The 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the fifth edition of the modern race, runs from Saturday 1 to Sunday 9 August, from Lausanne to Nice. On the menu: 1,175 km and 18,795 m of climbing — both race records — a 21 km time trial in Dijon, a first-ever summit finish on Mont Ventoux, and a closing day in Nice built around four ascents of the Col d'Èze.
One duel dominates the build-up: defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot against Demi Vollering, runner-up in each of the last two editions and untouchable for most of this spring. Behind them, Niewiadoma-Phinney, Reusser, Van der Breggen and Blasi round out one of the deepest GC fields the race has seen.
- Ventoux, at last. The Giant of Provence appears for the first time in race history, tackled from Bédoin: 15.7 km at 8.8%, finishing at 1,910 m (stage 7).
- A Swiss Grand Départ. Lausanne, Aigle and Geneva host three days of racing before the peloton crosses into France over the Jura.
- The time trial is back. Missing in 2025, it returns between Gevrey-Chambertin and Dijon over 21 rolling kilometres.
- A slightly smaller peloton. 21 teams of seven riders, 147 starters against 154 last year, after Arkéa-B&B Hotels, Roland Le Dévoluy and Ceratizit folded.
The 2026 Tour de France Femmes in key numbers
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates / edition | 1–9 August 2026, fifth edition |
| Start / finish | Lausanne (SUI) → Nice, Promenade des Anglais |
| Distance | 1,175 km – a race record |
| Elevation gain | 18,795 m – a race record (17,240 m in 2025) |
| Stages | 9: three flat, three hilly, two mountain, one ITT |
| Highest point | Mont Ventoux, 1,910 m (stage 7) |
| Longest / shortest | Stage 8 (171.9 km) / stage 9 (99.2 km) |
| Peloton | 21 teams × 7 = 147 riders, including five French squads |
| Defending champion | Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma | Lease a Bike) |
| Rest days | None |
The 2026 Tour de France Femmes contenders
| Rider | Team | Rating | Why she can win |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA) | Visma | Lease a Bike | ★★★ | Defending champion whose entire season was built around this race; has worked specifically on her time trialling |
| Demi Vollering (NED) | FDJ United-Suez | ★★★ | 2023 winner, second in 2024 and 2025; won Flanders, Flèche Wallonne and the Giro this year |
| Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (POL) | Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto | ★★★ | 2024 champion and a podium finisher in all four editions |
| Marlen Reusser (SUI) | Movistar Team | ★★ | Racing at home for the Grand Départ and capable of a decisive gain in Dijon |
| Anna van der Breggen (NED) | Team SD Worx-Protime | ★★ | Two Grand Tour podiums in 2026 and her team's sole GC card |
| Paula Blasi (ESP) | UAE Team ADQ | ★★ | Won the 2026 Vuelta Femenina at 22; also the white jersey favourite |
| Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) | UAE Team ADQ | ★★ | Co-leader of a deep squad, out for redemption after abandoning in 2025 |
| Kerbaol, Le Court-Pienaar, Fisher-Black, Niedermaier | — | ★ | The outsiders with the legs for a top five |
| Jersey | Contenders | Where it will be decided |
|---|---|---|
| Green (points) | Lorena Wiebes (holder), Lotte Kopecky, Marianne Vos, Kim Le Court-Pienaar | Only two or three finishes genuinely suit the pure sprinters — versatility will decide it |
| Polka dot (QOM) | Elise Chabbey (holder), Maëva Squiban, Antonia Niedermaier, Puck Pieterse | Ventoux (HC) and the four ascents of the Col d'Èze hold most of the points |
| White (under-23) | Paula Blasi, Marion Bunel, Julie Bego, Ema Comte | Stages 7 and 9, where the young leaders must hold the wheels of the best |
The duel. On paper, Vollering should take time in Dijon and Ferrand-Prévot should take it back on Ventoux. The Col d'Èze, on the final Sunday, may settle it. Home interest beyond PFP: Cédrine Kerbaol, Maëva Squiban, Évita Muzic, Juliette Berthet, Marion Bunel and the Cofidis trio of Bego, Comte and Guilman.
The nine stages and our favourites for each
| # | Date | Route | Profile | Km | Key climb | Our favourites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat 1 Aug | Lausanne → Lausanne (SUI) | Flat / punchy finish | 138 | Côte Saint-François (2.5 km at 4.6%) to the line | Kopecky, Vos, Le Court-Pienaar |
| 2 | Sun 2 Aug | Aigle → Geneva (SUI) | Flat / sprint | 147.9 | Côte de Bougy-Villars (0.9 km at 10.4%) | Wiebes, Kopecky |
| 3 | Mon 3 Aug | Geneva (SUI) → Poligny | Hilly | 156.5 | Col de la Faucille (11.4 km at 6.3%) | Wiebes, Vos, a breakaway |
| 4 | Tue 4 Aug | Gevrey-Chambertin → Dijon | Individual time trial | 21 | Lacets de Marsannay (1.8 km at 6.9%) | Reusser, Vollering, Van der Breggen |
| 5 | Wed 5 Aug | Mâcon → Belleville-en-Beaujolais | Hilly | 140 | Mont Brouilly (3 km at 7.7%), 11.5 km out | Pieterse, Kopecky, Vollering |
| 6 | Thu 6 Aug | Montbrison → Tournon-sur-Rhône | Hilly | 153.4 | Col de Lalouvesc (8.6 km at 5%) | Squiban, Chabbey, Kerbaol |
| 7 | Fri 7 Aug | La Voulte-sur-Rhône → Mont Ventoux | Queen stage | 146.8 | Mont Ventoux (15.7 km at 8.8%, HC) | Ferrand-Prévot, Vollering, Niewiadoma-Phinney, Blasi |
| 8 | Sat 8 Aug | Sisteron → Nice | Flat | 171.9 | Côte de la Ginestière (2.5 km at 4.4%), 10 km out | Kopecky, Le Court-Pienaar, Vos |
| 9 | Sun 9 Aug | Nice → Nice | Mountain | 99.2 | Col d'Èze (7.7 km at 5.9%), climbed four times | Vollering, Ferrand-Prévot, Pieterse, Kerbaol |
Stage-by-stage guide
Stage 1 – Lausanne > Lausanne (138 km). A loop through the Vaud countryside towards Lake Neuchâtel on Swiss National Day. Two categorised climbs en route, then the ramp of the Côte Saint-François into the city: the first yellow jersey will be fought for out of the saddle. Favourites: Kopecky, Vos, Le Court-Pienaar.
Stage 2 – Aigle > Geneva (147.9 km). Starting from the UCI's headquarters, five climbs line the shores of Lake Geneva but nothing is categorised inside the final 40 km — the cleanest bunch sprint of the week. Favourites: Wiebes, Kopecky.
Stage 3 – Geneva > Poligny (156.5 km). France arrives via the Col de la Faucille early on, followed by the Jura climbs of Lajoux and La Savine before a flat run-in. Either a long-range breakaway or a sprint from a tired bunch. Favourites: Wiebes, Vos, the breakaway specialists.
Stage 4 – Gevrey-Chambertin > Dijon (ITT, 21 km). The time trial returns: a flat start among the vineyards, the Lacets de Marsannay mid-route, then a descent and a fast finish. The first real sorting of the GC. Favourites: Reusser, Vollering, Van der Breggen.
Stage 5 – Mâcon > Belleville-en-Beaujolais (140 km). Eight categorised climbs in 140 km, with the Col de Durbize at 31.5 km to go and Mont Brouilly at 11.5 km. A classic trap for a badly positioned leader. Favourites: Pieterse, Kopecky, Vollering.
Stage 6 – Montbrison > Tournon-sur-Rhône (153.4 km). Six more climbs as the race drops into the Ardèche, headlined by the Col de Lalouvesc at km 105.5 and the Côte de Boucieu-le-Roi 16 km from home. A day of attrition on the eve of Ventoux. Favourites: Squiban, Chabbey, Kerbaol.
Stage 7 – La Voulte-sur-Rhône > Mont Ventoux (146.8 km). The queen stage, and a first in race history. After the Grande Limite, the Colombier and Suzette comes the Giant of Provence from its hardest side: 15.7 km at 8.8% to 1,910 m, with Chalet Reynard 6 km from the line and an exposed, lunar finale. 3,565 m of climbing on the day, with bonus seconds at the summit. Favourites: Ferrand-Prévot, Vollering, Niewiadoma-Phinney, Blasi.
Stage 8 – Sisteron > Nice (171.9 km). The longest but calmest day, with two mid-stage cols before a long descent to the Côte d'Azur. Watch the Côte de Colomars and the Côte de la Ginestière inside the final 10 km, which could yet break up a sprint. Favourites: Kopecky, Le Court-Pienaar, Vos.
Stage 9 – Nice > Nice (99.2 km). No processional finale: four ascents of the Col d'Èze, plus a final-lap detour over the Chemin du Vinaigrier and the Col des Quatre Chemins (roughly 6 km at 7.6%, including more than a kilometre at 12%). Race director Marion Rousse has been explicit — nobody can call this Tour won at the top of Ventoux. Favourites: Vollering, Ferrand-Prévot, Pieterse, Kerbaol.
Roll of honour & prize money
| Year | Winner | Second | Third | Final stage finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) | Demi Vollering | Katarzyna Niewiadoma | La Super Planche des Belles Filles |
| 2023 | Demi Vollering (NED) | Lotte Kopecky | Katarzyna Niewiadoma | Pau (ITT) |
| 2024 | Katarzyna Niewiadoma (POL) | Demi Vollering | Pauliena Rooijakkers | Alpe d'Huez |
| 2025 | Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA) | Demi Vollering | K. Niewiadoma-Phinney | Châtel – Les Portes du Soleil |
No rider has yet won twice since 2022. Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney have finished on the podium in all four editions, and the four-second margin of 2024 remains the smallest in Tour de France history, men's or women's. Each year adds a landmark climb: La Planche des Belles Filles (2022), the Tourmalet (2023), Alpe d'Huez (2024), the Col de la Madeleine (2025) and now Ventoux.
Prize money: roughly €50,000 for the overall winner from an estimated €250,000 pot (€264,152 was paid out in 2025) — about a tenth of the men's race (€500,000 and €2.57 million overall), for less than half the number of stages. The detailed 2026 schedule had not been published on the eve of the start.
For reference: the 2025 final standings
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time / gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA) | Visma | Lease a Bike | 29h 54' 24" |
| 2 | Demi Vollering (NED) | FDJ-Suez | +3'42" |
| 3 | K. Niewiadoma-Phinney (POL) | Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto | +4'09" |
| 4 | Dominika Włodarczyk (POL) | UAE Team ADQ | +5'45" |
| 5 | Niamh Fisher-Black (NZL) | Lidl-Trek | +6'25" |
| 6 | Sarah Gigante (AUS) | AG Insurance-Soudal | +6'40" |
| 7 | Juliette Labous (FRA) | FDJ-Suez | +9'13" |
| 8 | Cédrine Kerbaol (FRA) | EF Education-Oatly | +13'43" |
| 9 | Pauliena Rooijakkers (NED) | Fenix-Deceuninck | +13'59" |
| 10 | Évita Muzic (FRA) | FDJ-Suez | +15'50" |
| Jersey | Winner | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Pauline Ferrand-Prévot | Two stage wins (Madeleine, Châtel); first French winner since Jeannie Longo in 1989 |
| Green | Lorena Wiebes | 230 points, ahead of Marianne Vos (178) |
| Polka dot | Elise Chabbey | 44 points; led the classification from stage 1 to stage 9 |
| White | Nienke Vinke | Almost 15 minutes clear |
| Super-combative | Maëva Squiban | Two solo wins, stages 6 and 7 |
| Teams | FDJ-Suez | 35'53" ahead of AG Insurance-Soudal |
FAQ – 2026 Tour de France Femmes
When and where is the 2026 Tour de France Femmes?
From 1 to 9 August 2026, between Lausanne and Nice, over nine stages and 1,175 km. It is the first year the race does not follow straight on from the men's Tour: ASO created a standalone slot to improve visibility and share logistics between the two events.
Which is the queen stage?
Stage 7 on Friday 7 August, La Voulte-sur-Rhône to Mont Ventoux (146.8 km, 3,565 m of climbing). Ventoux is climbed from Bédoin, its hardest side: 15.7 km at 8.8% up to 1,910 m. It is a first in the race's history.
Who are the favourites?
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Demi Vollering lead the betting, followed by Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Marlen Reusser, Anna van der Breggen, Paula Blasi and Elisa Longo Borghini.
Is there a time trial?
One: a 21 km test on 4 August from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon, with the Lacets de Marsannay midway. There was no time trial in 2025.
How many teams are racing?
21 teams of seven riders, or 147 starters: the 14 UCI Women's WorldTeams by right, plus seven ProTeams selected by ASO. Five French squads are represented.
How much does the winner earn?
Around €50,000, from a total prize fund estimated at €250,000.
Nine days, two countries, three mountain ranges and one giant. Ventoux gives the race its first great Provençal myth, the Dijon time trial restores the balance that was missing in 2025, and the Col d'Èze promises suspense until the closing Sunday. Which leaves one question: can Pauline Ferrand-Prévot become the first rider to defend the title since the race was relaunched? The answer arrives on 9 August, on the Promenade des Anglais.
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