Women's Tour de France: Favorites, Participants, History

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Publication date: 4 November 2025

About the Tour de France Femmes

The Women’s Tour de France (Tour de France Femmes) is the world’s largest event in women’s cycling. This multi-day race, held in parallel with the men’s Tour de France, attracts the best female cyclists from around the world. The Tour de France for women has gained a new lease of life thanks to the professionalism of its participants, challenging routes and the huge interest of spectators. It is run by the Amaury organization (ASO), which also organizes the men’s Tour de France.

2026 Tour de France Femmes

The 2026 Women’s Tour de France is scheduled to take place from August 1st to 9th. Race will begin in Lausanne, Switzerland, which will serve as the “Grand Départ”—the opening ceremony traditionally held outside of France. The route, which will consist of nine stages and will be the fifth in the history of the revived women’s stage race, is currently known. This start in Switzerland will be the second time the women’s Tour will begin abroad, following the successful experience of Rotterdam in 2024. A key difference from previous years will be the schedule: in 2026, there will be no overlap with the men’s Tour de France. The finish of the men’s race and the start of the women’s race will be separated by five days, allowing each to attract maximum spectator attention.

Favorites of the 2026 race

Among the main contenders for victory will be the leading athletes of world cycling:

Annemiek van Vleuten is an experienced Dutch racer, multiple winner of major competitions.
Demi Vollering is another representative of the Netherlands, who continues to show stable results in the general classification.
Ashley Moolman-Passio is a representative of South Africa, known for her excellent preparation for mountain stages.
We should not forget about young talented cyclists who can surprise with their performances, especially on flat or technical stages.

Participants and teams

The Women’s Tour de France traditionally brings together the best women’s teams in the world. Among the favourites for the team victory are SD Worx, Trek-Segafredo and Movistar. Each of them has strong leaders and riders ready to fight for individual achievements.

The key features of the women’s race in 2025 will be mountain stages, which will highlight the strongest climbers, and sprint sections, where real masters of high-speed dashes will prove themselves.

Predictions for the women’s Tour de France 2026

Experts predict a fierce battle between young talents and experienced riders. Thanks to the difficult route and more stages, the participants will face new challenges, which will make the race even more exciting for spectators.

History of women’s cycling

The first women’s Tour de France took place in 1955.

Throughout the history of women’s cycling, the format and names of the organized events have constantly changed:

1984 – 1989 – Tour de France féminin under the direction of the Société du Tour de France;

1990 – 1993 – women’s EEC Tour;

Since 1992 – Women’s Cycling Tour organized by Pierre Bouée;

1998 – 2003 – International Women’s Grande Boucle;

2006 – 2016 – Route de France women’s route organized by the Organization Routes et Cycles association;

Since 2022 – Tour de France Femmes, managed by the Amaury organization.

Results of previous women’s cycling races

The year	Venue	Results
2025	France	1st place – Pauline Fernand-Prévost Points classification – Lorena Vibes Mountains classification – Elisa Chubby Youth classification – Nienke Vinke Fighting classification – Maeva Squibahn Team time classification – FDJ-Sueh
2024	France	1st place – Katarzyna Neveżoma Points classification – Marianna Vos Mountains classification – Justin Gekier Youth classification – Pak Peters Fighting classification – Demi Vollering Team classification by time – Lidl-Trek
2022	France	1st place – Annemiek van Vleuten Points classification – Marianne Vos Mountain Classification – Demi Wallering Youth classification – Shirin van Anruij Fighting classification – Marianne Vos Team Time Classification – Canyon-SRAM

2027 Tour de France Femmes

Although there is still plenty of time before the 2026 race, discussions about future routes and the composition of the participants have already begun. The organizers are aiming to make the race even bigger by adding unique stages, including new mountain routes and flat sprints.

Possible route changes

The 2026 race is expected to include:

More challenging mountain sections suitable for the “mountain queens” of cycling.
More flat stages for sprinters.
New finishing cities, which will give the route a unique feel.

Official Tour de France Femmes website

Keep an eye on the dates of cycling races and other events in our Sports Events Calendar.

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