Stage 8 of the Tour de France Femmes 2025 is the decisive mountain showdown of the race, finishing atop the legendary Col de la Madeleine. At 144.1km, the stage starts in Chambéry and builds steadily towards one of the Tour’s iconic Alpine finishes. With over 3,100m of climbing, this is the queen stage and will determine the final general classification.
Will Gigante turn climbing form into a defining Tour stage win?
The first part of the stage is deceptively gentle, with no categorised climbs until nearly halfway. The intermediate sprint comes in La Rochette at kilometre 42.9 and may be contested by any early breakaway. From there, the terrain begins to rise gradually as the race moves into the heart of the Alps.
The first classified ascent is the Côte de Saint-François-Longchamp (4.6km at 5.7%) at kilometre 95.3 – a warm-up before the day’s main challenge. The Col de la Madeleine looms ahead: 19.2km at 7.9%, rising above 2,000m altitude with steep ramps and little respite. It’s one of the hardest climbs of any Tour de France Femmes so far and will likely blow the race apart.
The final summit finish of the race has been shortened slightly from its original plan due to earlier landslide repairs, but the new route retains the full final climb up the Madeleine. The stage still finishes at the summit, with no plateau or descent to follow, rewarding the purest climbers.
After a week of battles on rolling and medium-mountain terrain, the GC will be settled here. Kim Le Court will hope to limit losses and defend the yellow jersey, but it’s expected that Demi Vollering, Neve Bradbury and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig will be the key names in the mix. FDJ-Suez could have several cards to play if Juliette Labous and Elise Chabbey are still in contention.
This is also a huge opportunity for Sarah Gigante. The Australian has looked strong throughout the race and comes into this stage fresh off a fourth place at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. She thrives on long climbs and at altitude, and this finish is arguably the best match for her strengths across the entire race.
Others to watch include Evita Muzic, Mavi García and Puck Pieterse (although Puck unfortunately crashed on the descent on Stage 7) – all capable of climbing with the best on their day. With no descent or flat to follow the summit, any gaps opened on the Madeleine will stick.
What’s on offer
Date: Saturday, 2nd August
Distance: 144.1km
Start/Finish: Chambéry – Col de la Madeleine
Climbs:
Côte de Saint-François-Longchamp (4.6km at 5.7%) – km 95.3
Col de la Madeleine (19.2km at 7.9%) – finish
Sprints:
La Rochette – km 42.9
Prediction
Sarah Gigante is the standout pick for this stage. She’s built for long Alpine ascents and thrives when the road rises above 2,000m. If she times her move right on the Madeleine, she has the legs to solo clear and seal a memorable summit win.
