The Tour de France will start in Barcelona for the first time in 2026.

The opening two stages will be in Catalonia, with the third stage starting in the Spanish region before crossing into France.

It will be the third occasion Spain has hosted the race’s Grand Depart, having previously done so in San Sebastian in 1992 and in Bilbao last year.

The 2026 race – which is set to start on 4 July – will have the most southerly Grand Depart in Tour history.

“This is a historic milestone. It confirms Barcelona’s role as an international sports capital,” said the city’s mayor Jaume Collboni.

“Barcelona will be the only city in the world to host the Olympics, the World Cup, the America’s Cup and the Tour de France, the four most influential sporting events in the world.”

The 2024 Tour starts in Florence, Italy, on 29 June, while in 2025 it will begin in the French city of Lille.

Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard will attempt to claim his third consecutive victory at this year’s Tour but is recovering from injuries sustained in a crash in April.