Col du Haag: the new test of fire in Alsace will open the 14th stage of the Tour

Mulhouse – 18 July 2026: The Vosges are having their big moment. Stage 14 of the Tour de France takes place on Saturday over 155.3 kilometres between Mulhouse and Le Markstein-Fellering, with 3,800 metres of cumulative elevation gain over a relatively short distance. The neutralised start is scheduled for 13:10, with the finish expected, depending on the race situation, between 17:24 and 17:52. It is a mountain stage that needs no long preamble.

Very early on, the road climbs towards the Grand Ballon. After 36.6 kilometres, the first Category 1 climb is reached: 21.6 kilometres at an average gradient of 4.7 percent. The peloton then passes through Le Markstein for the first time before the loop through the Vosges, via the Col du Page and the Ballon d’Alsace, leads back towards the finish. The route leaves little room to conserve energy.

The Ballon d’Alsace, at kilometre 94.4, is a classic test with its 8.9 kilometres at 6.9 percent. But the decisive ramp is the Col du Haag. It features on the Tour programme for the first time and is crested after 149.4 kilometres. The figures are clear: 11.2 kilometres, an average gradient of 7.3 percent and classified as a Category 1 climb.

Its impact lies not only in the average gradient. The Haag, a former forest track that has been upgraded, climbs unevenly. The opening kilometres are particularly demanding, with several sections approaching ten percent and some ramps even steeper. Maintaining a steady rhythm will not be enough there; what matters is the ability to push hard again immediately after every brief change of pace.

Axel Zingle of Visma-Lease a Bike describes the final kilometre of the climb as particularly steep and an ideal place to open gaps. From a tactical perspective, the Haag forces teams to make a clear decision: will they control early for their leader, or allow a breakaway to get far ahead? Those who react only at the foot of the climb may already find themselves in trouble.

After the summit, around six kilometres remain to Le Markstein-Fellering. The flatter finish does not necessarily slow down a solo rider, but it increases the value of every companion. A rider with a lead of only a few seconds must retain enough strength even after the final steep section to break the resistance of the chasers into the wind.

For the general classification, this stage is therefore less a verdict than an invitation to attack. Grand Ballon, Col du Page, Ballon d’Alsace and Haag form a chain that can quickly eliminate domestiques. In the end, it will not only be decided by who climbs the steepest gradients best, but by who can still find another gear in the final Alsatian chord.