The Tour de France continued on Tuesday afternoon with stage 16, an individual time trial from Évian-les-Bains to Thonon-les-Bains. This stage marks the only individual time trial of the 2026 race, following an earlier team time trial won by Visma-Lease a Bike. The course, spanning 26.1km, is considered challenging due to its varied terrain, which includes an uphill section and a descent.
The initial 10km of the course features the Côte de Larringes, a category two climb with an average gradient of 4.3% over 9.7km. Following this ascent, riders face a descent before a flat run to the finish line along the Lake Geneva shoreline. This combination of climbing, descending, and flat sections means that a blend of pacing, power, and aerodynamics will be crucial for success.
Early Stage Developments
The first rider began the stage at noon, with Josh Tarling of Netcompany-Ineos setting the early fastest time at 34 minutes and 21 seconds. His teammate, Filippo Ganna, finished four seconds behind, unable to surpass Tarling’s mark. Huub Artz of Lotto-Intermarche currently holds the third-fastest time.
Bruno Armirail, riding for Visma Lease-a-Bike, demonstrated a strong performance through the time check at the top of the Côte de Larringes, registering 19 seconds quicker than Tarling’s time. He maintained his pace on the descent, finishing six seconds faster than Tarling, despite losing time on the flatter section towards the finish.
Mads Pedersen, wearing the green jersey, is also on the course, currently on the uphill section with approximately 22.5km remaining. As a non-specialist in time trials, Pedersen trails Tarling’s time by 50 seconds. No other rider currently on the course is within 40 seconds of the leading time.
Key Contenders and Standings
The individual time trial is significant as it offers an opportunity to alter the General Classification standings at the start of the final week. While Tadej Pogačar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG holds a five-minute lead, positions below him remain competitive, with several riders vying for a podium finish.
Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, the world champion, is considered a favourite for the stage. He could potentially secure a second consecutive stage victory and reduce Pogačar’s lead, though likely by a small margin. The Netcompany-Ineos duo of Filippo Ganna and Josh Tarling are also strong contenders, with Juan Ayuso of Lidl-Trek noted as an outside possibility.
The withdrawal of Jonas Vingegaard, following an incident involving doping control, has reinforced the perception of Pogačar’s strong position in this year’s Tour. The battle for podium places and the young rider’s jersey between Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas is expected to generate considerable interest in the remaining stages. Seixas is generally stronger against the clock, but the impact of two weeks of racing remains to be seen.
Start Times and Non-Starters
The action commenced at 13:00 local time CEST, with Kamil Gradek of Bahrain Victorious being the first to start. Riders are dispatched in reverse General Classification order, meaning the top-placed riders start last. Initial intervals are 90 seconds, increasing to two-minute gaps for the top 15 competitors.
Notable riders and their start times include Josh Tarling at 13:25:30 CEST, Filippo Ganna at 13:58:30, and Tobias Foss at 16:06:00. Among the top 10, Jordan Jegat of TotalEnergies started at 16:57, followed by Juan Ayuso at 17:05, and Paul Seixas at 17:09. Remco Evenepoel began his effort at 17:13, with Tadej Pogačar starting at 17:15.
One non-starter confirmed for the stage is Lars Craps of Lotto Intermarché.
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Source: theguardian.com
As CasinoNews's Sports News Writer, Mason Leclair reports on the CFL, golf and combat sports for readers across the country. He moved from regional papers into digital sport. He holds a degree in Journalism from Carleton University. Mason lives in Ottawa, where he follows the PGA Tour and mixed martial arts. “Get the facts down first, then add the context.”
