The 2026 Tour de France Femmes gets underway on Saturday, August 1, with the race running through Sunday, August 9. The opening stage starts in Lausanne, Switzerland, the first of three stages held in the country. Switzerland becomes the second nation to host the grand depart outside France, after the Netherlands did so in 2024.
The nine-stage route covers 1,174.7 kilometres. After the Swiss opening, the race moves into the Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region, with a finish in Poligny on stage three, an individual time trial between Gevrey-Chambertin and Dijon on stage four, and a punchy stage from Macon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais on stage five.
Stage seven takes the peloton to the summit of Mont Ventoux, widely seen as the race’s pivotal moment. Sprinters get a final chance on stage eight between Sisteron and Nice, though multiple fourth-category climbs could thin the field before the finish. The race concludes in Nice on stage nine, after four passages through the Col d’Eze that could decide the overall classification.
Ferrand-Prevot the woman to beat
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, who won last year’s edition, enters as the defending champion and race favourite. The French rider said she is exactly where she wanted to be heading into the race, though she is coming off a disappointing Vuelta a Espana where she finished 35th. Race director Marion Rousse predicted the yellow jersey battle would be wide open, saying there would be suspense because the chasing pack is strong.
Rousse singled out Demi Vollering, who finished second last year and won the race in 2023, as a major threat. Vollering, who has won nearly everything this season, said she is ready to compete. Spanish climber Paula Blasi, winner of the Vuelta this year, is also considered a contender, as is 2024 Tour de France Femmes winner Kasia Niewiadoma of Poland.
Anna Van der Bruggen, who finished third at the recent Giro Donne and second at the Vuelta, is another name to watch, particularly on the stage four time trial. Swiss rider Marlene Reusser, a time trial specialist, could use the Dijon stage to gain time on her rivals, according to Rousse, who noted that Reusser will also be racing on home roads for the opening three stages.
