The 2026 Tour de France Femmes is the most challenging edition of the modern race to date. However, its history goes back much further.
The 2026 Tour de France Femmes runs over nine stages from Lausanne to Nice. Covering 1,175 kilometres, with 18,795 metres of climbing and the first mountain finish at Mont Ventoux, it is the most demanding edition of the modern race to date. At the same time, it represents a development that stretches back much further than the first Tour of the modern era, in 2022.
The first Women’s Tour de France
The first French stage race for women was held as early as 1955. However, under the name Tour de France féminin, it remained a one-off event and did not develop into a permanently established race.
Things really got going in 1984. At that time, the Société du Tour de France – which later became part of the current organiser, A.S.O. – organised an official tour under the same name as in 1955. The race took place from 1984 to 1989 and was modelled on the men’s Tour. However, it featured fewer stages and had significantly fewer media and financial resources.
The first winner, in 1984, was the American Marianne Martin. In the years that followed, Maria Canins and Jeannie Longo, amongst others, left their mark on the race. Longo won the final edition in 1989 and went on to become one of the leading figures in European women’s cycling.
Why the old tour ended in 1989
The women’s Tour of the 1980s was significant in sporting terms, but remained heavily dependent on the men’s Tour from an organisational perspective. The race was held in parallel with the men’s event and on the same routes, and did not have the same financial foundation. In 1989, the event was discontinued, partly for financial reasons. As a result, an independent Tour de France for women disappeared for more than three decades.
However, this did not mean that women’s cycling in France came to a standstill. There continued to be national and international stage races, major one-day races and various attempts to establish a new women’s tour. However, it was not until 2022 that a permanent stage race with the name and stature of the Tour de France was re-established.
A fresh start in 2022
The modern Tour de France Femmes was launched in 2022. It was intended to provide women’s cycling with a major, internationally visible stage race, whilst also building on the legacy of the historic race held from 1984 to 1989. Unlike the event of the 1980s, the new Tour is not merely a smaller supporting race to the men’s Tour, but a race in its own right with its own narrative and growing sporting significance.
The race evolved rapidly. The route became more challenging year on year, the number of stages increased, and the tour increasingly incorporated iconic climbs. Following mountain finishes at the Tourmalet, Alpe d’Huez and the Col de la Madeleine, amongst others, this year’s race will feature Mont Ventoux.
More than just a comparison with the men’s tour
The Tour de France Féminin has long since developed its own sporting identity. Shorter, often more tactically demanding stages, high racing speeds and a steadily rising standard of performance characterise the race.
The 2026 edition symbolises the successful development of women’s cycling. Although the modern Tour de France Femmes only began in 2022, its roots stretch back to the first Women’s Tour in 1955 and the event held between 1984 and 1989. With greater media attention, increasing professionalisation and prestigious climbs such as Mont Ventoux The race is writing its own success story today. It is to be hoped that the organisers will add at least one more stage to the race next year, so that its development can continue.
Leon Weidner
Editor
