Timezone Tax · Tour de France 2026
Tour de France 2026 Timezone Tax: Australia Fans Pay Most, Norway Fans Pay Least
21 stages. 15 major fan-base countries. Every stage finish scored by local hour.
All 15 Fan Bases Ranked
Scoring is based on stage finish hour in the fan's local timezone. Higher = more sleep lost.
Stage-by-Stage Pain Heatmap
Columns = fan bases, rows = stages. Cell color shows local pain; number is local finish hour.
| Stage | 🇦🇺 AUS | 🇯🇵 JAP | 🇺🇸 UNI | 🇨🇦 CAN | 🇨🇴 COL | 🇬🇧 UNI | 🇫🇷 FRA | 🇪🇸 SPA | 🇧🇪 BEL | 🇳🇱 NET | 🇮🇹 ITA | 🇩🇪 GER | 🇩🇰 DEN | 🇸🇮 SLO | 🇳🇴 NOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 Barcelona | 03:00 | 02:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 12:00 | 18:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 |
| S2 Barcelona | 02:00 | 01:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 11:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
| S3 Les Angles | 02:00 | 01:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 11:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
| S4 Foix | 02:00 | 01:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 11:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
| S5 Pau | 01:00 | 00:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 10:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
| S6 Gavarnie-Gedre | 02:00 | 01:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 11:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
| S7 Bordeaux | 01:00 | 00:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 10:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
| S8 Bergerac | 01:00 | 00:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 10:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
| S9 Ussel | 02:00 | 01:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 11:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
| S10 Le Lioran | 01:00 | 00:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 10:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
| S11 Nevers | 01:00 | 00:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 10:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
| S12 Chalon-sur-Saone | 01:00 | 00:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 10:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
| S13 Belfort | 01:00 | 00:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 10:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
| S14 Le Markstein Fellering | 01:00 | 00:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 10:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
| S15 Plateau de Solaison | 02:00 | 01:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 11:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
| S16 Thonon-les-Bains | 01:00 | 00:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 10:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
| S17 Voiron | 01:00 | 00:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 10:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
| S18 Orcieres-Merlette | 02:00 | 01:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 11:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
| S19 Alpe d'Huez | 01:00 | 00:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 10:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
| S20 Alpe d'Huez | 02:00 | 01:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 11:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
| S21 Paris (Champs-Elysees) | 04:00 | 03:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 13:00 | 19:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 |
See the World Cup 2026 Timezone Tax →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Timezone Tax for the Tour de France?
The Timezone Tax measures how painful it is for cycling fans to watch stage finishes live. Each of the 21 stages is scored from 0 (stage finishes in prime time or normal daytime) to 8 (finishes in the 02:00-03:59 dead zone). A country's final score is the average pain across all 21 stage finishes, normalized to 0-100.
Which country has the worst schedule for watching the 2026 Tour de France?
Australia has the highest Timezone Tax score at 92/100. Most TdF stages finish in the late European afternoon, which lands in the sleep zone for fans on the other side of the world.
Which country has the best Tour de France viewing schedule?
Norway fans face the lowest Timezone Tax at 0/100 — most stages finish right in prime time, perfect for dinner-and-TV viewing.
Why does this use stage finish times, not start times?
Cycling fans tune in for the decisive final 30-60 minutes — the sprint, the climb, the breakaway. Start times land in early afternoon across Europe and matter less for viewing planning. Finish times are when the drama happens.
Is this data official?
Scoring is derived from the ASO-published 2026 route. Start times are provisional (ASO confirms them ~2 months before the race); stage durations are estimated based on distance and profile. Updated automatically when ASO releases final times.
Why is 02:00 scored 8 but 04:00 only 5?
A 04:00 finish is an early alarm you can prepare for — set the clock, brew coffee, watch the climb. A 02:00 finish is the worst: too late to stay up, too early to wake, no viewing strategy works. The scoring reflects how fans actually experience these times.