Tour de France Femmes 2026 | Demi Vollering wraps up spectacular nine-day event in Nice
CyclingSunday, 09 August 2026 at 19:04
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleAfter the men's Tour de France, the women's Tour de France follows in August. On August 1, the Grand Départ of that race takes place in Geneva, ending in Nice via a Swiss/French course (and the Mont Ventoux). IDL Pro Cycling brings you the route details, as well as stage and overall favourites.
ADVERTISEMENT
Grand Départ around Lake Geneva
The first stage is a road race. No time trial, no prologue, but just like in Brittany last year, a hilly ride to start the Tour de France Femmes. For the second time, this stage is not in France: we are heading to Switzerland. A nice opening awaits from and to Lausanne, with a vicious uphill finish. After another stage in Switzerland, the third stage will depart from Geneva towards France, where the finish is in Poligny.
The second stage is more for the sprinters, but stage 3 is again quite tough, with 2,400 meters of elevation gain. Stage 4 is for the time trial specialists, as there is an individual time trial in Dijon, covering 21 kilometers. The fifth stage is a beautiful hilly ride, with Mont Brouilly acting as the decisive climb. But it doesn't end there, as the following day riders will have to scramble again in the mid-mountains towards Tournon-Sur-Rhône.
Read more below the photo!
Mont Ventoux as the absolute decider
However, the focal point of the Tour de France Femmes lies absolutely in the final days. Stage number 7 heads to Provence and features the Mont Ventoux, the absolute decider of the race. Moreover, that stage features over 3,500 meters of elevation gain, with the well-known hilly terrain of Southern France to warm up the legs.
The sprinters get a rare chance in the eighth stage, although a mass sprint in Nice is by no means certain thanks to a hilly finish. The final stage will go to and from the famous seaside resort: a short stage of 99 kilometers, but one that includes the Col d'Èze no less than four times. The finish is on the famous Promenade des Anglais. An explosive finish for the women, then!
Tour de France Femmes 2025 route
Stage 1 - Saturday, August 1, 2026: Lausanne - Lausanne (137 km)
We started in Switzerland with a beautiful stage right off the bat. In the final stretch, it came down to a battle between the punchers, climbers, and sprinters, but in the end, it was a rider from the latter category who took the victory. Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) got off to a fantastic start with a powerful sprint.
Winner
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)
Stage 2 - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Aigle - Geneva (149 km)
The second stage started in Aigle, the headquarters of the UCI. The nearly 150-kilometer stage did feature some climbing, but the flat finish meant we were inclined to say that a bunch sprint was the most likely outcome. Riejanne Markus made a valiant attempt to break away, but Wiebes won her second consecutive stage.
Winner
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)
Stage 3 - Monday, August 3, 2026: Geneva - Poligny (157 km)
A hilly stage: anything could happen, and that proved to be the case once again. Lorena Wiebes fell behind and lost the yellow jersey; the favorites battled but kept an eye on each other too much; and Lotte Kopecky saw her attack fizzle out. The victory went to the sensational Sigrid Haugset, who capped off a solo breakaway of nearly ninety kilometers by winning both the stage and the yellow jersey.
Winner
Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset (Uno-X Mobility)
Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset (Uno-X Mobility)
Stage 4 - Tuesday August 4, 2026: Gevrey-Chambertin - Dijon (time trial, 21 km)
The time trial delivered what it was supposed to: the first gaps in the general classification. Lieke Nooijen nearly won the time trial, but was edged out by Marlen Reusser. The Swiss rider scored a double victory, while Demi Vollering also put in a fantastic performance against the clock. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot struggled and lost two minutes to her main rivals.
Winner
Marlen Reusser (Movistar)
Marlen Reusser (Movistar)
Read also
Stage 5 - Wednesday, August 5, 2026: Mâcon - Bellville-en-Beaujolais (140 km)
A magnificent ride through Burgundy! Over 140 kilometers, we covered 2,800 meters of elevation gain. Right from the start, it was nonstop climbing through the hills, with almost no flat sections at all. After no fewer than eight categorized climbs, the final two were truly grueling, with gradients exceeding 15 percent. That’s when things really heated up, with Demi Vollering ultimately prevailing in a three-way sprint over Marlen Reusser and Kasia Niewiadoma.
Read also
Stage 6 - Thursday, August 6, 2026: Montbrison - Tournon-sur-Rhône (153 km)
In Stage 6, the breakaway riders got their first chance. Well, breakaway riders? On a hilly stage, a strong leading group pulled away in the pre-finale, after which Kim Le Court managed to hold off Puck Pieterse in the battle for the stage win.
Stage 7 - Friday, August 7, 2026: La Voulte-sur-Rhône - Mont Ventoux (144 km)
The climb delivered—and how! It looked like it was going to be a duel between Demi Vollering and Marlen Reusser, but when two dogs fight… Kasia Niewiadoma took advantage and went on to prove she was by far the strongest climber in the race. The Polish rider had just enough left in the tank to take the yellow jersey as well.
Read also
Stage 8 - Saturday, August 8, 2026: Sisteron - Nice (175 km)
We were almost there, but not quite yet. From Sisteron, we rode to Nice for the first time. It wasn’t supposed to be too tough, but we still climbed to 1,124 meters. On top of that, the final twenty kilometers of the Tour’s longest stage included two small climbs. However, an attack by Demi Vollering on an uncategorized little hill decided the day, with the Dutch rider claiming both the stage victory and the yellow jersey.
Read also
Stage 9 - Sunday, August 9, 2026: Nice - Nice (99 km)
The final day—and what a final day it was. Just 99 kilometers long, but with 2,300 meters of climbing. Demi Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma were 8 seconds apart, but the Dutch rider proved around Nice that she—and no one else—was the best with an impressive stage victory.
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
Read also
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
IDL-productions
🎥 Footage shows the devastation at the scene of the fatal Finlay Tarling incident; Portuguese media report on the cause
Pogačar and UAE need Vuelta winning spree to keep historic 100-win target alive
2026 Vuelta a España route | A Spanish playground for Wout van Aert, Tadej Pogačar and Mads Pedersen
How international media — from L'Équipe's front page to The New York Times — reacted to Demi Vollering and the Tour Femmes
2026 Tour de Pologne | Marco Brenner wins GC and his first WorldTour race
Latest Cycling News
A mix of seasoned veterans and hungry rookies is set to bring Visma | Lease a Bike success at the Vuelta
Decathlon CMA CGM's ambitions for the Vuelta are crystal clear thanks to podium contender Gall
Roglic is the team leader, but there’s also a question mark for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at the Vuelta
What on earth is going on with David Gaudu? Groupama-FDJ is having the Frenchman thoroughly evaluated
Renewi Tour 2026 Preview | The only WorldTour stage race in the Benelux is a sprinters' paradise
Popular Cycling News
🎥 Footage shows the devastation at the scene of the fatal Finlay Tarling incident; Portuguese media report on the cause
Portuguese police share progress of investigation into Tarling's death: ‘He asked if he could continue driving'
2026 Vuelta a España start list | Jayco AlUla, Lotto and Cofidis join Pogačar's UAE in Spain
Danish analysts criticise Jonas Vingegaard and Visma | Lease a Bike: 'Part of me says "shut up"'
🎥 Isaac del Toro's return after the Tour de France doesn't go well as Mexican rider crashes in Hamburg
Latest Comments
- - Qué tragedia. Muito respeito para a família. The investigator’s timeline helps, but still feels like a systemic safety failure on open-road races during descents.jeremya16-08-2026
- - Can someone explain what the broom wagon actually signifies? If it hadn’t passed, why was a civilian car allowed on course at all? I’m confused how those protocols work when riders are scattered.tourdeforce916-08-2026
- - Sorry, but this reads a bit like passing the buck. If signage was the only control at that junction, that’s not enough. A single marshal could have prevented this. Operational plan might’ve been followed, but was it adequate?gearguru3316-08-2026
- - If the GNR says it’s “humanly impossible” to cover every access point, shouldn’t organisers rethink neutral service positioning or add mobile motos for gaps on fast descents? This was a secondary access, but speed on that downhill made it primary in practice.jennifer1916-08-2026
- - Heartbreaking. The detail about the broom wagon not yet passing is crucial—explains why Finlay thought the road was still sealed. Condolences to his family and team. RIP Fin.robert6516-08-2026
- - Tears on the front row for NSN… goosebumps. Chapeau to the bunch for letting them lead the pace. Esto es el verdadero espíritu del ciclismo.julien15-08-2026
- - Not sure about the “put it in perspective” line referencing other deaths. I get what he meant, but it lands a little cold in this context. The sport must own its safety issues.jeremya15-08-2026
- - Sorry, bit confused—how was Tarling racing Portugal but commemorated in Norway? Are there multiple races at the same time and teams pay tribute across events?robert6515-08-2026
- - Poels speaks from a place of pain, you can feel it. Losing Gino still casts a shadow. His point about rising frequency of tragedies is worrying—UCI needs to accelerate road safety reforms, motos, convoy management, and race routing.sprocketspiny15-08-2026
- - Heartbreaking. RIP Finlay. The neutralised start and minute’s silence in Norway were handled with real class by the peloton.patriciaw15-08-2026
Loading
