year before. However, a crash on the last stage of the Tour de Suisse prevented Kelly from starting. In his absence, Adri van der Poel () was given the best chances to win the classification. Route and stages The race route for the 1986 edition of the Tour de France was unveiled on 8 October 1985 by both Jacques Goddet and Félix Lévitan. The race was pushed back a week from its normal date in order to prevent overlap with the 1986 FIFA World Cup, and therefore started on 4 July. Covering a total of , it included four time trials (three individual and one for teams) and ten stages deemed as flat. The race included four stages that featured a summit finish: stage 13 to Superbagnères; stage 17 to Col du Granon; stage 18 to Alpe d'Huez; and stage 21 to Puy de Dôme. The race took a counter-clockwise route around France. Following the prologue and opening stages in the Hauts-de-Seine region, the race moved north towards the Belgian border, before turning west to Brittany. The Tour then traveled south to Bordeaux, where a train transfer brought the riders to Bayonne, at the foot of the Pyrenees. From there, transition stages led the race to the Alps, before the final stages in the Massif Central and further north towards Paris. The 1986 Tour de France had one rest day, after the finish on the Alpe d'Huez. The highest point of elevation in the race was at the summit of the Col du Galibier mountain pass on stage 18. The longest road-race stage was stage 11, at . Tour director Levitan felt after the 1985 Tour de France that the race had been too easy, and made the course in 1986 extra difficult, including more mountain climbs than before. This angered Hinault, who threatened to skip the 1986 Tour. Before the race started, an avalanche deposited a large amount of dirt and rock on the slopes of the Col du Tourmalet, prompting Goddet to consider rerouting the course through the Col d'Aubisque. Race overview Opening stages The prologue was won by Thierry Marie (), with Hinault in third place, just two seconds slower. Fignon and LeMond placed seventh and eighth, both four seconds back. On stage 1, Alex Stieda () attacked from the finish and collected time bonuses at the intermediate sprint, which would move him into the race lead.