With 100 days remaining until the Grand Départ of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Brittany has officially entered celebration mode. From Vannes to Quimper and Brest, a region steeped in cycling history is preparing to welcome the women’s peloton for the opening three stages of an expanded nine-day race.
The build-up began in earnest on Thursday 17th April with events in all three host cities, where organisers unveiled countdown installations, community programmes, and a festival atmosphere around what is set to be a key moment in the French sporting calendar. Race director Marion Rousse and sporting director Franck Perque led the ceremonies, flanked by local elected officials and a new generation of Breton riders.
“It made sense to start in Brittany,” Rousse said. “This is a land of cycling, and the opening two stages will be very demanding. We’ll see spectacular racing right from the start.”
Photo Credit: ASOThe race opens on Saturday 26th July in Vannes, heading to Plumelec via the Côte de Cadoudal—an old favourite of French cycling fans and a familiar climb to many riders in the peloton. The following day, the second stage runs 110 kilometres from Brest to Quimper, climbing the Côte de Menez Quelerc’h (3 km at 6.2%) and the sharper Côte de Locronan (0.8 km at 8.9%). That route, passing through towns like Daoulas, Le Faou, and Châteaulin, is expected to split the race and provide early gaps in the GC.
The Tour’s next stage start in Brest on Sunday 27th July will be a major occasion in itself, with a fan village and animations planned at the Parc à Chaînes on the harbour. The city, which last hosted the men’s Grand Départ in 2021, will again be a focal point as fans line the route to cheer on a mix of international stars and local favourites such as Cédrine Kerbaol, Aude Biannic, and Maëva Squiban. Kerbaol, from nearby Plouarzel, claimed a stage win in last year’s Tour and will be looking to impress again on home roads.
While Brittany provides the perfect stage for the opening salvos, attention will inevitably shift toward the overall contenders. Demi Vollering, runner-up in 2024, is currently the overwhelming favourite with the bookmakers. Having missed out last year, her consistency in stage races and climbing ability make her the early standout for yellow.
There’s also strong public interest around the return of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot to road racing. The Olympic mountain bike champion has put her off-road campaign on hold after a triumphant Paris-Roubaix Femmes and now sets her sights on the Tour. “She’s more than a rider—she’s an icon,” Rousse added. “She’s made it clear she wants to win the Tour within three years.”
Young Breton talent is watching closely too. Maurène Trégouët, a promising rider with Arkéa-B&B Hotels, lives just ten kilometres from the stage one finish in Plumelec. “These are my training roads,” she said. “Whether I race or not, my family and friends will be there. I want young girls to see this race and be inspired—it’s the biggest in the world.”
From iconic climbs to packed fan zones, Brittany is ready. The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2025 is already shaping up to be a summer highlight, and the peloton hasn’t even rolled out yet.
Main photo credit: ASO
