How well do you know the history of the Tour de France? Test yourself before the 2026 Grand Départ

How much do you know about the history of the Tour de France? On the eve of the 2026 Tour de France, we've set up a small quiz to get everyone in the mood for the Grand Depart on Saturday. 10 questions on the history of the Tour de France, ranging from extremely tricky to 'oh my god how did I get that wrong!' Take the quiz below and then tell us how you did in the comments.

The Tour de France is the biggest and most famous bike race in the world. Held every July, it sends the sport's best riders across three weeks of racing in pursuit of stage wins and the race leader's jersey. Millions follow it every year, on the roadside and on screens around the globe.

This year's race runs from 4 to 26 July. After three weeks and 21 stages, the winner will be crowned in the late evening Paris sun.

The race is made up of 21 stages spread over three weeks, covering more than 3,000 kilometres. Riders face flat sprints, rolling hills, high mountains and time trials, with a rest day in each week to recover.

Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard start as the two men to beat, as they have been for years. Remco Evenepoel and France's exciting young hope Paul Seixas lead the chase, with a clutch of others dreaming of an upset. Our GC favourites guide (below) gives you the full picture.

In the men's race, 4 men have won the Tour de France 5 times. They are Jacques Anquetil (FR) Eddy Merckx (BE) Bernard Hinault (FR) and Miguel Indurain (ESP). Lance Armstrong (USA) won the Tour de France 7 times, but was stripped of all of his Tour wins due to doping violations.

Coverage depends on where you are, ranging from paid streaming to free-to-air highlights. Our how-to-watch guide breaks down the broadcasters, prices and free options across the UK, US, Canada, Australia and Europe.