The Tour de l’Avenir Femmes returns for its third edition in 2025, continuing its rapid rise as a proving ground for the world’s best under-23 riders. Launched in 2023, the race mirrors the prestige of its long-standing men’s counterpart, offering a six-day stage race contested by national and regional selections. From its very first edition, it has been designed as a gateway between junior racing and the Women’s WorldTour, bridging a crucial gap in the development ladder.
The early history has already produced significant winners. In 2023, Shirin van Anrooij claimed overall victory ahead of Anna Shackley and Gaia Realini, showing the calibre of talent the race can attract. Last year, Marion Bunel of France excelled in the mountains to secure the title on home soil, finishing ahead of Isabella Holmgren and Eneritz Vadillo. Both editions demonstrated how the Tour de l’Avenir Femmes can both confirm established prospects and reveal new names ready to take the next step in the sport.
This year’s route stays true to the race’s DNA, built around selective terrain in the Alps. After a prologue, the peloton faces six road stages where sprinters, puncheurs and climbers will all find opportunities, but it is the succession of major ascents that will shape the overall battle. The finish in the high mountains ensures the winner will be a rider with both endurance and climbing pedigree.
The race also pays homage to the legacy of the men’s Tour de l’Avenir, a race that has long been a launchpad for future champions such as Egan Bernal, Tadej Pogačar and Tobias Foss. For the women, it is already playing a similar role, offering a rare opportunity for under-23 riders to compete solely against their peers in a stage race format. With 18 national teams, a French regional selection and the UCI’s World Cycling Centre squad set to line up, the 2025 edition promises another showcase of cycling’s next generation.
Previous Winners
2024
Marion Bunel
2023
Shirin van Anrooij
2022
Not held
2025 Tour de l’Avenir Femmes Stage Profiles
Prologue
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5a
Stage 5b
Live TV Coverage
Saturday 23rd August to Friday 29th August 2025
In theory, live on Discovery Plus/Max/TNT Sports across most of Europe, looks like it will be bundled in with the men’s race this year but maybe only on certain days. It’s not clear.
All times in BST
Twitter: Updates
Startlist: FirstCycling
2025 Tour de l’Avenir Femmes Contenders
France arrives again as one of the strongest and most cohesive teams on paper, led by Marion Bunel, the defending champion who won two stages en route to overall victory in 2024. Having also placed 8th in the 2023 edition, she knows how to manage the GC fight here and should be a major contender once again. Eglantine Rayer also stood out last year, claiming a stage win and the points jersey, both of which helped unlock a more confident and attacking version of the rider we’d seen previously. Julie Bego, 5th in GC last year, has already won a WorldTour race this season and remains a steady and smart presence on this kind of terrain. Célia Gery will make her Avenir debut but comes off a strong second place in the French U23 nationals. Known for being solid on rolling courses, she could be a dark horse for Stage 1 and is a good bet to animate the race early.
Headlined by Nienke Vinke, the Dutch squad once again boasts impressive depth. Vinke took 7th overall in 2023 and 16th in 2024, but it’s her 2025 season that’s marked a real leap forward. Winning the youth classification at the Tour de France Femmes confirmed her climbing credentials and strength in time trials. Newcomer Scarlett Souren adds a sprinting weapon to the team, with wins at the Argenta Classic and Midwest Cycling Classic showing she can finish fast from small groups. The Visma | Lease a Bike trio adds further strength in depth: Maud Oudeman, 11th overall in 2024, is a confident descender and climber; Rosita Reijnhout, 12th in 2023 and 21st last year, tends to rise in the GC in the final days; and Mijntje Geurts, 54th in 2024, has developed into a more versatile option for breakaways or reduced sprints. All three are capable of chasing stages while Vinke focuses on the overall.
Led by Eleonora Ciabocco, the Italian line-up looks well-balanced with options for both GC and stage success. Ciabocco impressed with 6th overall in last year’s Tour de l’Avenir Femmes, and her 2025 campaign has been even stronger – 4th on a stage at the Giro and 10th overall at the Tour de Suisse mark her as a rising GC threat. Making her debut at this race, Federica Venturelli arrives after a delayed start to the season, but her 5th place at the Argenta Classic shows she still has a turn of speed and could be a threat in reduced sprints. Francesca Barale adds firepower for hilly stages, having placed 5th on a stage here in 2023 and finishing 21st overall. Another name worth watching is Elisa Valtulini – still outside the WorldTour ranks, she comes in with little pressure but plenty of upside if she climbs well or finds herself in the right move.
Expect Paula Blasi to once again carry Spanish hopes after finishing 4th overall and 3rd on the queen stage in 2024. That result marked her breakthrough, and her 2025 form has only solidified her reputation. A win at La Périgord Ladies and 4th overall at the Tour de Romandie Féminin – including a dominant uphill time trial win – show she’s ready to contend again. While not a pure climber like Bunel or Holmgren, she’s one of the most consistent riders on hilly routes and excels in time trials. The rest of the squad is likely to play a support role, though Lucía Ruiz Perez could get a shot in flatter stages if a sprint develops.
Isabella Holmgren returns as a key contender after finishing 2nd overall and winning the mountains classification in 2024, thanks to a string of runner-up stage finishes. Since then, she’s transitioned seamlessly to WorldTour level, landing 7th overall at the Giro and claiming victory at Durango-Durango. Her climbing ability and endurance over longer efforts make her a serious GC rival to Bunel once again. Supporting her in Canada’s line-up are her sister Ava Holmgren and Kiara Lylyk. Lylyk has had a strong summer, placing 7th overall at Volta a Portugal and 6th at La Classique Morbihan, giving the team solid climbing depth and a clear GC ambition.
Lore de Schepper leads Belgium’s challenge, hoping for an uninterrupted campaign after illness cut short her promising 2024 edition. She won the prologue and was 3rd on Stage 1 last year, showing her potential in both short efforts and punchy terrain. With strong form in 2025, she’s a GC wildcard, especially with her time trial ability. Making her debut, Fleur Moors adds stage-hunting potential. Her breakthrough summer includes a win at Dwars door de Westhoek, 2nd at Dwars door het Hageland, and 3rd at the Belgian Nationals. Free from GC duties, she can afford to race aggressively on selective terrain.
Great Britain return with a versatile squad that could feature in both GC and stage results, even without a single obvious leader. Eilidh Shaw stands out after finishing 5th overall in 2024 and bringing consistent speed in reduced finishes. Her 3rd at Antwerp Port Epic and 4th at GP della Liberazione PINK this season show she’s still progressing, and if she can hang on over the climbs, she’ll be dangerous. Millie Couzens, meanwhile, is perhaps shifting more toward stage hunting after finishing 38th and 40th in her previous appearances, but the newly crowned British national champion has found a new level in 2025. Podiums at both the Argenta Classic and Itzulia Women suggest she can get involved in select sprints or small group finishes. Flora Perkins may go under the radar but has proven attacking instincts – 28th and 30th overall in the last two editions – and is likely to be one of the first to animate stages from the break. The team also includes Imogen Wolff, making her first appearance, and looking to gain experience on the international stage.
Marie Schreiber continues to quietly build a solid résumé at this level, having placed 28th in 2023 and 33rd in 2024, with a standout 2nd place on a stage last year. That knack for timing her effort carried into this season with another 2nd at the Baloise Ladies Tour, showing she can be a threat when the peloton is reduced but not fully splintered. Expect her to target a stage again rather than go all in for GC.
A rider who could be much more prominent in the overall standings is Justyna Czapla, who finished 14th last year and now comes in as the newly crowned German U23 time trial champion. This course, with its TTs and less summit-heavy layout, could suit her down to the ground. With fewer established leaders on her national team, she may get the green light to ride for herself throughout the race.
There’s a quiet consistency to Malwina Mul, who’s been collecting respectable finishes across the lower-tier European scene. She might not have a standout result on her record yet, but her ability to handle rolling terrain and get stuck into tough stages could put her in the mix if things open up. Whether that translates to GC potential at this level remains to be seen, but she’s a name to watch if the breakaway sticks.
Alli Anderson returns to the Tour de l’Avenir Femmes with a much stronger set of results behind her than when she finished 52nd last year. The Australian rider impressed with 5th overall at Gracia Orlová and 7th at La Classique Morbihan, showing she can handle both climbing and tough sprint days. She’s trending upward at the right time and should be in the conversation for a top-10 overall if her stage racing form holds. Alongside her, Mackenzie Coupland has shown steady progression through 2025. Although she was 47th here last season, she’s picked up several top-20 results across a mix of profiles this year, suggesting growing versatility. With the opportunity to ride more freely in this year’s edition, Coupland could be one of the Aussies looking to animate the race with aggressive riding, particularly on rolling stages.
Top 3 Prediction
⦿ Marion Bunel
⦿ Isabella Holmgren
⦿ Paula Blasi
