Tour de France Femmes 2026 – key facts at a glance
- Date: 1–9 August 2026
- 1,175 kilometres in total, 18,795 metres of elevation gain in total
- 5th edition
- 9 stages
- 3 flat stages
- 3 hilly stages
- 1 Individual time trial
- 2 mountain stages, one of which finishes on a mountain
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An overview of all the stages of the 2026 Women’s Tour de France
Stage 1, Saturday 1 August | Lausanne – Lausanne | 137 kilometres | 1,700 metres of climbing
The 2026 Tour de France Femmes begins with a largely flat stage starting and finishing in Lausanne. However, the final stretch is challenging, featuring a climb up to 500 metres before the finish line.
Stage 2, Sunday 2 August | Aigle – Geneva | 149 kilometres | 1,750 metres of climbing
It continues in much the same way as Stage 1. There are no significant climbs on Stage 2. After a slightly undulating route up to 35 kilometres from the finish, the route is mostly downhill from there.
Stage 3, Monday 3 August | Geneva – Poligny | 157 kilometres | 2,430 metres of climbing
The race continues with a hilly stage. It’s particularly up and down in the first half of the race. In the second half, the course is mostly downhill.
Stage 4, Tuesday 4 August | Gevrey-Chambertin – Dijon | 21 kilometres (individual time trial) | 255 metres of climbing
The 21-kilometre time trial features a climb halfway along the route. A flat time trial designed exclusively for specialists looks quite different – the climb is just under 3 kilometres long.
Stage 5, Wednesday 5 August | Mâcon – Belleville-en-Beaujolais | 140 kilometres | 2,850 metres of elevation gain
A stage described as hilly, but which is certainly tough. There are no fewer than eight mountain classifications along the route, with by far the longest climb coming right at the start. At the end, the final hurdle – Mont Brouilly – awaits the riders.
Stage 6, Thursday 6 August | Montbrison – Tournon-sur-Rhône | 153 kilometres | 2,650 metres of climbing
Stage 6 is also a tough one, described as hilly. With no fewer than six mountain classifications, the route goes up and down all day long.
Stage 7, Friday 7 August | La Voulte-sur-Rhône – Mont Ventoux | 144 kilometres | 3,565 metres of climbing
The queen stage, finishing on Mont Ventoux. There are three short climbs – to test the riders’ climbing legs – but otherwise the stage is flat. Until Mont Ventoux, that is. The climb is 15.7 kilometres long. At the very top, the wind may also play a part.
Stage 8, Saturday 8 August | Sisteron – Nice | 175 kilometres | 1,420 metres of climbing
The first 80 kilometres take the riders slightly uphill; from there on, it’s almost all downhill. Almost. Two short climbs, not far from the finish in Nice, are likely to add some excitement once again.
Stage 9, Sunday 9 August | Nice – Nice | 99 kilometres | 2,175 metres of climbing
Starting from the finish line of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, the final stage takes the riders over the Col d’Èze no fewer than four times. At 99 kilometres, it is not a particularly long stage, but the climbs make it a really tough one. After the fourth ascent, the route heads downhill to Nice, the finish of the Tour de France Femmes, where the winner will be crowned.
The route of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes in detail
Now in its fifth edition, the Tour de France Femmes is staying in the far east of the country. As it borders Switzerland, this also offers major logistical advantages, with transfers between stages generally being very short. Following last year’s event, A.S.O. has once again opted for a start outside the country; the Grand Départ will take place in Lausanne, Switzerland. From there, the stages will head first westwards, then southwards and finally south-eastwards, in a counter-clockwise arc all the way to Nice. The riders will have to tackle a total of 1,175 kilometres and 18,795 metres of elevation gain across the nine stages.
Female sprinters face obstacles once again
As was the case last year, it is unlikely to be an easy ride for the sprinters; only Stage 2 is guaranteed to end in a bunch sprint. Although the opening stage, which starts and finishes in Lausanne, is topographically suited to a bunch sprint and is classified as flat, it presents a real challenge for the fast finishers with a ramp just before the finish line. The final 2.5 kilometres are uphill with an average gradient of 4.6 per cent, although the last 500 metres are almost flat. Before that, however, there is a kilometre with a 7.1 per cent gradient, which means the outcome of the stage is far from certain. This is not a true sprint stage.
Stage 8 is not a clear-cut stage for sprinters either. With two short climbs in the final 20 kilometres, the peloton could well be split up here too. This means that, for the second year running, the Tour de France Femmes is not exactly a treat for the teams’ sprinters.
Hilly stages and a challenging time trial
If you look solely at the elevation gain figures for the three hilly stages, you might think they were mountain stages. None of them has less than 2,400 metres of elevation gain – a real challenge. In the third stage, from Geneva to Poligny, the riders cross the border into France after just a few kilometres before tackling the first 10-kilometre climb. The Col de la Faucille awaits, stretching 11.4 kilometres in length. The hilly stages are interspersed with a time trial, which – with its three-kilometre climb and a 1.8-kilometre section at a 6.9 per cent gradient – is certainly capable of creating gaps in the general classification.
After this brief detour, the riders head back onto hilly terrain. Stage 5 looks tailor-made for breakaway riders. With plenty of short climbs and Mont Brouilly – which has an average gradient of 7.7 per cent over a distance of 3 kilometres – it remains to be seen whether a group or an individual rider has the legs to cross the finish line ahead of the favourites. On the sixth stage to Tournon-sur-Rhône, too, a group could seize the moment and break away on the short climbs with gradients of around 6 per cent.
Decisive race on Mont Ventoux
The following day brings the highlight of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes: the Queen Stage and Mont Ventoux. The giant of Provence stands there, buffeted by the wind, with all the tragedy that has unfolded on its slopes. After the men had to climb the 15.7-kilometre mountain in 2025, it is the women’s turn in 2026. With an average gradient of 8.8 per cent, the Women’s Tour de France is likely to be decided, at least in part, here. The wind conditions here could play a decisive role, particularly on the upper section. No one will be able to hide then. Mont Ventoux features in the women’s Tour de France programme for the first time, after none of the legendary climbs were on the itinerary last year.
Rolling across the finish line? Not a chance!
Unlike the final stage of a men’s Grand Tour, the women still have to give it their all on the very last day. The final stage starts and finishes in Nice; at 99 kilometres, it isn’t particularly long, but it is all the more demanding for it. The peloton will tackle the Col d’Èze no fewer than four times; at six kilometres long with an average gradient of 7.6 per cent, it is sure to give the overall race leader a real headache. After the fourth ascent, the route continues with a rapid descent along the coast to the finish line in Nice. If the woman in the yellow jersey is having an off day, this ride along the Mediterranean could turn into pure torture; if not, she’ll ride to Tour victory amidst the panoramic views.
Leon Weidner
Editor