Tour de Suisse Women 2026: Reusser, Niewiadoma & Co. – who will win the tour?

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’s enough time to prepare for the highlight of the season at a leisurely pace and to tackle the final test under race conditions right now. That is precisely why almost all the top female riders will be lining up at the start of the five-day stage race. Alongside last year’s winner, Marlen Reusser, other strong general classification contenders will be on the start line; Demi Vollering, however, has withdrawn at short notice.

​The Tour de Suisse favourites, ranked by stars*

***** 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 100 per cent finalised. It is possible that some of the riders mentioned here may not take part.

The favourites for the Tour de Suisse

Marlen Reusser won the tour last year. The Swiss rider is once again in the spotlight this time round, particularly in front of her home crowd. Although Reusser is back in action following her crash at the Tour of Flanders, she has not yet been quite at 100 per cent at the Giro d’Italia. She is particularly capable of gaining time on the other riders in the individual time trial, but in the mountains she will need to be careful not to lose any crucial seconds. However, the extra motivation of racing on home soil could give her just the boost she needs to challenge for the overall victory once again.

Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma lie in wait

Elisa Longo Borghini is another top-class rider in the line-up. The Italian put in a solid performance at the Giro, although she wasn’t quite at Vollering’s level. Her biggest weakness remains the time trial, where she is likely to lose time to 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 been on the podium several times, a sign of her consistency. Unlike many of her rivals, she skipped the Giro d’Italia and is therefore arriving in Switzerland well-rested. It is likely to be a tough ask to go all the way, but a place in the top three is entirely realistic 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 can make progress in this area, she could spring a real surprise.

Behind them are a number of female riders who are reliant on the race unfolding in a particular way. Yara Kastelijn benefits from the relatively short circuit 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 deployed 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 then.

Cédrine Kerbaol also has a great deal of talent, but her tactical approach is not yet always fully developed. Her performances are inconsistent, as she does not always pace herself optimally on crucial climbs. Nevertheless, with her two top-10 finishes in the Tour de France, she has already proven that she can hold her own at the very highest level. Depending on how the race unfolds, she too could spring a surprise.