Czechia’s Tour de Feminin launches 2025 route amid urgent call for help to save the race

The Tour de Feminin, the Czech Republic’s most prestigious women’s stage race, has revealed the 2025 route — a four-day contest beginning with a team time trial — while simultaneously appealing for financial help to ensure the event can go ahead at all.

On 5th April, organisers issued an emotional public message on Facebook, stating:

“With our heads full of worries about the organisation, but with hope that it’s all worth it, we’re reaching out to you and asking for help. The race is currently in a difficult situation, and that’s why we’re doing everything we can to find a way to keep it going!”

Despite the crisis, they confirmed that the 36th edition will start on 15th May in Krásná Lípa with a six-rider team time trial — a rare and welcome sight in modern stage racing. It will be run over a 12.6km course using standard road bikes to maintain parity and reduce costs.

Simona Davídková, race director, explained the decision:

“Team time trials are rare these days, yet attractive to both fans and riders. We also made the change for logistical reasons — the individual time trial required the road to be closed for four and a half hours. Now, all teams will start within an hour and finish shortly after, meaning a maximum two-hour road closure.”

Photo Credit: Josef Vaishar

Stage details for Tour de Feminin 2025

Stage 1 – Team time trial (12.6 km, Krásná Lípa)
A quick out-and-back route through Doubice and Kyjov, returning via Krásný Buk. The TTT will give an early GC shake-up, but with no TT bikes allowed, teamwork and rhythm will be the deciding factors.

Stage 2 – České Švýcarsko National Park (121.5 km, 2087m elevation gain)
The queen stage returns to Hřensko and its surroundings for the first time since the devastating wildfires in 2022. Featuring six classified climbs, including Rynartice, Janov and a final ascent of Vlčí Hora before the finish back in Krásná Lípa, this will likely be the decisive day for the overall.

Stage 3 – Šluknov Highlands (110.7 km, 1454m elevation gain)
Riders take on two 55km laps from Rumburk, each including climbs at Jiříkov and Brtníky, plus two intermediate sprint points. It’s a repeat of last year’s stage and suits aggressive puncheurs.

Stage 4 – Lusatian Mountains (104.5 km, 6 climbs)
A hard final stage from Varnsdorf, including repeated ascents of Krásné Pole (13%), Křížový Buk (12%), and Vápenka (11%). Teams requested a slightly easier finale, so the third lap omits two climbs, potentially opening the door for late attacks if the GC remains close.

Photo Credit: Josef Vaishar

A fight for survival

This route announcement is bittersweet, as organisers admit the future of the Tour de Feminin is far from secure. The race, which has run annually since 1988, faces financial challenges so severe that its very survival is at stake. On 3rd April, they posted an update titled “This is not an April Fool’s joke” — underlining the gravity of the situation.

Deeply tied to the story of the Vích family, the race began as a grassroots project and has since become a fixture on the international calendar. It was meant to be passed down to Šárka Víchová, a former Czech national rider who finished 3rd overall in the 1992 edition. But Šárka tragically died of cancer, and organisers now continue in her memory.

This year, the Tour has partnered with the Alliance of Women with Breast Cancer to honour that legacy, aiming to use the race to both promote women’s sport and raise awareness about a disease that has deeply affected the team behind it.

As of midnight on 12th April, the campaign had raised 29,562 CZK — around £1,018 or €1,176 — of a targeted 200,000 CZK (roughly £6,880 or €7,952). That’s just under 15% of the total needed.

Organisers hope that public donations, shared solidarity, and the enduring appeal of the Tour de Feminin will be enough to keep it on the calendar — and to ensure riders and fans alike can return to the beauty of the Czech-Saxon borderlands for many years to come.