NEIGE ET
GLACE2026
THE ROUTE

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The 2026 route

in the Monts du Doubs

 

Bjorn and Jens Vanoverschelde (JBREvents), the new people responsible for the new route of the Neige et Glace Rally, take a closer look at the 2026 edition which will mainly take place in the Monts du Doubs and the Pays Horloger.

PROLOGUE - SATURDAY 14 FEBRUARY

SHOW START IN SAINTE-COLOMBE

(+/- 40 km | 2 ZR)

 

After a day of checks at the Malbuisson centre, opposite the Le Lac hotel complex, the start will be given at 6.30 pm for a colourful prologue. In collaboration with the Association Auto Sport des Neiges, organiser of the Ronde du Jura, the event will start with a ZR show at the Scierie Laresche (7:00 pm) in Sainte-Colombe.

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‘The prologue is making a comeback. It consists of two regularity tests around Malbuisson and will determine the starting order for the first stage on Sunday. This prologue promises to be spectacular, as one of the two regularity tests will take place on private land where the drivers will be able to make a difference and where the public will undoubtedly be there to watch!’

 

STAGE 1 - SUNDAY 15 FEBRUARY
STOP IN FOUCHERANS AND LUNCH IN ORNANS (+/- 280 km | 8 ZR)
 

Stage 1 will take the crews to Ornans for Sunday lunch at Place Gustave Courbais (12:00) after a stop in the heart of the village of Foucherans (11:30), where a reception will be organised in collaboration with the town hall and on the initiative of a local association, and where there will be a large crowd of spectators.

 

"For the first time in the history of Neige & Glace, Sunday's stage will be a real day of competition. By offering a full stage on Sunday, we are not only giving competitors extra kilometres to race, but we also want to attract the local population to the event. The route includes several iconic motorsport locations in the region. A checkpoint is planned in Foucherans, organised by a local vintage car club. At midday, Ornans will welcome the convoy for a gathering in the town centre, which always attracts large crowds. After this gathering, a regularity test will be held on the “Vuillefans hill climb” route, the third highlight of the day. This stage is sure to be full of atmosphere!

STAGE 2 - MONDAY 16 FEBRUARY
DISTILLERY AND PERCE NEIGE IN BONNÉTAGE
(+/- 300 km | 10 ZR)
 

On Monday 16 February, Stage 2 will make its first stop in the centre of Pontarlier, in front of the Distilleries Guy (09:25), a long-standing partner of the event. The crews will then head north towards Maîche, after a narrow passage along the Swiss border. Lunch will be in Bonnétage (12:30 p.m.) at the restaurant Les Perce Neige, a long-standing partner of the event.

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"Competition enthusiasts will undoubtedly want to mark Stage 2 in their calendars! We will start the day with three well-known regularity tests, laid out at altitude to maximise the chances of winter conditions. Then, brand new regularity tests will be offered in the Doubs mountains, including a new 36 km special stage. This new stage replaces the classic day of racing in the Jura and will undoubtedly establish an initial hierarchy in the rankings."

STAGE 3 - TUESDAY 17 FEBRUARY
MARATHON STAGE AND GYMKHANA!
(+/- 420 km | 17 ZR)
 

The traditional Tuesday marathon stage, covering 420 kilometres and featuring 17 ZRs, will take the crews to the Pays Horloger. Lunch is planned at the ‘Cœur des Faims’ (Les Fins, 1:00 pm) after a visit to the Saut du Doubs. In the afternoon, the peloton will head to Malans (5.30 pm), a small village of die-hard enthusiasts where competitors will be able to enjoy a local tasting before a night-time start with a gymkhana on the village square... The first crews are expected to return to Malbuisson at around 9.45 pm, at the end of a memorable night.

 

"The third day of the race is the well-known marathon stage, including the evening stage in the dark. To emphasise the “marathon” aspect, several longer ZRs are on the programme, including a 35 km regularity test. During the morning, each ZR is once again marked out in an area at an altitude of at least 1,000 metres, again with a view to optimising the chances of winter conditions. After a spectacular new “Saut du Doubs” ZR just before lunch, the afternoon will feature regularity tests in the mountains where, in shaded areas, the risk of ice remains high. An extremely varied stage, with a mix of ZRs in the forest and regularity tests in the mountains. When night falls, however, the stage is far from over! The marathon will once again end with a 2½-hour night stage. The slalom in Malans, preceded by a regrouping in the village centre, will of course be another highlight. This will be followed by three other regularity tests laid out in the forests. The classic stage in the “Forêt de la Joux” has been completely redesigned, while two new forest special stages will conclude the evening."

STAGE 4 - WEDNESDAY 18 FEBRUARY
Rochejean FOR A GRAND FINALE !
(+/- 230 km | 10 ZR)
 

The final stage of this 71st Neige et Glace will take place around the region's lakes, with lunch scheduled for 12:45 pm at the Auberge de Remoray, in the centre of Remoray-Boujeons, after a final pass through the Col de la République. The Power ZR (double penalties) will take place on the Rochejean “toboggan”, the traditional judge of the event, before the final podium (3:30 p.m.) in the centre of Malbuisson.

 

"This year's final is unique. The region is not called the “Little Siberia of France” for nothing, and we want to highlight this in particular. The fourth and final stage is mapped out around the various lakes in the region and... 100% in the forest! The forest roads are hardly used and, at the slightest snowfall, a white carpet is guaranteed. Add to that the three closing ZRs – including the PowerZR – all located at an altitude of 1,100 metres, and it goes without saying that we will end the event in style!"