2026 Tour de France Femmes: Preview of Stage 9: A final hurrah with another nail-biting finish in Nice

​Key information on Stage 9 of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes

• Sunday 9 August: Nice – Nice
• 99.2 kilometres, 2,100 metres of elevation gain (mountainous)
• Mountain classifications: km 7.7 (Category 2), km 33.6 (Category 2), km 59.6 (Category 2), km 83.8 (Category 1)
• Sprint classification: KM 23.5
• Start: 4.05 pm, Finish: approx. 6.51 pm
• Live updates and results

The route of the 9th stage of the Tour de France Femmes

“Short and sweet” is the motto of the final stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes. With only nine stages in total, there is no time for a “Tour d’honneur” – a lap of honour like the one the men ride in Paris. Nor does the route lend itself to this. A 2,100-metre climb must be tackled over the final 99 kilometres. And, as is so often the case on this Tour, the first climb begins right from kilometre 0. The route is based on a circuit over the Col d’Eze, continuing eastwards to the village of the same name and then along the coast via Villefranche-sur-Mer back to Nice and the Promenade des Anglais, which is approached from the opposite direction to the previous day.

On the first three occasions, the route to the pass takes a slightly longer detour northwards. A 7.7-kilometre climb at an average gradient of 5.9 per cent leads to the summit at 491 metres; it is classified as a Category 2 climb. On the final occasion, this point is reached via the classic route, as featured in the standard route for the men’s Paris–Nice. Via the Chemin du Vinaigrier and the Col des Quatre Chemins, the route is only six kilometres long, but has a steep gradient of 7.6 per cent. In the middle section, a stretch of a good 1,000 metres averages 12 per cent – and that makes it a Category 1 climb.

The final 14 kilometres to the finish (on each lap) are downhill. The descent is steep in places and, particularly in the upper section, is also technically challenging due to the numerous bends. This section certainly calls for some skilful steering.

A sporting analysis of Stage 9 of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes

Ahead of the final stage of the Tour, it really is all down to seconds once again. Eight of them separate Demi Vollering (FDJ United – SUEZ) from Kasia Niewiadoma (CANYON//SRAM) – and the fact that it was the Dutch rider who actually stormed into the yellow jersey on Stage 8 was just as surprising as the fact that she had to take it off the Pole in the first place, after she had shone on Mont Ventoux the day before.

The final day is set to be a real cracker. And until the Yellow Jersey has crossed the finish line (for the fourth time), that’s exactly how it’ll stay. A slim lead of just a few seconds on a difficult final stage is exactly what A.S.O. wanted. And these are the ingredients for an explosive finale, in which Niewiadoma will probably have to go on the offensive early on if she wants to overtake Vollering once again. That means taking a risk.

Waiting until the final ascent of the Col d’Eze – even though the route via the Chemin du Vinaigrier and the Col des Quatre Chemins is considerably more difficult – carries the risk that the Polish rider Vollering might not be able to break away, especially as she would presumably come off second best in a bunch sprint and would not be able to make up enough time through time bonuses anyway. So she has to give it a go as early as the third lap.

Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team) may well come into the mix again. Of the trio, she is the least affected by the irregular demands of the race. And, frankly, the Swiss rider is likely to be satisfied with third place in the Tour. Ultimately, however, with a deficit of just over a minute, she is not out of the running just yet and may still have an ace up her sleeve. If, in the grand finale, the winner were to come from outside the circle of the three strongest women in this Tour, that would certainly be a surprise.