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. [3] 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". [4] 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. [5] [6] [7]
In October 2025, the full route was announced by race director Marion Rousse. [8] 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. [9] The first two stages will take place in Switzerland, before heading north for a 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. [10] 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.
Rousse called the route "mischievous", noting that there were difficulties on every single stage. [11] Rousse hoped the time trial on stage would allow riders like Marlen Reusser to gain time, enhancing the battle for the general classification. [11]
Reacting to the route, Velo stated that the route offered "something for each type of rider", [12] whereas Escape Collective thought that there was "no real opportunities for the sprinters". [13] L'Équipe considered that the route was the toughest so far, and that "the women's Tour continues its momentum of discovering legendary climbs" with the inclusion on Mont Ventoux. [14] [15] Sporza considered that the final stage in Nice would be "incredibly tough" and that the Tour would remain exciting "until the very end". [16]
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". [17] 2024 winner Katarzyna Niewiadoma stated that she “definitely [likes] the course", and that " the time trial [...] stood out to me the most". [18] French rider Marion Bunel stated she thought the "route [was] made for Pauline". [19]
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 August | Lausanne to Lausanne (Switzerland) | 137 km (85 mi) |  | Flat stage | |
| 2 | 2 August | Aigle to Geneva (Switzerland) | 149 km (93 mi) | | Flat stage | |
| 3 | 3 August | Geneva (Switzerland) to Poligny | 157 km (98 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 km (95 mi) | | Hilly stage | |
| 7 | 7 August | La Voulte-sur-Rhône to Mont Ventoux | 144 km (89 mi) |  | Mountain stage | |
| 8 | 8 August | Sisteron to Nice | 175 km (109 mi) | | Flat stage | |
| 9 | 9 August | Nice to Nice | 99 km (62 mi) | | Mountain stage | |
| Total | 1,175 km (730 mi) | |||||
