Tour de France 2026: Stage Seven Profile and Favorites

The seventh stage of the 2026 Tour de France promises a flat, fast race from Hagetmau to Bordeaux, covering a distance of 175.1 kilometers. This stage is largely anticipated to be a battle for the sprinters in the peloton.

While the route winds through the Landes region, it features only one categorized climb, a fourth-category ascent at Kilometer 137. With a modest positive elevation gain of 850 meters, the stage is set for a dramatic finish along the Garonne River in Bordeaux. This offers a prime opportunity for speedsters to vie for victory.

Former cyclist and current Tour de France race director Thierry Gouvenou noted that sprinters might not have many chances in this edition of the race. He highlighted that with only five expected sprint finishes, this stage is crucial for them, especially after the course design shifted away from a traditional finish in Paris. Gouvenou stated, "We can't do twenty-one days with enormous intensity. We have to take some breaks, and the sprinters deserve to go and get these stages."

Top sprinters such as Tim Merlier, Jasper Philipsen, and Mads Pedersen, who recently won the fourth stage, are considered the leading contenders for the win in Bordeaux. The stage is scheduled to begin with a fictitious start at 1:15 PM, followed by the real start 10 minutes later. The expected finish time is 5:13 PM, assuming an average speed of 46 km/h.

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We can't do twenty-one days with enormous intensity. We have to take some breaks, and the sprinters deserve to go and get these stages.