For the Tour de France that will depart on Saturday from Barcelona in Spain, France is relying on its young riders: with Seixas leading the charge, a generation that wants to bring the tricolor back to prominence. The Grande Boucle is the home race, the dream of every French child who gets on a bicycle for the first time and the most prestigious stage in world cycling. Even in the 113th edition, France will be the most represented nation at the start with 30 riders, an important number but in decline compared to previous years.

You only need to look at the statistics to understand the change. In 2025 there were 38 French riders at the start, in 2024 there were 32, the same number recorded in 2023, while in 2021 there were 31. Going back even further, you discover that in 2020 there were 40 starters and even 46 in the 2011 edition. Today the thirty French riders still represent the largest contingent in the group, but they highlight a less dominant presence in the home race.

Yet France looks to the future with great confidence. Never before has the French movement been able to count on a generation of young talents destined to leave their mark.

The name that most excites enthusiasm is that of Paul Seixas. The Decathlon CMA CGM rider will make his Tour de France debut and will do so with a special distinction: at 19 years and 283 days old, he will be the youngest rider at the start of the 2026 edition.

For many, he represents the symbol of the new generation of French cycling. No one is asking him to win the Tour immediately or wear the yellow jersey, but many imagine he could be a protagonist in the young riders' classification. A podium finish in Paris accompanied by the white jersey would already be an extraordinary result and the first great chapter of a career that promises much.

Among the most anticipated riders is also Lenny Martinez, with Bahrain Victorious colors: he has demonstrated during the season that he has reached important maturity and will arrive at the Tour with the objective of achieving the best possible placement in the general classification. A pure climber and increasingly consistent in stage races, Martinez represents one of France's best hopes for fighting for the top positions.

Great attention also for Romain Grégoire, the fresh national champion. The Groupama-FDJ United talent will arrive at the Tour with the pride of wearing the prestigious tricolor jersey conquered just days ago at La Tour-du-Pin. For the twenty-three-year-old from Besançon it will be a special debut with the most prestigious jersey in French cycling on his shoulders, the symbol of a new generation that also includes Seixas and Paul Magnier and that is bringing enthusiasm back to the French movement.

Among the more experienced riders stand out the Paret-Peintre brothers. The twenty-five-year-old Valentin Paret-Peintre, with Soudal Quick-Step, can already boast stage wins at both the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, while his older brother Aurélien Paret-Peintre will defend the colors of Decathlon CMA CGM, confirming himself as one of the most reliable climbers in the group. Curiously, Decathlon CMA CGM, the French team, will field only three French riders in the Grande Boucle.

Much more marked is the national identity of Groupama-FDJ United, which will bring to the start Guillaume Martin, Clément Berthet, Afonso Braz, Quentin Pacher, Clément Russo, Ewen Costiou and of course the newly crowned French champion Romain Grégoire. The team also includes Italian Lorenzo Germani, one of the young riders the team continues to invest in.

Among the other French riders present stand out Bruno Armirail with Visma-Lease a Bike and especially Julian Alaphilippe, two-time world champion, who will defend the colors of Tudor Pro Cycling and will still represent one of the great favorites of the public.

Then there is a team that more than any other represents the national spirit of the Tour de France. TotalEnergies will be the only team to field a roster composed exclusively of French riders: Jordan Jegat, Alexandre Delettre, Anthony Turgis, Mattéo Vercher, Mathis Le Berre, Nicolas Breuillard, Joris Delbove and Thibault Guernalec will all wear the same jersey, bringing an entirely French team to the race.

As for the other nations, behind France we find Belgium with 29 riders, then the Netherlands with 17 cyclists, Italy and Germany with 12 cyclists, then Spain 10 and Australia 9, while 7 with Norway and Denmark, 6 United States and Great Britain and 4 for Colombia and Switzerland and 3 for Slovenia and Czech Republic.