The Tour de France will return to French roads for its Grand Départ in 2028, with organisers confirming that the race will begin in Reims. The opening stage is scheduled for Saturday, June 24, making it one of the earliest starts in modern Tour history.
The earlier date is largely down to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which begin in mid-July. With Olympic road cycling events taking place soon after the Games start, Tour organisers have adjusted the calendar to avoid major overlap between the two events.
Reims Brings the Tour Back Home
After recent editions opened outside France, the 2028 race beginning in Reims feels like a return to tradition. This year’s Tour starts in Barcelona, while Edinburgh is already confirmed as the host city for the 2026 Grand Départ. By comparison, Reims offers a more classic French backdrop for cycling’s biggest race.
The city has hosted the Tour before, including the Grand Départ in 1956, and has featured on the route many times since then. Fans may also remember Reims from the 2019 edition, when a stage began there before finishing in Nancy.
Alongside Reims, organisers revealed several other locations that will feature during the opening part of the race. Charleville Mézières, Épernay, Verdun, Metz, and Thionville are all expected to host either stage starts or finishes during the first few days.
Full stage details have not been released yet, so it remains unclear exactly what kind of terrain riders will face early in the race.
115th edition of the Tour de France will start with four stages in the east of France 🇫🇷
Read more 👉 https://t.co/1ME2SnbKqV pic.twitter.com/Rq9gSO7RJW
— BikeRadar (@bikeradar) May 18, 2026
Olympic Schedule Forces Calendar Shift
The biggest talking point around the announcement is the timing. The Tour de France almost always begins in July, but the Olympic calendar has forced organisers to move the race forward by around two weeks.
That also means the 2028 Tour will finish much earlier than normal, with the final stage expected to take place on July 16. For riders hoping to compete at both the Tour and the Olympics, the adjusted schedule could actually work in their favour by allowing more recovery time between events.
It also creates a very different feel to the cycling calendar overall. Teams will have to prepare for major races earlier in the season, while riders targeting peak form in late June may need to change their usual training plans.
Historic Locations Add Extra Interest
Several of the announced host cities have long connections to the Tour de France. Metz, for example, was actually the first foreign city ever visited by the race back in 1906, during a period when the city belonged to Germany.
Épernay also holds recent Tour memories after Julian Alaphilippe won there during the 2019 edition before taking the yellow jersey.
Organisers described the opening week as a chance to showcase the Grand Est region, with routes expected to pass through areas known for both historical significance and demanding terrain.
Although there is still plenty of time before the full route reveal, the announcement has already created excitement among cycling fans. Between the earlier start date, the Olympic connection, and the return to a French Grand Départ, the 2028 Tour de France is already shaping up to feel different from recent editions.
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