Cycling in Yorkshire & Beyond
Cycling in Yorkshire & Beyond
Stage 14 | Stage 15 | Stage 16
Stage 15 of the Tour de France 2026 is a 183.9km mountain stage from Champagnole to Plateau de Solaison.
Le Salève via the Col de la Croisette is steep (11.2%) over 4.6km, and the final climb to the Plateau de Solaison is on narrow roads for 11.3km at an average 9%.
The race organisers expect this stage to sort the wheat from the chaff in the race for overall victory.
Race Details | Poll | Map & Profile | Timings | Videos | Food & Drink | Route Notes | Favourites
| Date | Sunday 19th July 2026 |
|---|---|
| Stage classification | Mountain |
| Distance | 183.9km |
| Intermediate sprint | Saint-Laurent-en-Grandvaux |
| Climbs | Côte des Rousses (Cat. 3) Le Salève - Col de la Croisette (Cat. 1) Côte du Mont (Cat. 3) Plateau de Solaison (hors catégorie) |
| Total climbing | 3,950m |
Vote for one of the main contenders to win Stage 15 (to be added later).
This is a map showing the route of Stage 15 Tour de France 2026.
This is a zoom-able map of Stage 15 Tour de France 2026.
This is the profile of Stage 15 Tour de France 2026.
| Caravan | Fast Schedule | Slow Schedule | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start Time (départ fictif) | 1045 |
1310 |
1310 |
| Start Time (départ réel) | 1055 |
1320 |
1320 |
| Intermediate Sprint | 1126 |
1343 |
1345 |
| Le Salève Climb | 1502 |
1623 |
1642 |
| Côte du Mont Climb | 1520 |
1636 |
1657 |
| Finish Line (183.9km) | 1629 |
1741 |
1811 |
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This is a video of the route of Stage 15 Tour de France 2026.
This video shows Plateau de Solaison hosting a stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2022.
Stage 8 of the Tour Auvergne Rhône-Alpes 2026 finished at Plateau de Solaison.
Stage 15 goes starts in the Jura, which has some interesting food and drink.
Cheeses of the Jura include Comté and Morbier.
The Jura has a Wine Route, and white, red and rosé wines are made in the region. There's also a brandy, Marc du Jura, as well as absinthe.
Macvin du Jura is a fortified wine a bit like port. It's made by fortifying unfermented Savagnin must with Marc du Jura.
Buy a bottle of Macvin du Jura (affiliate link).
The stage starts in Champagnole (départ fictif).
Champagnole is a town of 7,901 people, about half-way between Geneva and Dijon. It is overlooked by a hill called Mont Rivel (805m), which once had a Medieval château on it.
Champagnole used to be an industrial town, with steel and aluminium made here until the 1990s, as well as toy trains. The economy has since gone off the rails (or declined, at least).
Champagnole is twinned with Dunkinfield (UK).
Stage 19 of the 2023 Tour de France went through Champagnole, as did Stage 20 of the 2025 Tour.
The racing starts immediately south of Champagnole on the N5 (départ réel).
The peloton follows the river Lemme south to Saint-Laurent-en-Grandvaux for the intermediate sprint.
The intermediate sprint at Saint-Laurent-en-Grandvaux comes after 17.3km raced.
Still on the N5 the race continues to Morbier, which makes a cheese.
The next town, almost contiguous with Morbier, is Morez. The riders are now by the Bienne river.
Stage 15 climbs to Les Rousses, and this is the first categorised ascent.
The Côte des Rousses climb is 6.6km at an average 5.1%.
South of Les Rousses, the riders diverge from the main road onto the D313 Quartier la Combe en Haut and continue to Mijoux.
From Mijoux, the race is on the D991. These are the Monts Jura.
There's a descent to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, on the river Rhône. Here, the race picks up the D1206 Route de Genève, follows the river, and crosses it to reach Vulbens and Valleiry.
The next village is Viry, and the Mont Salève is in view ahead.
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At Le Châble, the race turns and heads north on the D18, seeking the right approach to Le Salève. At Archamps, it turns east again to approach the climb.
The Mont Salève climb is on the D45 to the Col de la Croisette (a small settlement at a crossroads).
It is 4.6km at an average 11.2%. The height at the top is 1,175m.
Stage 15 descends the other side of Mont Salève to La Muraz, then the road rises again - la Côte du Mont.
The Côte du Mont is 2.1km at 8.3%, to a height of 823m.
The riders continue past the KOM point still uphill to Arbusigny, then pick up the D6 to Moussy and the D2 to La Roche-sur-Foron.
From La Roche-sur-Foron the race heads east on the D1203 to Bonneville on the river Arve. Then from Thuet, the final climb begins.
The finish is at Plateau de Solaison.
There's a series of hairpins as the road climbs steeply through woods to Brison. Then it continues uphill to Solaison at a height of 1,508m.
The finish is at Plateau de Solaison, where there is cross-country skiing in Winter.
Cycling Challenge describes it as 'a fabulous climb' which appeared in the 2014 Tour de l'Avenir. It was also in the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2017, 2022 and 2026 (Tour Auvergne Rhône-Alpes).
Favourites for Stage 15 of the 2026 Tour de France will be those riders in contention for the overall win.
With Oscar Onley injured and out of the 2026 Tour, Kévin Vauquelin will be one of the Ineos GC riders. Whether he and Thymen Arensman can stay with the very best on the hardest climbs is an open question.
Who do you think will win Stage 15 of the 2026 Tour de France?
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