2026 Tour de France Femmes stage 5 | Brutal climbs set the stage for explosive racing

There is no chance to catch your breath in this Tour de France Femmes. After a gruelling third stage and the individual time trial, another extremely demanding day in the hills awaits. With almost 3,000 metres of elevation gain and barely a metre of flat road, the attackers will have circled this opportunity in red. But will the main favourites prevent them from taking advantage? IDL Pro Cycling lays everything out.

One, two, three, four… The riders will have to conquer eight climbs during the fifth stage of the Tour de France Femmes. There will be no opportunity to save their legs after the time trial, because the road from the start in Mâcon to the finish in Belleville-en-Beaujolais will be demanding throughout. No fewer than 2,880 metres of elevation gain have been packed into 140 kilometres of racing.

We are in Burgundy, which means the race has entered terrain familiar from the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes. Mâcon hosted a finish in that race in 2025, but this time the women will start there. The climbing begins immediately: the Côte de Cenves, measuring 9.6 kilometres at an average gradient of 4.4 percent, is long, irregular and an excellent launchpad for riders wanting to try something early.

After another rolling section, the Col de la Croix de l’Orme, at 2.1 kilometres and 5.5 percent, and the Côte de Saint-Christophe, at 2.7 kilometres and 4.5 percent, arrive in quick succession, together with the uncategorised Col de Crie. The Col de Fontmartin, 3.6 kilometres at 5.7 percent, the Col de Gerbet, 4.6 kilometres at 6.5 percent, and the Côte de Pruzilly, 1.6 kilometres at 6.6 percent, mean that six climbs will already have been completed after only 75 kilometres of racing.

There is a brief respite between the last of those climbs and Villié-Morgon. The finale then begins with the Col de Durbize. At 3.6 kilometres and an average gradient of 5.8 percent, it does not look particularly difficult on paper, but appearances are deceptive. The climb only becomes truly demanding after two kilometres, with the gradient repeatedly reaching double figures. Its steepest section rises to a punishing 16 percent.

The riders will then descend towards Saint-Lager before reaching the final climb on the route. The summit of Mont Brouilly comes 11.5 kilometres from the finish, after a three-kilometre ascent averaging 7.7 percent. However, this climb also saves its steepest gradients for the end. The final kilometre averages around ten percent, with ramps reaching 14 percent. A technical descent takes the riders back down before the final five kilometres run gently downhill towards the finish.

Times
Start: 2:00 p.m. CEST
Finish: around 5:50 p.m. CEST

Hot, hot, hot. It certainly will not be cold in France. Temperatures are expected to reach 31 degrees Celsius at the start in Mâcon, and it will remain extremely warm at the finish. There is a possibility of a shower in Belleville-en-Beaujolais, although significant rainfall is not expected.

This stage could develop in almost any direction. Plenty of attackers will see an opportunity on a route like this, particularly with Friday’s Mont Ventoux stage already in the back of everyone’s mind. Lotte Kopecky of SD Worx-Protime has already been active, while teammate Mischa Bredewold is also well suited to a stage of this nature. Fellow Dutch riders Eline Jansen of VolkerWessels and Marianne Vos of Visma | Lease a Bike will also have identified this stage as an opportunity, although it may be slightly too demanding for Vos.

We should also look towards the Classics specialists, including Célia Gery of FDJ-SUEZ, Liane Lippert of Movistar, Lucinda Brand of Lidl-Trek and Noemi Rüegg of EF Education-Oatly. Sarah Van Dam of Visma | Lease a Bike could also produce something special, provided she is given the freedom to do so by team leader Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. Ferrand-Prévot herself could become involved if the general classification contenders decide to race aggressively, and she will be especially motivated after the time trial.

That is certainly possible, judging by the battle that unfolded during Stage 3. Several riders were clearly the strongest on the short, sharp climbs. Kim Le Court of AG Insurance-Soudal is made for a stage like this, although she will have to contend with Demi Vollering of FDJ-SUEZ and Kasia Niewiadoma of Canyon//SRAM, who both appear to be in excellent form.

Ferrand-Prévot, Marlen Reusser of Movistar and Elisa Longo Borghini of UAE Team ADQ appeared slightly less convincing on that occasion. Nevertheless, all three remain on our list because every stage brings a new opportunity — particularly Reusser, who will begin the day wearing the yellow jersey. Antonia Niedermaier of Canyon//SRAM, Cédrine Kerbaol of EF Education-Oatly, Femke de Vries of Visma | Lease a Bike and Niamh Fisher-Black of Lidl-Trek should also finish near the front.

And what about Puck Pieterse? The Fenix-Premier Tech rider currently holds the polka-dot jersey, climbs extremely well and has made winning a stage one of her main objectives. This could be the day when everything comes together. Her teammate Yara Kastelijn could also produce a strong result.

Top Favorites: Kim Le Court (AG Insurance - Soudal) and Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ)
Outsiders: Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech), Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM), Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly)
Long shots: Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Sarah Van Dam, Femke de Vries (Visma | Lease a Bike), Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team l'Imad), Marlen Reusser, Liane Lippert (Movistar), Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly), Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Premier Tech), Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime), Lucinda Brand, Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek), Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//SRAM), Célia Gery (FDJ-SUEZ), and Eline Jansen (VolkerWessels)