On Thursday, in a ballroom packed with cyclists in their offseason fits, journalists, and a ton of other people, the ASO unveiled the highly anticipated route for the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, and an extension of the title sponsorship agreement for the next four years.
A few things were known ahead of time – the race will start in Switzerland and be nine stages in length – but rumours of an individual time trial and the inclusion of Mont Ventoux were yet to be confirmed.
Both rumours turned out to be true. Stage 4 will feature a 21 km long time trial, and Ventoux will be the crown jewel of the race. The biggest surprise was the lack of sprinter-friendly stages. From the opening stage in Lausanne, the race features mostly hilly stages. The flattest stages are the opening two, but with a 2.5 km climb to award the first yellow jersey and five categorised climbs the following day, both stages will be selective.
Zwift will remain in the race name through 2029
Before announcing the route for the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Marion Rousse, the director of the race, announced the partnership between the ASO and the online cycling platform will continue through 2029. Zwift has been alongside the ASO for the full resurrection of the race since its first edition in 2022, and will continue to act as title sponsor for another four years.
“The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift continues to break records and exceed even our own expectations,” Rousse said in a statement from Zwift. “It’s a pleasure to work alongside a partner that helps amplify the race and women’s professional cycling in the way that Zwift does. We’ve achieved a lot already, and I’m excited that we can continue this journey together.”
“This is much more than a sponsorship for Zwift, it’s a part of our identity, underpinned by our mission to make more people, more active, more often,” said Eric Min, Zwift CEO and Co-Founder. “Growing women’s participation in cycling is a critical mission. We truly believe that to be successful, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is essential. The first four years of this partnership have been incredible. The excitement is tangible and the impact is clear. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve over the next four years and beyond.”
2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift stages
| Date | Stage | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, August 1 | Stage 1: Lausanne - Lausanne | 137 km |
| Sunday, August 2 | Stage 2: Aigle - Geneva | 149 km |
| Monday, August 3 | Stage 3: Geneva - Poligny | 157 km |
| Tuesday, August 4 | Stage 4: Gevrey-Chambertin - Dijon (ITT) | 21 km |
| Wednesday, August 5 | Stage 5: Mâcon - Belleville-en-Beaujolais | 140 km |
| Thursday, August 6 | Stage 6: Montbrison - Tournon-sur-Rhône | 153 km |
| Friday, August 7 | Stage 7: La Volte-sur-Rhône - Mont Ventoux | 144 km |
| Saturday, August 8 | Stage 8: Sisteron - Nice | 175 km |
| Sunday, August 9 | Stage 9: Nice - Nice | 99 km |
A very Swiss start
The Grand Départ in Lausanne was already announced earlier in the summer, but a three-stage opening act in Switzerland was confirmed, starting with a 137 km long opening stage to and from the lakeside city. Stage 2, 149 km long, will start in Aigle, home of the UCI, and finish in Geneva. On Monday, the race will finally cross into France, with stage 3 starting in Geneva and ending 157 km later in Poligny.
The opening stage is the flattest of the race, but the finale is atop Côte Saint-Françoise, a 2.5 km climb that averages 4.6%. This finish means the race will not be one for the sprinters, although 2025-edition Lorena Wiebes could still claim the first yellow jersey. This opening stage has hints of the Grand Depart in 2025, won by Marianne Vos, but as first stages go, this one is relatively tame compared with the Grand Départ in Vannes in 2025 and Clermont-Ferrand in 2023. It will be an easier start to the week than those two editions, but still harder than the Rotterdam stage that started the race in 2024.
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