2026 Tour de France Femmes
Cycling race
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The 2026 Tour de France Femmes (officially Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift) is the fifth edition of the Tour de France Femmes. The race is taking place from 1 August to 9 August 2026, part of the 2026 UCI Women's World Tour.[1][2] The race is organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), which also organises the men's Tour de France. Compared to other races in the UCI Women's World Tour, more ranking points will be awarded at the Tour, the Giro d'Italia Women and the Vuelta Femenina – elevating the races in status.[3][4]
| 2026 UCI Women's World Tour, race 22 of 26 | |
|---|---|
| Race details | |
| Dates | 1–9 August 2026 |
| Stages | 9 |
| Distance | 1,174.7 km (729.9 mi) |
Teams
Twenty-one teams are taking part in the race, one fewer than in previous editions. The teams were announced on 18 February 2026. All 14 UCI Women's WorldTeams were automatically invited. They are joined by seven UCI Women's ProTeams selected by ASO, the organisers of the Tour.[5][6]
- UCI Women's WorldTeams
- UCI Women's ProTeams
Route and stages
In June 2025, it was announced that 2026 edition would have a Grand Départ in Switzerland, with stage starts in Lausanne, Aigle and Geneva.[2] The race will start in August – a week after the men's race, with ASO choosing to avoid an overlap with the men's race to allow for resources to be shared between the two races.[7] The Guardian noted that the "new stand-alone date for the Femmes reveals how quickly the race has established itself and how popular it has become, particularly after the win of France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévot".[8] Prior to the route announcement, Le Dauphiné libéré reported rumours that the race would have a summit finish on Mont Ventoux for the first time, with Ici reporting that Dijon would host a time trial.[9][10][11]
In October 2025, the full route was announced by race director Marion Rousse.[12] The route has nine days of racing with nine stages, covering a total of 1,175 km (730 mi) with 18,795 metres (61,663 ft) of elevation gain – the longest distance and most elevation gain of any Tour de France Femmes.[13] The first three stages will take place in Switzerland, before heading north for an individual time trial finishing in Dijon. The route then heads south towards the Mediterranean, with the queen stage on stage 7 having a summit finish at Mont Ventoux, at an elevation of 1,910 m (6,270 ft). Mont Ventoux has previously been tackled by the women's professional peloton at the 2022 Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge and the 2016 Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche.[14] The final stage will be a circuit around Nice, with four ascents of the Col d'Èze before a finish on the Promenade des Anglais.
Reacting to the route, L'Équipe considered that the route was the toughest so far,[15] Velo stated that the route offered "something for each type of rider",[16] whereas Escape Collective thought that there was "no real opportunities for the sprinters".[17] The Athletic stated that the race "reaches new heights on Ventoux",[18] with L'Équipe considered that "the women's Tour continues its momentum of discovering legendary climbs" with the inclusion on Mont Ventoux.[19] Sporza considered that the final stage in Nice would be "incredibly tough" and that the Tour would remain exciting "until the very end".[20] Rousse called the route "mischievous", noting that there were difficulties on every single stage.[21] Rousse hoped the time trial on stage 4 would allow riders like Marlen Reusser to gain time, enhancing the battle for the general classification.[21]
Defending champion Ferrand-Prévot stated that the route was "super nice" and "beautiful", adding that she was "ready to put in the work on the time trial".[22] 2024 winner Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney stated that she “definitely [likes] the course", and that " the time trial [...] stood out to me the most".[23] French rider Marion Bunel stated she thought the "route [was] made for Pauline".[24]
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 August | Lausanne (Switzerland) to Lausanne (Switzerland) | 138 km (86 mi) |  |
Flat stage | |
| 2 | 2 August | Aigle (Switzerland) to Geneva (Switzerland) | 147.9 km (91.9 mi) | |
Flat stage | |
| 3 | 3 August | Geneva (Switzerland) to Poligny | 156.5 km (97.2 mi) |  |
Hilly stage | |
| 4 | 4 August | Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon | 21 km (13 mi) |  |
Individual time trial | |
| 5 | 5 August | Mâcon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais | 140 km (87 mi) | |
Hilly stage | |
| 6 | 6 August | Montbrison to Tournon-sur-Rhône | 153.4 km (95.3 mi) | |
Hilly stage | |
| 7 | 7 August | La Voulte-sur-Rhône to Mont Ventoux | 146.8 km (91.2 mi) |  |
Mountain stage | |
| 8 | 8 August | Sisteron to Nice | 171.9 km (106.8 mi) | |
Flat stage | |
| 9 | 9 August | Nice to Nice | 99.2 km (61.6 mi) | |
Mountain stage | |
| Total | 1,174.7 km (729.9 mi) | |||||
Race overview
Classification leadership
Classification standings
| Legend | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Denotes the leader of the general classification |  |
Denotes the leader of the mountains classification |
 |
Denotes the leader of the points classification |  |
Denotes the leader of the young rider classification |
 |
Denotes the leader of the team classification |  |
Denotes the winner of the combativity award |
