Tour de France 2028 to shift to June start with Champagne on the menu in home Grand Départ

The Tour de France will shift its traditional July start to late June in 2028 to avoid overlapping with the Los Angeles Olympic Games, which run from 14 to 30 July that year. The 115th edition of the race is scheduled to begin on Saturday, 24 June, and conclude on Sunday, 16 July. This adjustment means the Tour will finish just three days before the Olympic time trial, creating a potential conflict for riders such as Remco Evenepoel, who may have to choose between competing in the Tour or the Games. The Grand Départ for the 2028 Tour will return to French soil, taking place in Reims within the Champagne region, marking the city’s first start since 1956. The opening four stages will traverse the departments of Marne, Ardennes, Meuse, and Moselle, with six cities hosting parts of the race, including Charleville-Mézières, Épernay, Metz, Thionville, and Verdun. While specific routes have not yet been disclosed, the terrain is expected to feature rolling hills and gravel sections, typical of the region and well suited to puncheurs. This decision follows a precedent for calendar shifts to accommodate major sporting events; the Tour was previously moved to June in 1966 to avoid clashing with the FIFA World Cup. The 2028 start date also reflects ongoing efforts to balance the Tour’s international profile with logistical challenges, especially when starting outside France. Recent foreign starts in Italy and Spain have not necessitated additional rest days, but the UK’s Grand Départ in 2027 will require an early rest day, as will the 2028 edition with its French home start. The Champagne region’s association with the Tour is well established, having hosted memorable stages in recent years that incorporated vineyard gravel tracks. Notably, Julian Alaphilippe launched his 2019 campaign with a stage win into Épernay, and Anthony Turgis triumphed on a gravel-heavy stage in 2024. The 2028 race promises to continue this tradition, combining scenic routes with challenging terrain that highlights the unique character of the Grand Est region.