The 2026 Tour de Suisse is also the final race before the Tour de France for the women, although there is more than a month between the two events. That gives them plenty of time to prepare for the highlight of the season at their own pace, whilst also providing an opportunity to tackle the final test under race conditions. That is precisely why almost all the top female riders will be at the start of the five-day stage race. Alongside last year’s winner Marlen Reusser, Demi Vollering will also be there, fresh from her victory in the Giro d’Italia.
The Tour de Suisse favourites, ranked by stars*
***** Demi Vollering
**** Elisa Longo Borghini, Marlen Reusser
*** Kasia Niewiadoma
** Urška Žigart
* Yara Kastelijn, Juliette Berthet, Cédrine Kerbaol
* The more stars a rider receives, the higher her chances are considered to be
Please note: At the time of publication, the final start list has not yet been confirmed in full. It is possible that some of the riders mentioned here may not take part.
The favourites for the Tour de Suisse
At the 2026 Women’s Tour de Suisse, there is little to suggest anyone can beat Demi Vollering. Following her convincing victory in the Giro d’Italia Women, the Dutch rider arrives as the clear favourite. At present, she appears to be the most complete rider in the peloton: strong in time trials, dominant in the mountains and tactically astute. Nevertheless, last year showed that even Vollering is not unbeatable. Despite a similar starting position, she was surprisingly beaten by Marlen Reusser on that occasion.
The Swiss rider is once again the centre of attention, particularly in front of her home crowd. Although Reusser is back in action following her crash in the Tour of Flanders, she has not yet been at 100 per cent in the Giro d’Italia. She is certainly capable of holding her own against Vollering, or even beating her, in the time trial, but in the mountains she must be careful not to lose any crucial time. However, the extra motivation of racing on home soil could give her just the boost she needs to fight for the overall victory once again.
Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma are lying in wait
Elisa Longo Borghini is another top-class rider in the line-up. The Italian put in a solid performance at the Giro, albeit not quite at Vollering’s level. Her biggest weakness remains the time trial, where she is likely to lose time to Vollering and Reusser. However, she is one of the strongest riders in the field in the mountains and could play to her strengths, particularly on the final stage. She is therefore a serious contender for a podium place in the general classification.
Lurking behind this trio is Kasia Niewiadoma, the 2024 Tour de France winner. The Polish rider is still waiting for her first victory this season, but has made it onto the podium several times, a sign of her consistency. Unlike many of her rivals, she skipped the Giro d’Italia and arrives in Switzerland well-rested as a result. It is likely to be a tough ask to go for the top spot, but a place in the top three is a very realistic prospect for Niewiadoma.
Žigart as the dark horse
Urška Žigart is an exciting dark horse. The Slovenian made a significant leap in performance in 2026, securing strong top-10 finishes in both major stage races. Her form is clearly on the up, though she still needs to improve in the time trial to keep up with the best general classification riders. If she manages to make progress here, she could spring a real surprise.
Behind them are a number of riders who are reliant on the race unfolding in a particular way. Yara Kastelijn benefits from the relatively short stage race; over longer distances, she often lacks the consistency to compete with the top stars. However, her aggressive riding style makes her a threat to breakaway groups. Should she manage to make up time on the first three stages, she could try to defend that lead all the way to the finish.
The female riders flying under the radar
Juliette Berthet is likely to be initially assigned as a support rider for Vollering. However, should her captain be unexpectedly sidelined or the race take a different turn, the Frenchwoman has the potential to challenge for a podium place herself, provided she hasn’t expended too much energy by that point.
Cédrine Kerbaol also has plenty of talent, but her tactical approach is not yet fully developed. Her performances are inconsistent, as she does not always pace herself effectively on the crucial climbs. Nevertheless, with her two top-10 finishes in the Tour de France, she has already proven that she can compete at the highest level. Depending on how the race unfolds, she too could spring a surprise.
Leon Weidner
Working student
