Tour de France Femmes preview and stage overview
- Yasmin Vingtoft
- for 5 timer siden
- 4 min læsning
It is finally time for the 5th edition of the modern Tour de France Femmes! As 1175 km await the 154 riders across 9 stages in various terrain. It all starts in Lausanne, Switzerland, with the 2nd Grand Départ in TDFF history, before the race concludes in Nice after what promises to be another exciting battle for the yellow jersey and stage wins along the way 💛
This preview includes:
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Tour de France Femmes 2026 route preview
Stage 1
The race kicks off in Switzerland with a 138 km "flat" stage from Lausanne to Lausanne. Although it is categorised as flat, there are multiple bumps along the way that could invite attacks and make it harder for the sprinters to claim the first yellow jersey, including a finish atop a Category 4 climb. (2.5 km@4.6%)💛
Stage 2
The second stage is another "flat" stage, as it also holds a bunch of bumps along the way. However, in contrast to the previous stage, the run-in is flat, making it a likely opportunity for the sprinters to fight for the stage win.
Stage 3
On Stage 3, the peloton takes on a 156.5 km hilly route from Genève to Poligny, crossing the border into France 🇫🇷 T
his could be a stage suited for a strong breakaway.
Stage 4
Stage 4 brings a 21 km individual time trial, including a small hill in the middle of the route. This could prove to be an important day for the GC riders in the fight for the yellow jersey 💛
Stage 5 and 6
Stage 5 is a rollercoaster of a stage, with ups and downs all day. The same goes for Stage 6, which will also deliver a bumpy ride.
Stage 7
After two bumpy days, awaits a proper mountain stage finishing on the iconic Mont Ventoux (15.7 km@8.8%) This is a stage the GC riders will have circled on their calendars, as it could prove decisive in the fight for the yellow jersey💛
Stage 8
The penultimate stage is categorised as flat, but just like Stages 1 and 2, that does not tell the full story. The majority of the first half is uphill before a long descent. In the final, there are two Category 4 climbs that could spice things up, with the last one topping with about 8 km to go.
Stage 9
Then comes the 9th and final stage, but there will be no time for celebrations before the finish line, as the stage starts uphill and offers 97 km of racing across 4 circuits in Nice. If the GC gaps are not too big, there is a great chance for attacks that could shake up the standings.
During the first three laps, the riders will tackle Col d’Eze from the less steep side (7.7 km at 5.9%), but on the fourth and final circuit, they will take on the steeper side (6 km at 7.6%), which could provide the perfect opportunity for decisive moves. From the final summit, there will be about 15 km to the finish line, giving the chasers a chance to bring back the attackers. However, the majority of these kilometres are downhill, making it difficult to organise a proper chase.
Tour de France Femmes 2026 stage overview
Below you will find a quick stage-by-stage overview of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes route to help you keep an overview of what awaits in the coming days💛
The background color indicates the type of stage while the color of the flower indicates the watch score which is an estimation of how exciting I expect the stage to be.
Of course, anything can happen the weather, tactics, and race dynamics can play a huge role and the stages that apear "boring" on paper can surprise while the on paper "Exciting" stages can dissapoint. After all it is the riders who make the race!
Here is a link to download it:
Timetable - CEST
If you do not just want to know what to expect, but also when the race is on, you might find this timetable helpful. It shows the neutral start time and the expected finish time, as well as when the broadcast on HBO Max starts. Unlike the Men's Tour, not all stages will be broadcast in full length, only Stages 5 and 9 will have full live coverage.
The expected race times are based on the fastest estimates from the official Tour de France Femmes timetable. Riders may go slower, but it would also not be surprising if some stages are completed even faster.
Here is a link to download it:
Start and finish towns
Lastly if you also want to know where in France (and Switzerland) the action is taking place you may find this overview of start and finish towns usefull.
Here is a link to download it:
If you reahced this point, thank you for reading along and enjoy the Tour de France Femmes! 🌻💛🇫🇷
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