L'Étape du Tour 2026 in numbers

L'Étape du Tour de France is the only sportive that offers roads completely closed to traffic on one of the Tour de France's mountain stages. Since 1993 it has become the benchmark event in Europe, consistently drawing 16,000 entrants to the start line from more than 90 countries. At the 33rd edition in 2025 (Albertville – La Plagne, 131 km, 4,500 m of climbing), 13,785 of the 16,000 registered riders crossed the finish line.

The training plan: 6 months out

L'Étape du Tour is a demanding mountain event — recent editions have ranged from 130 to 170 km with 4,000 to 4,700 m of climbing. The goal isn't to win it, but to finish within the time limits. Here are the key phases.

The essential sessions

Four types of session you absolutely must build into your preparation:

Your nutrition strategy

Alongside training and equipment, nutrition is the third pillar of your preparation. Over an event lasting 5 to 8 hours, a poor fuelling strategy can undo months of preparation. The key numbers:

Before the event

• D-2 and D-1 — carb loading: pasta, rice, bread. Avoid fibre and anything you're not used to eating
• Race morning — breakfast 3 hours before the start: rice pudding, bread, banana. 500ml of water with electrolytes
• 30 min before — a gel or energy bar so you start with a full tank

During the event

• Don't wait until you're hungry or thirsty — start eating and drinking in the very first hour
• Alternate solids (bars, bananas, puffed rice) and liquids (gels, isotonic drinks)
• Make use of the official feed stations without stopping for too long
• On the climbs: cut back on solids and favour gels and drinks, which are easier to digest under effort

Equipment: preparing and checking your bike

Kit: what L'Étape du Tour demands

A 5- to 8-hour Alpine event in July brings specific challenges: heat in the valleys, cold at altitude, intense effort and long distance. Your kit has to handle all of it at once.

Jersey

• Breathable fabric — actively wicks sweat, ultra-fast drying
• Race fit — close cut to reduce aerodynamic drag and avoid chafing folds
• 3 rear pockets — room for food, rain jacket, phone
• Short sleeves + light thermal base layer — the ideal combination for Alpine stages in July

Essential accessories

• Well-ventilated, certified helmet — mandatory
• Glasses with interchangeable lenses: dark for sunshine, clear for tunnels and shaded forest roads
• Short-finger gloves — protection if you crash, comfort on long descents
• Lightweight rain jacket in your pocket — the weather can turn quickly at altitude
• Lightweight arm warmers — for the cold first kilometres and the descents
• High-SPF sunscreen — 6 hours at altitude under the July sun

Race management: don't let your Étape slip away

Most abandons and failures at L'Étape du Tour have nothing to do with fitness and everything to do with tactical mistakes. Here are the most common ones and how to avoid them.

• Starting too fast — the start-line buzz, the bunch, the euphoria: the temptation to go out beyond your ability is universal. Stick to the pace you trained for, not the pace of the riders around you
• Neglecting the first feeds — eat and drink from the first hour, even if you're not hungry or thirsty. Your blood sugar drops long before you feel it
• Pushing too hard on the first climbs — ride by % of max HR or by watts, not by feel. The first climbs are often underestimated because you're still fresh
• Under-dressing for the descents — the temperature can drop 10-15 degrees from the valley floor to the top of an hors catégorie climb. The jacket in your pocket is your life insurance
• Ignoring the time cut-offs — L'Étape du Tour has time cut-offs. Know them and plan your pace accordingly

The checklist from D-7 to D-1