The 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, set to begin on Saturday, July 26 2025, marks the fourth edition of the race, following a remarkable journey since its revival. Organised by ASO, the same entity behind the men’s Tour de France, the race has grown significantly since its rebooted edition in 2022. After years of the women’s peloton being limited to the one-day La Course by Le Tour de France, the introduction of a multi-stage Tour de France Femmes was a pivotal moment for the sport. Now, riders battle it out over nine stages, with the coveted maillot jaune on the line, and the race has quickly become a highlight of the Women’s WorldTour calendar.
Looking back at the first three editions, the race has been a platform for thrilling competition. In 2022, the inaugural Tour de France Femmes saw Annemiek van Vleuten take the win with a commanding 3’48” lead over second-place Demi Vollering. Van Vleuten’s dominant display in the mountains, particularly her victory on Le Markstein and La Super Planche des Belles Filles, helped her secure the yellow jersey in a race that marked the return of the Tour to women’s cycling after a 33-year absence.
Photo Credit: ASO-Thomas MaheuxIn 2023, the race saw another exciting chapter, with Demi Vollering emerging victorious after a strong overall performance. She claimed the yellow jersey by 3’03” ahead of her teammate Lotte Kopecky, who finished in second. Vollering’s resilience and tactical savvy proved to be crucial throughout the eight stages, with the final battle in the Pyrenees cementing her as the dominant force in the race. The 2023 edition also marked the ending of the rivalry between Vollering and van Vleuten, with the two battling for supremacy, though Vollering’s steady consistency and ability to handle the climbs earned her the win.
The 2024 edition was one of the closest and most dramatic of the three, with Kasia Niewiadoma clinching victory by a mere four seconds over Demi Vollering. The race was marked by an unfortunate crash from Vollering, which left her trailing in the middle of the race and hindered her chances of defending her title. Despite this setback, she fought back with impressive performances, but Niewiadoma’s climbing form, particularly in the final stages, proved to be enough for her to secure the yellow jersey. Rounding out the podium was Pauliena Rooijakkers, who claimed third place, not a major favourite when the race started, but delivered an impressive performance.
Photo Credit: Getty2025 Tour de France Femmes Route Details
The 2025 Tour de France Femmes route begins with a tense 79km opening stage around Vannes to Plumelec, packed with narrow, winding roads that will demand high levels of concentration from the peloton. Bretagne’s sharp climbs and technical terrain will ensure that positioning is critical, and the fast, high-pressure nature of the stage will likely result in a reduced sprint finish. This early test is closely followed by stage two, also in Bretagne, but slightly longer at 110km. Similar in nature, this stage features another explosive uphill finish, and with the terrain remaining undulating, only the most powerful sprinters will survive to the end. By the time the riders head to Stage 3, which covers 162km from La Gacilly to Angers, the terrain will favour the sprinters once again. The flatter roads and more forgiving profile of the stage provide a prime opportunity for a fast finish, though wind and positioning could still play a role in breaking up the bunch.
The following stage, Stage 4, takes the riders from Saumur to Poitiers over 128km, offering another opportunity for the sprinters to shine. With a minimal 780m of elevation gain, this stage is almost entirely flat and will come down to the final positioning ahead of the sprint. It’s a crucial stage for the teams who want to assert their speed and dominance ahead of the more mountainous days ahead. Stage 5, at 166km, marks a turning point in the race, moving away from the flat terrain of Bretagne and into more sustained climbs. With three significant ascents in the final 30km, this stage offers a chance for a breakaway or a GC contender to make their mark, particularly as the accumulated fatigue of the race makes it harder for pure sprinters to keep pace.
Stage 6, covering 124km from Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert, is another stage with relentless undulations, making it another tough day for the peloton. The technical, twisty roads in the final 30km will keep the riders on edge, but with three massive mountain stages to come, it’s unlikely that any GC contenders will make a decisive move just yet. A breakaway could hold on to the finish, but teams will likely keep their focus on conserving energy ahead of the bigger challenges that await in the Alps. Stage 7 takes the riders to the Alps with 160km of racing and three climbs in the final third. The Col du Granier marks the first serious ascent before the challenging 17km descent into Chambéry. With the Alps looming, this stage will be a test of both climbing ability and technical skill, as riders push themselves to stay in the GC hunt ahead of the queen stage.
Stage 8, the queen stage of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes, is a 112km mountain showdown that will likely decide the overall winner. With a brutal 3500m of climbing, the stage begins with the Col de Plainpalais and continues up the fearsome Col de la Madeleine, which stretches 18.6km at a punishing average gradient of 8.1%. This is the stage where the GC battle will intensify, with attacks and counterattacks on the climbs. It will be a gruelling test of stamina and mental toughness, likely sorting out the yellow jersey contenders. The final stage, from Praz-sur-Arly to Châtel, is the last chance for those still in the GC battle to make a final push. The 124km route includes three big climbs and a relentless uphill finish that will see riders arriving utterly drained. As the yellow jersey wearer crosses the line at Châtel, it will be the culmination of an intense and brutal nine days of racing.
Previous Winners
2024
Kasia Niewiadoma
2023
Demi Vollering
2022
Annemiek van Vleuten
2025 Tour de France Femmes Stage Profiles
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5
Stage 6
Stage 7
Stage 8
Stage 9
Live TV Coverage
Saturday 26th July to Sunday 3rd August 2025
Live on Discovery Plus/Max/TNT Sports across most of Europe
Stage 1: 16:00-19:00
Stage 2: 11:45-14:30
Stage 3: 14:00-17:15
Stage 4: 14:00-17:15
Stage 5: 14:00-17:15
Stage 6: 14:00-17:15
Stage 7: 14:00-17:00
Stage 8: 12:30-17:00
All times in BST
Twitter: Updates
Startlist: FirstCycling
2025 Tour de France Femmes Contenders
Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney headlines the Canyon SRAM zondacrypto squad as the defending champion. After back-to-back 3rd places in 2022 and 2023, her overall victory last year was the culmination of years of consistent attacking riding. Her support crew includes Neve Bradbury, who was a top-10 GC threat in 2024 but hasn’t quite matched those performances this season, and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, who finished 7th in both 2022 and 2023 but has been mostly quiet in 2025. If either rider rediscovers their form, they’ll be crucial in the mountains. Soraya Paladin brings experience and speed for reduced bunch finishes – she finished 5th on two stages here last year and could again threaten from small groups. There’s also Chloe Dygert, 2nd on a stage last year, though her form is uncertain after a crash at the Vuelta in May kept her off the bike since. Ricarda Bauernfeind, a stage winner in 2023, has also had a disrupted 2025 due to injury, making her form something of a wildcard.
Demi Vollering heads to the Tour de France Femmes with unfinished business. Last year’s heartbreak – crashing while in yellow and then seeing her own team fail to back her GC defence – still lingers, and now with FDJ-Suez, the mission is redemption. She’ll have strong support in the mountains from Juliette Labous, who’s been a top-10 regular here (4th, 5th, and 9th in the past three editions), and Evita Muzic, whose trajectory in the race includes 4th and 8th alongside a DNF last year. Both are capable of delivering top GC rides themselves if needed. On flatter days, Ally Wollaston is the one to watch. Her GC win at the Tour of Britain Women – where she claimed the GC off the back of three consecutive 3rd places – was followed up with a stage win at the Tour des Pyrénées. She’s sharp in bunch sprints and could convert one into a stage win here.
Over at Movistar, Marlen Reusser returns with something to prove after a disrupted Giro – illness derailed her challenge, and she picked up a yellow card for intimidation during a particularly tense stage. She skipped last year’s Tour entirely but was a stage winner in both 2022 and 2023. Even without a time trial, there are stages here where her sheer power could make the difference. Liane Lippert is also back in strong form, having won two stages at the Giro recently. Her 2023 Tour de France Femmes included a stage win and a pair of 3rd places, and she’s likely to be in the hunt again on the hillier, punchier finishes.
Update: Marlen Reusser has said she is suffering with vomiting from a stomach issue just hours before the start of this year’s race.
SD Worx have downplayed general classification ambitions this time around, with Lotte Kopecky stepping back from a full-on GC tilt following a disrupted build-up. A lingering knee problem over the winter compromised her spring, and a back issue during the Giro saw her lose time on the climbs. That said, the Belgian is still capable of stage wins and consistent high placings, much like in the early part of the 2023 Tour. Whether she attempts to hang on in the GC will likely depend on how she copes in the first climbing tests. Anna van der Breggen lines up for her first Tour de France Femmes, having retired just before the event’s inaugural edition in 2022. She showed signs of her old form in the Giro by pacing the climbs and riding smartly, but didn’t quite have the finishing power to match the likes of Gigante and Labous at the top. With no time trial and fewer high-altitude finishes, she may still emerge as a consistent GC threat if her condition has sharpened. Lorena Wiebes, though, might well be the team’s biggest weapon. After missing out on a stage win in 2024, she’ll be itching to return to her usual habit of dominating flat finishes. With three stage wins already at the Tour, there are at least three stages this year that look ideal for her, and a fourth isn’t out of the question. There’s also Blanka Vas, who capitalised on the chaos to win a stage last year, and Mischa Bredewold, the 2024 European champion and this year’s Amstel Gold Race winner. Even without a GC focus, this team has firepower for multiple stages.
For Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the dual focus is clear. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot will lead their GC ambitions, while Marianne Vos targets stages. PFP’s season has been stop-start – a brilliant win at Paris-Roubaix after a solo attack showed what she’s still capable of, but a flat Vuelta raised questions. She’s skipped racing since then to focus on training, so her shape is a mystery coming into the race. Her all-round skill set suits the varied parcours, especially with no TT and a more tactical GC battle likely. Vos remains the heart of this team. The 2022 and 2024 points jersey winner, she’s constantly in the mix and rarely finishes outside the top five in a sprint. Two wins at the Vuelta this spring show her speed is still there, even if Wiebes edged her at the Giro. You can guarantee Vos will be hunting for stages, particularly early in the week. Watch also for Marion Bunel, who was 17th overall last year. She’s a strong climber with an eye on the white jersey, and could prove an important mountain domestique as well as a top-20 GC outsider in her own right.
Pauliena Rooijakkers returns in strong form for Fenix-Deceuninck, after placing 4th at the Giro – repeating her finish from 2023’s Tour. She thrives when the road goes uphill, and with no time trial this year, the route suits her even more. She’s got solid backup in Yara Kastelijn, who was 11th last year and has been climbing well this season. Her attacking instincts and previous stage win in 2023 make her a threat from both GC and breakaways. Puck Pieterse is another exciting option – she won the Liege stage last year and finished 11th overall, despite not being expected to climb with the best. She’s a natural fit for explosive stages and could light things up again.
Cédrine Kerbaol returns to the Tour de France Femmes with a clear goal: improve on her 6th place from last year. The 2023 white jersey winner and a stage winner in 2024, her consistency has been impressive. Though her only win in 2025 came in the French national time trial, she’s shown her class with top-5s at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Vuelta stages this spring. The lack of a time trial this year might hurt her slightly, but her form suggests another top GC ride is possible. In the sprint department, Noemi Rüegg will be motivated after multiple near-misses. She was 5th on a stage last year and has racked up podiums at Cadel Evans and Sanremo Women, along with overall victory at the Tour Down Under in January. Expect her to focus on harder sprint days that drop the pure fast finishers. Kristen Faulkner adds firepower for aggressive stages and could spring a surprise – her second place behind Le Court on the opening stage of the Tour of Britain Women shows she still has a strong kick when the stage gets tough. With no time trial this year, she’ll likely be given freedom to hunt wins from the break or in reduced groups.
Elisa Balsamo is still chasing her first stage win at the Tour de France Femmes, despite being one of the fastest sprinters in the world. With victories already this season at Scheldeprijs and Trofeo Alfredo Binda, the form is clearly there, and the flatter stages in this year’s route offer multiple chances. Fifth in GC in 2024, Niamh Fisher-Black leads Lidl-Trek’s general classification hopes. The absence of a time trial plays in her favour, as do her recent results – 4th at the Tour de Suisse and 6th at the Vuelta show she’s quietly climbing into top form. Emma Norsgaard has already taken a stage at this race before and thrives on the unpredictable stages where attacks from sprinters or puncheurs can stick. A repeat of that is entirely possible. Shirin van Anrooij rounds out a versatile team – she won the white jersey in 2022, finishing 14th that year and 13th in GC in 2023. With better climbing legs now and a freer role, she’s a strong outside bet for the top 10.
Elisa Longo Borghini arrives at the Tour de France Femmes fresh from her victory at the Giro d’Italia Women, but the question is whether she timed her peak for that race or can carry the form through. She was 6th in the first edition of this race in 2022, but didn’t finish last year after a crash on one of the flatter stages. A podium finish is well within her capabilities, though she may find it tough if fresher riders who skipped the Giro have timed their build better. She’ll be backed closely by Silvia Persico, who was impressive here in 2022 and provides invaluable climbing support, even if her own results haven’t hit the same heights since. Karlijn Swinkels could be given licence to go stage hunting – she’s in solid form with 2nd at La Périgord Ladies and 8th at La Picto Charentaise just last weekend. Eleonora Gasparrini is their top sprint option, able to handle both fast finishes and hilly terrain. A win at GP de Plumelec-Morbihan and regular top-10s in one-day races show she can mix it with elite company. Maeva Squiban could be one to watch in breakaways, especially on rolling terrain that suits opportunists and riders wanting to animate the race for the home crowd.
Katrine Aalerud is the quiet GC threat for Uno-X. She was never flashy at the Giro, but her consistency – always in the teens or just inside the top-10 – gave her a solid overall placing. That kind of steady riding could work well again here if the top names mark each other too closely. Mie Bjørndal Ottestad brings momentum after winning the Norwegian national title and overall at the Tour of Norway. That followed a stage win at Vuelta a Burgos and a strong ride into the break for 5th at La Périgord Ladies. She’s shown she can be dangerous in small groups or tactical finales. Linda Zanetti has also been knocking on the door of a big result and took 2nd behind Gasparrini at La Picto Charentaise. She may not yet be in the top echelon of sprinters, but on harder days when others are dropped, she could well be the best of the rest.
Kim Le Court returns to the Tour de France Femmes as one of AG Insurance-Soudal’s standout names after a strong spring campaign that included victory at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and a 4th-place finish on a stage here last year. She’s the team’s best bet on punchy or mid-mountain stages. After finishing 7th overall in 2024, Sarah Gigante now arrives off the back of a podium at the Giro d’Italia Women and looks well placed to mount another GC challenge. Her climbing form and growing experience make her a serious contender. The only downside is that the stage designs work against her with descents to tackle instead of summit finishes. The mountains classification jersey went to Justine Ghekiere last year, and she’ll again be important in the hillier stages, either in a support role or chasing polka dots. The return of Shari Bossuyt from a two-year suspension adds another dimension – she was 5th at Belgian nationals and will likely be targeting sprint stages for the team.
Liv AlUla Jayco will have to decide whether to back Mavi García for GC or unleash her on selective stages. Her 10th overall in 2022 is now followed by a DNF and 26th last year, and while 8th at the Tour de Suisse and 7th at Itzulia Women this season are encouraging, 18th at the Vuelta hinted at a dip in form when it mattered. Monica Trinca Colonel looked superb at the Vuelta, finishing 7th, but was forced to abandon the Giro. Still, her upward trajectory this year means she’ll be keen to bounce back and show she belongs in GC conversations. Letizia Paternoster will contest the bunch sprints – assuming she avoids misfortune. At the Tour of Britain Women, she was in the mix until another crash knocked her out of contention, a frustrating theme this season. Silke Smulders deserves a mention too. With two top-10 stage finishes and 14th overall at the Giro, she’s quietly building one of her best road seasons to date and could surprise on selective days.
Over at Team Picnic PostNL, it’s not been the smoothest build-up. Charlotte Kool crashed heavily at the Baloise Ladies Tour just a week ago, hitting her head on the kerb in what looked like a worrying incident. If she does start, it will be a test of her condition and resilience as she tries to chase the level that brought her two Tour stage wins last year. Pfeiffer Georgi hasn’t had an ideal run either, crashing out of the Giro, but her engine and race sense still make her one of the best chances for success in attacking stages. Don’t be surprised to see her go deep into breakaways this week. Meanwhile, Nienke Vinke continues to quietly put together a very respectable season. A strong time trial helped her to 8th overall at the Baloise Ladies Tour, and consistent climbing performances have brought her 9th at the Vuelta, 16th at Burgos, and 18th at the Tour de Suisse. She’s a genuine all-rounder now and looks increasingly capable of riding into the GC top 10 if things go her way.
It’s all about climbing firepower at Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi. Ane Santesteban finished 8th in GC in 2023 and showed signs of form this June by placing 4th overall at Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. She didn’t shine quite as brightly at the Giro but remains their strongest GC option. Usoa Ostolaza is building nicely – 24th in last year’s Tour and 36th in the Giro, where she fought hard in the mountains to finish 2nd in the QoM classification behind Sarah Gigante. She’s also the overall winner of the Tour des Pyrénées, where she showcased her consistency and climbing legs across multiple days.
Thalita de Jong leads Human Powered Health into the race after a strong early summer that included 3rd at Durango-Durango and 5th overall at Itzulia Women. With several transition-style stages on the route, she has real opportunities to contest finishes from small groups where her sprint-climb combination shines. The team also fields Barbara Malcotti, fresh from an impressive 8th place overall at the Giro. She climbed with the GC favourites for much of the race and only slipped slightly in the final two mountain stages. If she can replicate that level, she’s a top-10 candidate again here and a useful second option if De Jong focuses on stages.
2025 Tour de France Femmes Outsiders
After finishing 22nd overall last year, Valentina Cavallar has grown into a legitimate GC outsider for Arkea-B&B Hotels. Her 7th place on the Alpe d’Huez stage in 2024 highlighted her climbing potential, and a podium finish at the Tour des Pyrénées in June further confirms her upward trajectory. With no time trial to limit her, she’ll hope to stay in contention well into the mountains. The team’s sprint card is Majo van’t Geloof, who has quietly built one of the most consistent seasons of her career. She’s placed 4th at Gent-Wevelgem, Nokere Koerse, and La Picto-Charentaise, proving her ability to perform across different types of finishes and terrain.
Sarah van Dam makes her Tour de France Femmes debut with Ceratizit Pro Cycling as one of the more versatile emerging riders in the peloton. Her sixth-place stage finish and 21st overall at the Giro confirmed her upward momentum, and she’s already built a tidy 2025 season with 5th in GC at the Tour of Britain Women and 3rd at Itzulia Women. Her punchy style suits lumpy transition days or reduced bunch finishes, making her a genuine outsider for a stage win. Dilyxine Miermont is another to watch closely – she was 2nd behind Anna Henderson on a Giro stage this year, confirming she can climb and stick it in the break. Elena Hartmann brings the sort of consistency and climbing resolve that could see her join moves on mountainous stages, even if the results don’t always follow.
Over at Cofidis, Julie Bego arrives as a wildcard. Still just 19, she was 3rd in the French national championships and showed promise in the Alps with 6th-place finishes at the Alpes Gresivaudan races. Her GC ambitions may still be a few years off, but she’s an exciting option for breakaways and selective stages. Amalie Dideriksen returned to winning ways in Portugal earlier this summer, and with sprint stages potentially blown apart by terrain or weather, she could sneak a result again. Her 3rd at Dwars door de Westhoek also underlined she’s still got the timing. The team’s best bet for a high overall finish remains Victoire Berteau. She’s been quietly effective this season, and while a top-10 GC may be ambitious, she has the endurance and positioning to finish inside the top-15 and maybe strike for a stage if things fall into place.
Petra Stiasny had one of the most forgettable debuts in Tour de France Femmes history, exiting the 2022 race after finishing outside the time limit on the opening stage in Paris. But since then, the Swiss climber has matured steadily and is now carving out a reputation as a solid GC outsider for Roland Le Dévoluy. Her recent top-5 finishes on summit finishes at both the Vuelta a Burgos and Alpes Gresivaudan Classic show she’s comfortable when the road tilts upward. The issue for Stiasny in this year’s edition is the parcours – fewer true summit finishes and a handful of potentially messy transition stages may put her at risk of losing time. A top-15 GC finish is within reach if she avoids mishaps, but she’ll need to limit damage on the flatter days.
For St Michel-Mavic-Auber93, Ségolène Thomas and Lucie Fityus arrive as lively outsiders, particularly for stage hunting from breakaways. Thomas has shown her climbing legs this year, notably taking 3rd on the Col du Soulor stage at the Tour des Pyrénées and a podium at GP Plumelec-Morbihan. She also climbed well at Vuelta a Burgos, finishing 8th on one of the key stages. If she can slip into the right move on a selective day, a result isn’t out of the question. Fityus, meanwhile, has been one of the most quietly impressive riders this spring. The Australian rider rarely gets the headlines but keeps delivering performances near the front – 4th on a stage at the Tour des Pyrénées and consistent top-10s at Scheldeprijs, Surf Coast Classic, La Picto-Charentaise, and the Tour Down Under highlight her versatility. She’s likely to feature in the final of at least one stage this week.
Eline Jansen continues to prove she can get results on all terrain. Sixth at La Picto Charentaise and 12th in La Périgord Ladies last weekend added to a growing list of top-10s in 2025, which includes a major win at La Classique Morbihan in May. She doesn’t necessarily need a bunch sprint to feature, often getting herself into moves or reduced groups where her strong finish can deliver. Margot Vanpachtenbeke gives VolkerWessels a potent one-two punch, finishing 3rd at La Périgord Ladies to match earlier podiums at the Tour des Pyrénées and Tour of Norway. Both riders could feature prominently from the break or in late-race selections when the race fragments over climbs and crosswinds.
Nadia Gontova has turned heads this season for Winspace Orange Seal, transitioning seamlessly into the European racing calendar. Her 2nd overall at the Tour des Pyrénées and 3rd at Alpes Gresivaudan showed her climbing legs, and she’s backed that up with solid GC results in top-level Spanish races. There are still question marks about her ability over a full eight-day Tour at this level, but she’s already answered plenty this year. Karolina Perekitko will be the one watching the GC closely for the team. Skipping the Giro and Vuelta to focus fully on this race, the Polish rider comes in fresh and untested at this level but full of intent. A 3rd place at Région Pays de la Loire Tour and 7th at Trofeo Palma Femina earlier this year shows her form has been on the rise. With no time trial to expose her weaknesses, she’ll be hoping to climb with the favourites and hold her own deep into the race.
Top 3 Prediction
⦿ Demi Vollering
⦿ Kasia Niewiadoma
⦿ Cédrine Kerbaol
