Reims is not too far from Lille, but is part of a separate region which will be hosting the opening days of the 2028 Tour de France. According to multiple sources from within the peloton, the presentation was planned to be taking place this Monday where this will be made official.
This summer the race will begin in the Spanish city of Barcelona, before moving onto France for the finale of stage 3 into Les Angles. Meanwhile the 2027 race will begin in the United Kingdom, with stage finales in Carlisle, Liverpool and Cardiff – Scotland, England and Wales.
𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗗𝗘́𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟴 : 𝗟𝗔 𝗙𝗘̂𝗧𝗘 𝗔̀ 𝗟’𝗘𝗦𝗧
La 115e édition du Tour de France partira samedi 24 juin 2028 depuis @VilledeReims.
Le Grand Départ 2028 explorera la @regiongrandest : 6️⃣ villes-étapes seront reliées : Charleville-Mézières, Épernay, Metz, Reims,… pic.twitter.com/A17XHMSOIC
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) May 18, 2026
Three years later, a French Grand Depart
In 2028, this will be happening in Reims. The 2028 Grand Départ will connect six stage cities: Charleville-Mézières, Épernay, Metz, Reims, Thionville and Verdun in the Grand Est Region.
There were strong rumours this year that the country of Luxembourg could have been the chosen region, but that will ultimately have to wait. The Tour organizers work years ahead when it comes to selecting its starting countries – In 2029 the race is heavily reported to be beginning in Germany, likely in the city of Berlin or potentially Dresden.
Whilst in 2030 we should see either Slovenia or the Czech Republic host the starts – in either Ljubljana, close to Tadej Pogacar’s hometown of Komenda; or Prague.
What to expect from the 2026 Tour de France?
In 2025 the race began in Lille with the Hauts-de-France region providing for an explosive start before the race moved south through Normandie and Bretagne. The overall classification was won by Tadej Pogacar who made his key differences on the Caen time trial and the summit finish to Hautacam against Jonas Vingegaard.