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Follow us on GoogleTwo stages completed, two victories for Lorena Wiebes — and we are certainly not ruling out a genuine hat-trick. The Dutch sprint powerhouse from SD Worx–Protime appears to be in the form of her life and should therefore be capable of surviving stage 3 as well. What can the riders expect on the route from Geneva in Switzerland to Poligny in France? IDL Pro Cycling previews the stage and assesses the favorites.
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Stage 3 Route of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes
The opening two stages through Switzerland both ended in a sprint, but the riders have already faced plenty of climbing along the way. Monday’s third stage will be no different. A serious mountain pass awaits almost immediately after the start: the Col de la Faucille, which is 11.4 kilometres long at an average gradient of 6.3 per cent. It is the toughest challenge of the day, although the summit comes after only 23.9 kilometres of racing.
That means riders who are dropped on the climb will have time to return after the summit, although they will immediately face the Côte de Lajoux following a fast descent. That climb is only 3.6 kilometres long and averages 5.6 per cent. Once over the top, there will finally be an opportunity to recover, with rolling terrain from kilometre 36 until the foot of the Col de la Savine, reached after just over 68 kilometres.
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The Col de la Savine is not particularly difficult either, although it includes one kilometre at almost 7 per cent. It is the penultimate obstacle of the stage, with more than 80 kilometres still remaining after the summit. Before the finish, the riders will contest an intermediate sprint in Champagnole and tackle the final climb after just over 131 kilometres: the Côte de Chaux-Champagny. It is similar to the climb used in stage 1, measuring 1.8 kilometres at an average of 6.4 per cent.
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The climbing works in favor of attackers and general classification contenders, although the positioning of the main difficulties does not. After the final climb, the road descends towards lower ground before the riders finish amid the beautiful Jura scenery in Poligny, where the road rises slightly towards the line. Will it be a sprint from a breakaway, a sprint from the peloton or a successful solo attack?
Times
Start: 1:45 p.m. CEST
Finish: around 5:52 p.m. CEST
Start: 1:45 p.m. CEST
Finish: around 5:52 p.m. CEST
2026 Tour de France Femmes, stage 3 weather forecast
After two sweltering days, Monday will once again be extremely hot in Switzerland. Temperatures at the start in Geneva are expected to have already reached around 36 degrees Celsius, with barely any cooling breeze. Conditions will be slightly cooler once the race enters France and reaches higher ground, although temperatures will still be around 30 degrees. As the riders descend towards Poligny, the heat will become oppressive again during the closing stages of the afternoon.
2026 Tour de France Femmes, stage 3 favorites
After two days, there’s only one rider we’d consider the top favorite, and that’s Lorena Wiebes. Three years ago, we might not have counted her among the riders capable of this, but what the yellow jersey wearer from SD Worx-Protime showed on the climbs during the first two days makes us see a very realistic winning scenario, even on Monday.
In principle, Marianne Vos of Visma | Lease a Bike is a contender, simply because Wiebes has to push beyond her limits to survive the climbs, and Vos generally handles that a bit better. And there’s even a scenario in which Wiebes falls behind, allowing Vos and SD Worx teammate Lotte Kopecky to stay in contention in the final stretch.
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Lorena Wiebes
Now that Wiebes is unbeatable in the sprints and this stage certainly seems too tough for many fast riders, a breakaway is also a realistic scenario. And of course, we immediately look to strong climbers and explosive riders who’ve already lost some time in the first two days. Riejanne Markus already made her mark for Lidl-Trek in Stage 2, but we’re also noting her countrywoman and teammate Lucinda Brand.
At FDJ United-SUEZ, two notable riders have also lost significant time in the general classification, which could indicate some room to maneuver in an attack. Franziska Koch and Evita Muzic will find a course that suits them particularly well in the first part of the stage. The same certainly applies to Liane Lippert (Movistar), Silvia Persico (UAE ADQ), and, for example, Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly) and Urska Zigart (AG Insurance-Soudal).
In the case of the latter, Kim Le Court also seems to have reason to dream, because if the first part is made so tough that even Wiebes and her teammates get dropped, the explosive Le Court might just be able to win a sprint from a thinned-out peloton. Celia Gery (FDJ) and Noemi Ruëgg (EF) could do the same. The chance that riders like them will make it into the breakaway, however, seems virtually nil.
2026 Tour de France Femmes stage 3, IDL Pro Cycling top picks
Top Favorite: Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)
Dark horses: Liane Lippert (Movistar), Franziska Koch (FDJ United-SUEZ), Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike), and Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal)
Long shots: Evita Muzic (FDJ United-SUEZ), Lieke Nooijen (Visma | Lease a Bike), Lucinda Brand, Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek), Silvia Persico (UAE ADQ), Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly), Urska Zigart (AG Insurance-Soudal)
Dark horses: Liane Lippert (Movistar), Franziska Koch (FDJ United-SUEZ), Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike), and Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal)
Long shots: Evita Muzic (FDJ United-SUEZ), Lieke Nooijen (Visma | Lease a Bike), Lucinda Brand, Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek), Silvia Persico (UAE ADQ), Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly), Urska Zigart (AG Insurance-Soudal)
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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