The route for the fifth edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has been revealed, with Mont Ventoux set to be the next major mountain tackled by the elite women’s peloton.
The ascent of the Giant of Provence is expected to be a decisive factor in the battle for the Yellow Jersey.
The 2026 race will run from August 1–9, covering a total distance of 1,175 km. This makes it the longest route since the women’s event was re-established, and continues the trend of featuring hallowed sites of cycling history.
- Before tackling the Giant of Provence, the riders of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will converge on Switzerland for a series of stages. Event organiser A.S.O. notes that:
The most explosive puncheuses will have their say in stage 1 in Lausanne before leaving the limelight to the sprinters in stage 2 from Aigle to Geneva.
- The time triallists will get their turn in stage 4, a 21 km race against the clock in Burgundy, which will also sort out the genuine contenders for the title.
- The peloton will catch a breather the following day in stage 5, a romp in the hills of Beaujolais, but the moment of truth will come in stage 6, held on 7 August, when the field passes through Bédoin on its way to the 15.7 km climb leading to the weather station on Mont Ventoux.
- However, the Bald Mountain may not have the final word, with the Yellow Jersey still liable to change shoulders in the two finishes in Nice (stages 8 and 9), particularly on the last day, which will feature four ascents of the Col d’Èze before the finish on the Promenade des Anglais.
Zwift, the title sponsor of the race, has announced the extension of its role until 2029, confirming a commitment to the development of women’s cycling. This partnership, born from a shared vision with A.S.O., enabled the rebirth in 2022 of a Tour de France dedicated to women, which now holds a prime spot on the international calendar.
Through its Watch The Femmes movement, Zwift is working to increase the visibility and participation of women in cycling, a commitment already reflected in record audiences and a sharp rise in the number of female cyclists on its platform.
