Bahrain Victorious head to the 2026 Tour de France with a balanced squad built around a primary objective of hunting stage victories across the three weeks, whilst also keeping an eye on the general classification with Antonio Tiberi, who will target a place inside the overall top ten.
The 113th edition of the Tour de France gets underway in Barcelona with a 19.7km team time trial, marking the first team time trial at the Tour de France since 2019. The opening three days remain in Catalunya, where Stage 3 provides the first demanding test for the peloton before the race crosses into France.
Antonio Tiberi will lead the team’s general classification ambitions as he targets a place inside the overall top ten. Supporting him in the mountains is Damiano Caruso, who heads an experienced climbing group. In what will be his final Tour de France, Caruso will look to complete the rare feat of winning a stage at all three Grand Tours, while once again playing a pivotal role in the mountains after his outstanding support of Afonso Eulálio throughout this year’s Giro d’Italia.
Bahrain Victorious also arrive with multiple stage-winning options. Three-time Tour de France stage winner Matej Mohorič returns looking to add to his impressive tally, while Lenny Martinez has established himself as one of the peloton’s top climbers since joining Bahrain Victorious in 2025. The Frenchman has already claimed WorldTour stage victories at Paris-Nice (two), the Tour de Romandie and the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, making him one of the team’s biggest stage-winning threats in the mountains, while also targeting the polka dot jersey.
On the flatter stages, Phil Bauhaus will spearhead the team’s sprint ambitions as he looks to challenge for his first Tour de France stage victory.
Making his Tour de France debut is Vlad Van Mechelen. The young Belgian impressed with an attacking ride at this year’s Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, where he finished third on Stage 2 from the breakaway, and will be looking to showcase his talent on cycling’s biggest stage.
Completing the line-up are experienced road captain Kamil Gradek and Australian Rob Stannard, both of whom will provide invaluable support throughout the three weeks.
The 2026 Tour de France covers 3,319 kilometres and 54,303 metres of elevation across 21 stages, featuring six flat stages, five intermediate stages, eight mountain stages, one individual time trial and one team time trial.
Following the opening stages in Catalunya, the race quickly reaches the Pyrenees, where Stage 6 from Pau to Gavarnie-Gèdre provides the first major test for the general classification contenders. Covering 186.2 kilometres and over 4,000 metres of climbing, the stage includes the iconic Col du Tourmalet before finishing atop Gavarnie-Gèdre.
Following the first rest day, the riders immediately face another key test on Stage 10 from Aurillac to Le Lioran. The 166-kilometre route packs almost 4,000 metres of elevation into a relentless parcours that is expected to create further gaps among the overall contenders.
After the second rest day comes the race’s only individual time trial, a 26-kilometre test beginning in Évian-les-Bains, which could prove decisive before the race enters its final Alpine block.
The final week concludes with three consecutive days in the Alps. Stages 19 and 20 both finish atop the legendary Alpe d’Huez, creating an exciting finale to the race. The Queen Stage on Stage 20 covers 170 kilometres and 5,432 metres of elevation, with the Col de Sarenne returning to the Tour de France route for the first time since 2013 before the final ascent of Alpe d’Huez.
The race concludes in Paris with a revised final stage that once again incorporates the climbs of Montmartre, ensuring the battle for one of cycling’s most iconic stage victories continues all the way to the finish.
Lenny Martinez said:
“My goal for this Tour de France is to try and bring home a stage victory, while also fighting for the polka dot jersey, so those are my two main objectives. Antonio will be looking after our general classification ambitions, while the rest of us will be looking for the right opportunities to go for stage wins.
Overall, I think my shape is good this year. I crashed before the Tour de Suisse, but day by day during the race I felt better and better. I’m feeling good now and hopefully I can carry those sensations into the Tour de France.
It’s not just about me. We have a really strong team with several riders capable of winning stages, and I’m sure we’ll find the right moments throughout the race to take our opportunities.”
Sports Director Roman Kreuziger added:
“We’re coming into the Tour with a really balanced team. Our main objective is to fight for stage victories, while also supporting Antonio Tiberi in the general classification. We believe he can challenge for a top ten. He had an excellent start to the season at the UAE Tour before some mixed form, but we feel he’s back on track. He showed what he is capable of at the Giro two years ago. The Tour is a different race and it’s his first appearance, but he has a strong group of experienced riders around him to support him throughout the three weeks.
This will be Damiano’s final Grand Tour and he came out of the Giro in really good condition. He spent time recovering with our partner Villars Palace and their fantastic facilities, and he’s arrived at the Tour in great shape. He’ll play a key role protecting both Antonio and Lenny in the mountains, but he’ll also be motivated to chase a stage victory and complete wins at all three Grand Tours.
Lenny has made huge improvements since last year and he’s shown he has taken another step forward as both a rider and a leader. Our goal with him is to fight for a stage win, but also to be competitive for the polka dot jersey.
Phil Bauhaus makes his third Tour de France appearance. He’s come close to a stage victory before and we believe he can challenge again, while he’s also shown he is willing to work for his teammates when the race demands it. Rob Stannard comes here after a strong Giro d’Italia and has a huge engine. He’ll be really important in supporting both Phil and the rest of the team throughout the race.
Vlad Van Mechelen is an exciting young talent making his Grand Tour debut. This will be a great learning experience for him, but we also expect him to play an important role as Phil’s final lead-out rider. I believe this Tour can be another big step in his development. Kamil Gradek is one of the most reliable riders in the peloton. His teammates have complete confidence in him and he will once again provide crucial support throughout the race. Matej Mohorič has won more Tour de France stages than any rider in Bahrain Victorious history. Unfortunately, he became ill during this year’s Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, but he has recovered well and we hope to see him back at his very best over the next three weeks.
It’s exciting to see the team time trial return to the Tour. We showed at this Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes that we can perform well together in that discipline and we’re aiming for a solid result in Barcelona. Stage 2 will already be hectic and technical, so staying out of trouble will be important before the first major test arrives on Stage 3 in Catalunya. Once we move into France, every day becomes another challenge, but we have a balanced team with experience, quality and different options, and we’re confident we can achieve some really good results.”
