2026 Tour de France Femmes stage 1 preview | A Dutch yellow jersey is a realistic prospect
CyclingSaturday, 01 August 2026 at 07:37
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Follow us on GoogleRecovered from the men’s Tour de France? Good, because the women begin their Tour de France Femmes on Saturday, August 1. The organizers have designed nine challenging stages, beginning with a day that starts and finishes in Lausanne, Switzerland. Who will claim the opening stage and the first yellow jersey? IDL Pro Cycling looks ahead.
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Stage 1 Route of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes
With the Tour beginning in Switzerland, the riders already know they should not expect a flat opening stage around Lausanne. The peloton will race for 138 kilometres, and the profile contains perhaps two short stretches of flat valley roads, followed by a level approach to the final 2.6-kilometre uphill run to the finish.
The Côte de Châbles, measuring 1.7 kilometres at 7.1 percent, the Côte de Villars-le-Comte, at 4.0 kilometres and 5.5 percent, and the Côte de Vulliens, at 3.1 kilometres and 5.4 percent, provide plenty of terrain on which to make the race after approximately 50, 83 and 97 kilometres.
There is one problem for any potential breakaway riders: after 116 kilometres, the climbing is finished and around 20 relatively flat kilometres remain on the way back towards Lausanne. The finish is located at the top of the Côte Saint-François. At 2.6 kilometres with an average gradient of 4.6 percent, it is what cyclists often describe as a steady, manageable climb.
The problem is that 4.6 percent is only the average. With one half-kilometre section rising at just 2.6 percent and the final 600 metres almost flat, there must also be steeper sections elsewhere to bring the overall average up. The opening 500 metres climb at approximately 6 percent, while another 500-metre section after the first kilometre averages around 8 percent.
Pure climbers can certainly survive a finish like this, but for an explosive climber, the final ascent offers an ideal opportunity to drop the genuinely fast sprinters before the road levels out near the line.
Times
Start: 2:40 p.m. CEST
Finish: around 5:53 p.m. CEST
Start: 2:40 p.m. CEST
Finish: around 5:53 p.m. CEST
2026 Tour de France Femmes, weather forecast
Conditions should be good for racing in Lausanne on Saturday. Heavy rain is forecast for the Swiss city during the morning, but by the time the race begins at 2:40 PM, the wind should have dropped to a light southerly breeze. The sun is also expected to appear, with temperatures potentially reaching 32 degrees Celsius.
2026 Tour de France Femmes, stage 1 favorites
The faster riders will have marked this stage in red, although any sprinter hoping to win must also be capable of handling a demanding climb. Lorena Wiebes can do that, but within SD Worx-Protime, a scenario built around Lotte Kopecky may be even more realistic. It is clear that the Dutch team has several cards to play.
Several other squads have similar options. Marianne Vos will hope to deliver victory for Visma | Lease a Bike, although Sarah Van Dam could also handle a finish of this nature. Franziska Koch and Célia Gery offer FDJ United-SUEZ two explosive options, but what happens if Demi Vollering decides to produce a major effort? In that scenario, Visma could also unleash Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, while Elisa Longo Borghini may attempt something similar for UAE Team ADQ.
The Emirati squad can also turn to Silvia Persico on an uphill finish like this, while Chiara Consonni is another dangerous contender for CANYON//SRAM. Liane Lippert will have highlighted this stage for Movistar, although the exceptionally young Paula Ostiz is also an explosive rider. Alongside Elisa Balsamo, Lidl-Trek has Lucinda Brand, who combines a fast finish with slightly stronger climbing ability.
Going through the teams one by one means reaching one of the leading favorites slightly later: Kim Le Court of AG Insurance-Soudal. Noemi Rüegg is another important name, particularly on home roads for EF Education-Oatly, while Fenix-Premier Tech will naturally hope Puck Pieterse can use her explosiveness. For Charlotte Kool, however, this finish is likely to be too difficult.
The outsiders? Letizia Paternoster could produce an exceptional performance for Liv AlUla Jayco, while Sandrine Tas has shown herself to be a highly versatile rider during her first months with Lotto-Intermarché.
2026 Tour de France Femmes, IDL Pro Cycling top picks
Top Favorites: Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) and Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Dark horses: Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal), Celia Gery (FDJ United-SUEZ), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech), and Liane Lippert (Movistar)
Long shots: Demi Vollering, Franziska Koch (FDJ United-SUEZ), Elisa Longo Borghini, Silvia Persico (UAE ADQ), Chiara Consonni (CANYON//SRAM), Lucinda Brand, Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), Noemie Ruëgg (EF Education-Oatly), Letizia Paternoster, Sandrine Tas (Lotto-Intermarché), and Paula Ostiz (Movistar)
Dark horses: Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal), Celia Gery (FDJ United-SUEZ), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech), and Liane Lippert (Movistar)
Long shots: Demi Vollering, Franziska Koch (FDJ United-SUEZ), Elisa Longo Borghini, Silvia Persico (UAE ADQ), Chiara Consonni (CANYON//SRAM), Lucinda Brand, Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), Noemie Ruëgg (EF Education-Oatly), Letizia Paternoster, Sandrine Tas (Lotto-Intermarché), and Paula Ostiz (Movistar)
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- I suggest that the contract discussions have been put off not because Del Toro and his representitives expect UAE to sign Seixas, which I consider highly unlikely, but rather because he and his reps don't want to set a ceiling on a new contract until they see the size and length of Seixas' deal. That, or so it seems to me, is the actual reason for Del Toro putting off talks on an extension. Because the idea that Seixas would sign with a team that already has three young world-class GC contenders, including the G.O.A.T., seems far-fetched, if not completely ludicrous.rjb31-07-2026
- No disrespect toward Jonas, but his problem, vis-a-vis Tadej, may not be solvable. Tadej didn't only excell in explosiveness, he also demolished Jonas on a crucial descent. And, lest we forget, Pogi didn't have any trouble winning both the Giro and the Tour last year. Moreover, his explanation regarding poor planning by the Visma team, also strikes me as questionable, given all the experience and expertise in the Visma group. Again, no disrespect toward Jonas, a valid champion and a fine human being.rjb31-07-2026
- The headline mentions a 'menstruation debate,' but the article doesn't mention the debate or even what the issue is. The writer and the editor need to do better.rjb29-07-2026
- - Vamos Tadej! Poetry on wheels. C’est magnifique, bravo campione!robert6528-07-2026
- - Merckx saying no competition feels off—what about Vingegaard in full form, and Roglic on the Giro/Vuelta blocks? There’s competition, just inconsistent due to crashes and form peaks. Still, Tadej is the most versatile since Indurain.breakawaybikerd28-07-2026
- - So Pogacar has five Tours already, but why is that a bigger deal than, say, winning the World Championships? Are the Grand Tours ranked differently?samanthak28-07-2026
- - Brilliant piece. You captured how he meters effort on long climbs and still rips everyone off the wheel. Also love the nod to Tour de l’Avenir—people forget how early he was bossing stages.tourdeforce928-07-2026
- - Slightly sceptical about the “win all three Grand Tours in one season” bit. The calendar density and recovery windows are still brutal, even with modern prep. Would love it, but sounds a tad romantic from Eddy.andrewf28-07-2026
- - Goosebumps reading Hinault and Merckx basically anointing Pogacar. Five Tours by 27 is bonkers. The Alpe d’Huez comparison to Pantani’s time… that’s era-adjusted or raw time? If raw, that’s massive given modern pacing and wind.jeremya28-07-2026
- - Not sure I buy the “Lance had no talent” line. That’s a bit extreme from LeMond. You can condemn the methods without rewriting the guy’s baseline physiology. Still, Pog is the real deal, no asterisks.cadencekingm28-07-2026
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