The 2025 edition of the Tour de Suisse Women sets a new benchmark for difficulty, returning with its longest and most mountainous route to date. From 12th to 15th June, the women’s peloton will tackle over 500 kilometres and nearly 7,000 metres of climbing across four stages, with barely a flat kilometre in sight. It’s a clear signal that this once-revived event is now fully embedded in the WorldTour calendar, not just as a warm-up race, but as a serious GC battleground.
After a 20-year hiatus, the race returned in 2021 and has since grown rapidly. It began as a 2.1 event, was promoted to 2.Pro the following year, and finally joined the Women’s WorldTour in 2023. Each edition has seen a different winner and a different tone: Lizzie Deignan edged out Elise Chabbey by a single second in the first year, Lucinda Brand capitalised on a dramatic final-stage crash in 2022, and Marlen Reusser’s commanding solo win sealed a popular home victory in 2023. Demi Vollering held off the charge from Canyon SRAM’s Neve Bradbury and Kasia Niewiadoma last year. Now in its fifth year since the relaunch, the race feels like it’s come of age.
Photo Credit: GettyThis year also brings a shift in schedule, with the women racing ahead of the men for the first time and sharing the route on the final day, dubbed “Super Sunday.” That final stage runs alongside the men’s opener around the slopes of the Rigi, with two ascents of the steep Michaelskreuz almost certain to decide the general classification.
But unlike many major stage races, there’s no summit finish in this edition. That means climbers will need more than just legs uphill – they’ll have to hold off chasing riders on flatter or downhill finales too. There’s no high-altitude finish line to settle it cleanly. Time gaps will need to be defended all the way to the line.
The climbing starts immediately with Stage 1 in Gstaad and continues through long, high-altitude days including a 165 km test on Stage 2 – one of the longest single-day races of the Women’s WorldTour season. The profile lightens slightly on Stage 3 into Küssnacht, which could suit breakaways or sprinters, before the fireworks return in the finale.
Previous Winners
2024
Demi Vollering
2023
Marlen Reusser
2022
Lucinda Brand
2025 Tour de Suisse Women Stage Profiles
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Live TV Coverage
Thursday 12th June to Sunday 15th June 2025
Live on Discovery Plus/Max/TNT Sports across most of Europe
Stage 1: 13:45-16:45
Stage 2: 13:45-16:45
Stage 3: 12:50-15:40
Stage 4: 10:00-13:00
All times in BST
Twitter: Updates
Startlist: FirstCycling
Tour de Suisse Women 2025 Contenders
Under normal circumstances, Demi Vollering would be the undisputed favourite for the overall at the Tour de Suisse Women, and she still might be. She won this race convincingly in 2024 with three stage wins and the GC, and was runner-up the year before. However, the 2025 route strips away the long climbs that normally suit her best. Without a summit finish to make the difference, she’ll need to attack earlier and more decisively to distance her rivals. That brings risk, but also opportunity – Vollering is one of the few riders with the engine to launch long-range moves and make them stick. Expect her to be aggressive, especially if bonus seconds come into play. FDJ-Suez also bring Elise Chabbey, who will be especially motivated on home roads. A natural attacker, she may well look to pick off mountain points and go after the QoM jersey – a classification she has won at the Giro before. With no major high-altitude passes, it will be more about accumulation than a single decisive climb, and that suits her strength and racing style. If a late break is allowed to go, she’ll be a favourite to feature in it.
Movistar bring a powerful GC card in Marlen Reusser, the 2023 winner and third overall in 2021. While the absence of a time trial doesn’t suit her perfectly, the terrain across this year’s route still offers opportunity. Reusser thrives on hilly, attritional stages where she can go long, and the profile of Stage 2 in particular plays to those strengths. With her dominant performance at Vuelta a Burgos – where she won two stages and the GC – she’s arguably in the best form of her life and can be aggressive throughout. Claire Steels returns after finishing 6th here in 2023. She’s still working her way back to full sharpness following an inconsistent spring, so matching anything like that result would be a solid outcome in this field.
At Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney is yet to find top form in 2025, but she has the pedigree to turn things around quickly. She rode selflessly here last year, helping Neve Bradbury to a stage win in a classy bit of teamwork. It would be no surprise if she raced with similar intent this week, either supporting Bradbury again or taking her own chances if they arise. Her 11th place at the Vuelta shows a solid base, and if the route becomes tactical and selective rather than attritional, she’ll likely be in the mix. Bradbury, for her part, will be eager to recapture the spark she showed last season. She was 7th in GC at Volta a Catalunya this spring, but otherwise hasn’t quite hit the same heights as 2024. Still, this route suits her better than a pure climber’s course, and her finishing speed and climbing balance could be an asset if time gaps remain tight.
Lidl-Trek fields a well-rounded team, but there are question marks around form and roles. Niamh Fisher-Black was 8th overall in 2023 and could be quietly dangerous again. Her 6th at the Vuelta a España last month was one of her best Grand Tour performances to date, and the modified Swiss route, with no long summit finishes, may suit her ability to handle short climbs and punchy finishes. Gaia Realini was 7th here last year but has had a tough 2025, with her form deserting her across multiple races. It’s difficult to see her seriously challenging for GC unless she turns things around dramatically. For the sprints, Elisa Balsamo is the obvious leader. A former stage winner here in 2022, she’s been getting back into the mix recently and showed glimpses of speed at Burgos to finish 2nd on one of the stages. Also worth watching is Isabella Holmgren – the Canadian just took her first pro win at Durango-Durango and has the versatility to do something on both punchy stages and reduced finishes. She may not get full leadership duties, but she’s clearly on an upward curve.
AG Insurance-Soudal comes into the race with a very capable trio. Sarah Gigante made her return to racing at the Tour of Norway two weeks ago and looked sharp immediately. Her 3rd place on the opening stage was a clear sign that her long recovery from surgery hasn’t dulled her ability to perform in the hills. If the stages are raced aggressively, she could emerge as a surprise contender for the GC. Urška Žigart has a strong track record at this race, finishing 7th overall in 2023 and 9th in 2024. Her 16th in GC at Itzulia recently suggests she’s building towards peak form, and she’ll know the kind of racing required to finish well here. With no time trial this year, Mireia Benito may be slightly disadvantaged, but she remains a strong outside bet for GC. Her 12th in Vuelta a Burgos earlier this month shows she’s riding well, and if she can limit time losses in fast finales, her consistency should keep her near the top of the classification.
At Liv AlUla Jayco, the balance of the team tips toward Monica Trinca Colonel. After finishing 16th overall last year, she returns in better form. Her 6th at the Navarra Elite Classics and a well-earned 7th in GC at the Vuelta suggest she’s grown into a solid stage racer. With this year’s Tour de Suisse favouring steady all-rounders, the Italian could easily feature in the top-10 if things break her way. Mavi Garcia also starts her first Tour de Suisse, though her race style – more suited to longer, steadier climbs – might not align perfectly with the current route. Even so, she showed with 7th at Itzulia that she’s still capable of matching strong fields on the right terrain. The team’s dark horse could be Caroline Andersson, who continues to emerge as a reliable all-rounder. She’s quick in a sprint and capable on short climbs, giving her the option to aim for stages or ride support on all terrains. If the GC becomes messy and stage placings matter more than minutes gained on mountain-top finishes, Andersson could play a bigger role than expected.
Photo Credit: Naikefotosport CxclingAs usual, SD Worx are stacked with contenders. Mischa Bredewold comes in as a GC option after finishing 2nd at Itzulia and winning a stage. She’s strong on rolling terrain and will be dangerous from small groups or long-range moves. Blanka Vas continues to search for a major win in 2025, with 2nd at Trofeo Alfredo Binda still her top result. The Swiss parcours could play to her strengths, especially if she’s feeling aggressive. Femke Gerritse and Marta Lach both offer further depth. Gerritse won a stage at the Vuelta and is riding with confidence, while Lach was victorious at Festival Elsy Jacobs à Garnich and showed up again with 11th on Stage 3 of the Tour of Britain Women. Either could feature in breakaways or fight for the stage wins if the bigger names hesitate.
There’s one clear GC name for Fenix-Deceuninck in Yara Kastelijn, who will look to improve on her 17th-place finish here in 2024. Her climbing form has been strong in recent weeks, notably finishing 3rd overall at the Vuelta a Burgos. She’s shown this season that she’s capable of hanging with the best when the road tilts upward. Without a summit finish to create major gaps, her biggest task will be staying well-positioned on the lumpier days and limiting time losses in more tactical scenarios.
Form across 2025 has been more mixed at Roland, but Tamara Dronova and Petra Stiasny are both riders capable of top-20 finishes. Dronova was 13th at Alpes Grésivaudan and continues to be an all-rounder who can pick up results when the terrain doesn’t fully commit one way or the other. Stiasny, on the other hand, has been excellent when there’s a summit finish – 4th at Alpes Grésivaudan and 5th at the Vuelta being cases in point. The difficulty here is that those long climbs are missing in this edition, and that could blunt her impact. A strong showing on the hillier stages may still keep her in GC contention, but a repeat of her recent top-5s feels unlikely.
The young Nienke Vinke is a name to watch again for Team Picnic PostNL. She was 15th here last year and now returns as a more confident and consistent rider after finishing 9th overall at the Vuelta. She’s building well and this parcours could allow her to make a leap into the top-10. There’s depth in the team, too. Marta Cavalli is always worth watching, though her recent form remains hard to read. A better bet may be Eleonora Ciabocco, who was 17th in the Vuelta overall and showed with 9th and 10th-place finishes on stages of Itzulia Women that she can climb well and finish strongly. If she times her efforts right, a top-10 in GC is definitely possible.
EF Education-Oatly will lean on home rider Noemi Rüegg, who has shown steady improvement across three previous editions without threatening the top of the GC – 34th, 38th and 28th respectively. But this year’s parcours finally gives her a more realistic chance to make an impact. There’s no summit finish or TT, which opens the door for punchy all-rounders like Rüegg to aim for stage wins or even sneak into the GC top-10 with the right moves. Kristen Faulkner, second in the 2022 edition and the winner of the TT stage that year, is another major threat. Her 2025 hasn’t been spectacular on paper, but the form is clearly there – she recently won her national championships and was second on the opening stage of the Tour of Britain Women. She ended up 16th overall there, but that was more to do with crashes and misfortune than performance. The American will love the medium-mountain terrain on offer here and could be aggressive throughout. Cédrine Kerbaol, 4th at the Vuelta earlier this spring, is the team’s best bet for a long-range attack. The Swiss roads, especially with their technical descents and short climbs, suit her punchy, fearless style – if she goes clear late, she’ll be very hard to bring back.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike heads into this year’s edition with a pair of riders who’ve shown strong early-summer form. Marion Bunel, 21st overall here last year, has kicked on in 2025 with a standout ride at Volta a Catalunya, where she placed 3rd overall and 2nd on a stage. While she’d no doubt prefer a summit finish, her performances on rolling, mountainous terrain have made her a credible top-10 threat. Femke de Vries also impressed at Catalunya, taking 5th overall with stage finishes of 3rd and 4th. She’s quietly built a record of consistency this season and could be a sleeper pick to climb into GC contention again if she’s sharp across all three stages.
Tour de Suisse Women 2025 Outsiders
Ceratizit Pro Cycling arrive with home hopes pinned on Elena Hartmann, who lines up as a low-key GC option on familiar Swiss roads. While not a regular at the top of WorldTour standings, Hartmann has the type of diesel engine that could keep her within range if the race is more about consistency than explosive climbing. On paper, she’s a long shot, but a top-15 result is within reach. For the flatter stages, sprint duties are likely to be split between Kristyna Burlova and Sara Fiorin, though neither comes in as favourites. Both have shown glimpses of speed this season but will need the right scenario – perhaps a reduced group or messy run-in – to land a big result.
Silvia Milesi is the youngest rider in the race and a true wildcard for BePink-Imatra-Bongioanni. At just 18, she’s already showing flashes of big potential. Her 9th place at the Alpes Grésivaudan Classic last weekend was an eye-catching ride on a tough climbing course, and earlier this season she sprinted to 2nd at the GP della Liberazione PINK. This year’s route, with no high-mountain summit finish but plenty of undulating challenges, could be just right for a rider like Milesi to hang tough and contest results from smaller groups. She’s raw, but clearly talented.
Natalie Grinczer returns for DAS-Hutchinson, having finished 24th overall in the 2023 edition. While 2025 hasn’t delivered a standout result yet – 25th at the Pays de la Loire Tour is her season best – she remains a rider well suited to rolling stage races. If the form comes good and the climbs don’t break things apart too much, Grinczer could push for another solid GC showing or look to hit out from a break.
For DD Group Pro Cycling, Vera Tieleman brings promise as a powerful outsider who’s knocking on the door of a breakthrough. She’s posted strong rides throughout 2025, including 15th at Antwerp Port Elite, but is still searching for that one defining result to convert her talent into something bigger. A good breakaway rider and tactically smart, Tieleman may not be a GC threat, but she could light up a stage if given the right opportunity. Keep an eye out for her if any of the stages develop late chaos.
Top 3 Prediction
⦿ Demi Vollering
⦿ Marlen Reusser
⦿ Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney
