Tour de France Femmes 2026: Time trial, the Ventoux and a finale in Nice
The route for the 2026 Tour de France Femmes has been revealed in Paris. The fifth edition of the race will begin in Switzerland and end on the French Riviera, tracing a line from Lausanne to Nice over nine stages and 1,175 kilometres with 18,795 meters of elevation.
The 5th Tour de France Femmes in a nutshell:
- From Saturday, August 1 to Sunday, August 9
- From Lausanne to Nice over 1,175 kilometres
- One time trial of 21 kilometres
- Queen stage on Mont Ventoux
- Challenging final weekend around Nice
- 18,795 metres of elevation gain in total
The 2026 edition offers a varied route with opportunities for every type of rider. There is a punchy opening stage, a sprint in Geneva, a 21-kilometre time trial, a summit finish on Mont Ventoux and a demanding final weekend around Nice.
A start in Lausanne
The Tour will start on Saturday 1 August with a 137km loop around Lausanne. The opener suits punchers, with the finish coming just after the short Côte Saint-François (2.5km at 4.6%). Stage 2 runs from Aigle, home to the UCI headquarters, to Geneva over 150 mostly flat kilometres, offering the first chance for the sprinters.
From there, the race crosses into France. Stage 3 finishes in Poligny after a day featuring the Col de la Faucille (11.4km at 6.3%) early on, before a long, obstacle-free run of 80km towards the finish.
The fourth stage introduces a 21km individual time trial from Mâcon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, featuring a rolling profile and a short climb halfway through that could open up early gaps in the general classification.
The road to the Ventoux
Stage 5 brings the first real climbing test with eight ascents packed into one day, including the short but steep Mont Brouilly (3km at 7.7%) near the finish.
Two transitional stages follow, leading the peloton towards Provence and the most anticipated day of the race. On Friday 7 August, the Tour Femmes will tackle the Mont Ventoux from Bédoin (19.5km at 7.9%). After the Tourmalet, Alpe d’Huez and La Planche des Belles Filles in previous years, the Giant of Provence becomes the next legendary summit to decide the yellow jersey.
A finale on the Riviera
The race does not end there. The final weekend around Nice could still turn the standings upside down. Saturday’s stage features six climbs and a punishing wall of 13 percent inside the final six kilometres.
The closing stage on Sunday loops four times over the Col d’Èze (7.7km at 5.9%), with the Chemin du Vinaigrier, a ramp hitting 16 percent, added before the last ascent.
The finish on the Promenade des Anglais will crown the successor to Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.
2026 Tour de France Femmes - The route in full
| Date | Stage | Start-Finish | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, August 1 | Stage 1 | Lausanne – Lausanne | 137km |
Sunday, August 2 | Stage 2 | Aigle – Genève | 149km |
Monday, August 3 | Stage 3 | Genève – Poligny | 157km |
Tuesday, August 4 | Stage 4 | Gevrey-Chambertin – Dijon | 21km ITT |
Wednesday, August 5 | Stage 5 | Mâcon – Belleville-en-Beaujolais | 140km |
Thursday, August 6 | Stage 6 | Montbrison – Tournon-sur-Rhône | 153km |
Friday, August 7 | Stage 7 | La Voulte-sur-Rhône – Mont Ventoux | 144km |
Saturday, August 8 | Stage 8 | Sisteron – Nice | 175km |
Sunday, August 9 | Stage 9 | Nice – Nice | 99km |
