The Tour de France Kicks Off on July 4th (Sat)! Makoto Iijima, Who Will Serve as Commentator, Previews the Charm of the Tour and Highlights of This Year's Race! WOWOW Will Live Stream All Stages from the Opening!

The world's premier road cycling race, the Tour de France, will be held over 23 days from July 4th (Sat), 2026, to July 26th (Sun). The total distance is 3321.2km. 184 riders will participate. Ahead of the 113th edition, which begins in Barcelona, Spain, Makoto Iijima, an Olympian who competed in three Olympic Games and dreamed of the Tour de France, now with Bridgestone Cycle, spoke about the race's appeal and points to watch in the international broadcast. Iijima will serve as commentator, including for Stage 1 and Stage 2, which will be streamed for free.

The Reason Marathoners Can Endure 21 Days is Due to Cycling-Specific Factors and Latest Conditioning

The Tour de France is the world's top road cycling race, a special stage where only a select group of top professional cyclists from 23 teams of 8 riders each, totaling 184 participants, can compete. The course is set to wind through World Heritage sites and historical buildings across France, a leading tourist destination, and the thrill of racing at speeds of 50km/h on roads used by locals in their daily lives is a major attraction.

"Road racing is a grueling competition that involves long distances every day, but compared to marathons, the impact from the road surface is less, so while muscle fatigue occurs, physical damage is relatively contained. With advancements in in-race nutrition, post-finish recovery meals, and massage, riders can complete the 21 stages (excluding two rest days)," says Iijima. "The required abilities are not just endurance, but also explosive power, adaptability to heat and cold, and gastrointestinal strength – a comprehensive toughness."

He also asks viewers to pay attention to the unique competitive format of road cycling. While results are contested individually, it is actually a team sport in essence. "To conserve theエース until a crucial moment, support riders act as windbreaks, or carry water and food. Only the winner's name remains, but that victory is achieved by the entire team."

The 21 Stages Include Flat Sections, Time Trials, and Grueling Mountain Climbs

Each day's race is called a stage, and there are flat stages, mountain stages, and time trials, each requiring different strategies and rider abilities. In flat stages, a large peloton is likely to surge towards the finish line together, favoring sprinters and larger riders for victory. Time trials are ridden individually, making time differences significant and directly impacting the overall classification. Mountain stages emphasize power-to-weight ratio, or power-to-weight ratio, and are likely to see significant shifts in the overall standings.

"This year's race starts in Barcelona, Spain, and Stage 1 passes right by the Sagrada Familia. After that, it traverses diverse mountain regions like the Pyrenees, Massif Central, Jura, and Alps. The Tour de France's charm lies not only in the race itself but also in the aerial views and the sense of journey," says Iijima, who insists that Stage 20 in the Alps is not to be missed.

"It's the toughest stage, called the Queen Stage, with a distance of 170.9km, an elevation gain of 5450m, and a grueling course including the famous Col du Galibier, which could significantly influence the overall standings. A dramatic reversal is possible on the day before the final stage."

Riders climbing the Col du Galibier (2022 Tour de France / Stage 11) Getty Images

A Newcomer Challenges the Dominant Duo of Pogacar and Vingegaard!

The main contenders for the overall victory are Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) of UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark) of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, who have been prominent in recent Tour de France races. Pogačar, aiming for his third consecutive and fifth overall victory, is the current world champion. He is tied with four other cycling legends for the most Tour de France wins with five, and attention will be on whether Pogačar can join their ranks this year. Vingegaard, aiming for his third overall victory after a three-year gap, has achieved the feat of winning all three Grand Tours, something even Pogačar has not accomplished.

"Pogačar boasts an overwhelming winning percentage, described as the strongest in the world, the 'cosmic strongest,' and is the top favorite," says Iijima, who has given his rival Vingegaard the catchphrase "Earth's Strongest." "He has a track record of defeating Pogačar in the past, and his strength this year lies in his smooth preparation," he explains the reason for the naming. Furthermore, "Paul Sökler of the Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale team, a 19-year-old prospect from France, is also a rider to watch. He has the potential to bring the overall victory to host nation France for the first time since 1985."

Iijima analyzes, "Pogačar's team has the young Isaac Del Toro (Mexico) who could be a replacementエース, while Vingegaard's team operates with him as the sole leader." "Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe will compete with a double-ace strategy, with Florian Lipowitz (Germany), who finished third overall in 2025, and Remco Evenepoel (Belgium), a two-time gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, aiming for their first victory."

Overall winner contenders for the 2025 race: Tadej Pogačar (right) and overall second-place finisher Jonas Vingegaard (left) Getty Images

Sacrificing Oneself to Make the Ace Win. If You Understand Why They're Lagging Behind, You're Enjoying the World's Top Race to the Fullest!

"It's great to enjoy the amazing scenery you're cycling through, or to find your favorite rider. I think the enjoyment of the race expands when you start to understand how riders are sacrificing their own performance to support their ace. That's why listening to the live commentary and expert analysis is the best way to enjoy it," says Iijima, sharing how to best enjoy the WOWOW broadcast.

"As a commentator, I want to convey what type of rider each person is and where their strengths lie. It's also good to notice if a rider is incredibly handsome or has a great physique. If you're interested in a particular rider, searching their name will bring up a lot of information, so you can focus on one rider and become a fan. I want to convey the Tour de France in a way that will pique the interest of many people in Japan."

WOWOW will broadcast the Tour de France, which begins on July 4th (Sat), live every day from the opening day until the finish in Paris on July 26th (Sun), covering all 21 stages. Stages 1 and 2 will be streamed for free!

<WOWOW Program Information>

『Tour de France』

Opens July 4th (Sat)! Live broadcast daily on WOWOW On Demand!

・Stage 1 Barcelona ~ Barcelona / July 4th (Sat) 11:50 PM~

・Stage 2 Tarragona ~ Barcelona / July 5th (Sun) 9:10 PM~

・Stage 3 Granollers ~ Les Angles / July 6th (Mon) 8:10 PM~

・Stage 4 Carcassonne ~ Foix / July 7th (Tue) 9:10 PM~

・Stage 5 Lamanon ~ Pau / July 8th (Wed) 9:05 PM~

・Stage 6 Pau ~ Gavarnie-Gèdre / July 9th (Thu) 9:10 PM~

・Stage 7 Aigrefeuille ~ Bordeaux / July 10th (Fri) 9:10 PM~

・Stage 8 Périgueux ~ Bergerac / July 11th (Sat) 9:10 PM~

・Stage 9 Marmande ~ Uzerche / July 12th (Sun) 9:10 PM~

・Stage 10 Aurillac ~ Le Lioran / July 14th (Tue) 8:15 PM~

・Stage 11 Vichy ~ Nevers / July 15th (Wed) 8:55 PM~

・Stage 12 Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours ~ Chalon-sur-Saône / July 16th (Thu) 9:15 PM~

・Stage 13 Dole ~ Belfort / July 17th (Fri) 9:15 PM~

・Stage 14 Mulhouse ~ Le Markstein Fellering / July 18th (Sat) 9:15 PM~

・Stage 15 Champagnole ~ Plateau de Solaison / July 19th (Sun) 9:15 PM~

・Stage 16 Évian-les-Bains ~ Thonon-les-Bains / July 21st (Tue) 9:15 PM~

・Stage 17 Chambéry ~ Valloire / July 22nd (Wed) 9:15 PM~

・Stage 18 Valloire ~ Orcières-Merlette / July 23rd (Thu) 9:15 PM~

・Stage 19 Gap ~ Alpe d'Huez / July 24th (Fri) 9:05 PM~

・Stage 20 Le Bourg-d'Oisans ~ Alpe d'Huez / July 25th (Sat) 8:15 PM~

・Stage 21 Twyford ~ Paris Champs-Élysées / July 26th (Sun) 11:20 PM~

Viewing Page Here

https://wod.wowow.co.jp/genre/tourdefrance