The Tour de France Femmes kicks off its fifth edition on August 1st with a 138km loop through the Swiss countryside. That starting line marks only the second time the race has launched outside France.
Tour de France Femmes Stage 1 Route Breakdown
Stage 1 begins and ends in Lausanne, tracing the Lake Geneva waterfront before cutting inland toward Lake Neuchatel. Along the way, three category 3 climbs whittle down the field well before the finale.
Still, the real test comes at the end.
The Cote Saint-Francois, a 2.6km ramp, tops out just 400 meters from the finish line. That uphill rally makes the first Tour de France jersey a prize for sprinters with climbing legs.
Lorena Wiebes Hunts Repeat Tour de France Jersey
Dutch cyclist Lorena Wiebes, who has five stage wins across four editions, thinks she fits that profile.
"It's important to start good and try to win as many stages as possible here," the SD Worx-Protime sprinter said ahead of the race. "Everything needs to be perfect."
Wiebes wore yellow after winning the inaugural stage on the Champs-Elysees in 2022 and wants it again. But in the Swiss stage, pure flat-track speedsters might struggle to hang on, and Wiebes will need a punchy finish to survive this year's course.
The first leg sets the tone for a Tour de France 2026 stage race that seems built to reward versatility from the gun.
