The 2028 Tour de France is reportedly set to start on June 23 – a week earlier than usual – to allow leading riders to finish the Grande Boucle and compete in the Olympic road race in Los Angeles.
Luxembourg has emerged as the favorite for the 2028 Grand Départ, but Prague is also a serious contender, despite the fact that next year the Tour will start outside France in Barcelona and in 2027 in Edinburgh. Slovenia is reportedly aiming for a 2029 or 2031 Tour start, perhaps to coincide with the end of Tadej Pogačar's career.
If the 2028 Tour were to start on Friday, June 23, the race would conclude three weeks later on Sunday, July 16. This would disrupt the traditional UCI calendar in June, especially as the Giro d’Italia hopes to shift its finish to the first weekend of June.
It is not yet clear when the 2028 Tour de France Femmes will take place. In 2024, to avoid clashing with the Paris Olympic Games, the women's Tour was held from August 12-18, rather than immediately after the men's race. The UCI only confirms its major event calendars 12 months in advance.
The 2028 Olympic Games officially begin with the opening ceremony on Friday, July 14. The men's and women's time trials will take place on Wednesday, July 19, while the road races are scheduled for July 22 and 23, starting and finishing at Venice Beach. Track cycling events are scheduled for the third week of the Games, from July 25-30.
The overlap between the end of the Tour and the Olympic time trial schedule presents difficult choices for riders like 2024 double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel, while riders competing only in the road race will likely travel directly from the Tour to Los Angeles.
According to L’essentiel, Luxembourg hopes to host three stages of the 2028 Tour, paying €8-9 million for the privilege. Tour organizer ASO is expected to make a final decision in the spring of 2026. Tour director Christian Prudhomme has already visited Luxembourg and received an official bid dossier. Prague's main advantage is its long-standing partnership with Czech car manufacturer Škoda, a sponsor of the event.
The first stage would be a 13.5km individual time trial in Luxembourg City. The second stage, with a rolling profile, would also start in Luxembourg City, pass through the Ernz Blanche and Mullerthal valleys, and finish in Esch-sur-Alzette. The third stage would start in Echternach and then leave Luxembourg, likely entering France, where the remaining stages would take place.
