What are the Grand Tours in cycling?
The Grand Tours are the three three-week stage races of men's road cycling: the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España.
Each Grand Tour has 21 stages and two rest days, covering roughly 3,000 to 3,500 kilometres. The Giro is held in May, the Tour in July and the Vuelta from late August into September.
The Tour de France is the biggest race in the sport by audience, sponsorship value and prize money. Winning it is the top goal for GC riders, and it shapes the salaries of the riders who can contend for it. The Giro and the Vuelta are major targets of their own and often a chance for riders who cannot yet win the Tour.
Teams bring their strongest line-ups, built around a GC leader, a sprinter, or both. Three weeks of racing test recovery as much as strength, and illness, crashes and bad days can end a challenge at any point.
Women's racing now has its own major stage races, including the Tour de France Femmes, the Giro d'Italia Women and La Vuelta Femenina, which are shorter than the men's races.
Our Tour de France page shows prize money, the 2026 winners and the estimated value of the startlist.