Balenyà, Tona, Taradell and Santa Eugènia de Berga before reaching Vic. According to the official itinerary, the peloton will cross the city at around kilometre 55 of the race, in the middle part of the day.
For Vic, the Tour's arrival means much more than watching the world's best cyclists ride through for a few minutes. International broadcast coverage and the presence of fans can turn the city into a tourism and sporting showcase, affecting hospitality, commerce and Osona's external image.
The route will then continue towards Manlleu, Torelló, Sant Quirze de Besora, Ripoll, Ribes de Freser, Planoles and Toses. From there, the race will tackle the Collada de Toses before crossing into France and facing the final section towards Les Angles.
The organisers present this third stage as an early entry into the Pyrenees, although the profile appears more favourable for a strong breakaway than for a major offensive among the general-classification favourites. Even so, the accumulated elevation gain and the uphill finish may begin to create differences from the first week.
The Tour's passage through Vic will also require preparations for a special mobility, security and road-closure operation. Although there are still months before the schedules and impacts are finalised, the city will have to adapt streets, access routes and services for a day with a large public presence.
The Catalan stage will close the first three days of the Tour 2026, which will start in Barcelona on 4 July with a team time trial and continue the following day with a stage between Tarragona and Barcelona. On Monday 6, attention will move to inland Catalonia.
For residents, it will be a day of closures and changes to routine, but also an unusual opportunity to experience the Tour at street level. For a few hours, Vic will become part of one of the year's great sporting images, with the peloton crossing the city on its way to the Pyrenees.