Tour de France Femmes 2026 Stage 4 time trial start times: when every contender begins in Dijon

Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset will be the final rider to begin Stage 4 of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, rolling down the start ramp in Gevrey-Chambertin at 17:28 CEST, or 16:28 BST in the UK.

The Norwegian champion starts last because she leads the general classification following her long solo victory in Poligny. Kim Le Court-Pienaar departs two minutes before her at 17:26 CEST, with Demi Vollering beginning at 17:24 and Noemi Rüegg at 17:22.

The first rider on the 21km course will be Lotto-Intermarché’s Romina Hinojosa at 14:51 CEST, or 13:51 BST. Riders initially depart at one-minute intervals before the gaps increase to two minutes for the final 20 starters.

Marlen Reusser provides the first major GC benchmark at 17:08 CEST. She is followed in quick succession by Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Puck Pieterse, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Elisa Longo Borghini and the other riders expected to shape the final general classification.

Tour de France Femmes Stage 4 timings at a glance

Date: Tuesday 4 August 2026
Route: Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon
Distance: 21km
Stage type: Individual time trial
First rider: Romina Hinojosa at 14:51 CEST, 13:51 BST
Zoe Bäckstedt: 16:29 CEST, 15:29 BST
Lotte Kopecky: 16:39 CEST, 15:39 BST
Marlen Reusser: 17:08 CEST, 16:08 BST
Demi Vollering: 17:24 CEST, 16:24 BST
Kim Le Court-Pienaar: 17:26 CEST, 16:26 BST
Yellow jersey Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset: 17:28 CEST, 16:28 BST

The complete profile and tactical demands of the course are covered in our Tour de France Femmes 2026 Stage 4 time trial guide.

When does Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset start?

Haugset begins at 17:28 CEST, equivalent to 16:28 BST.

She is the 138th and final rider on the road after taking yellow through her Stage 3 attack. Starting last allows Uno-X Mobility to provide information from every rival, although Haugset still needs to follow her own pacing plan rather than reacting too aggressively to early time gaps.

She begins two minutes after Le Court-Pienaar, four minutes after Vollering and 20 minutes after Reusser.

Those physical gaps should make the yellow jersey battle relatively easy to follow. If Haugset is holding her advantage, the riders ahead should remain out of sight. If she begins closing on Le Court-Pienaar, it will be evidence that the race leader is producing another exceptional performance.

Haugset’s background as a strong rouleur and long-range attacker is covered in our profile of Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset and her move to Uno-X Mobility.

When do the main GC contenders start?

The leading general classification riders depart during the final 20 minutes.

Rider	Team	CEST	BST
Marlen Reusser	Movistar	17:08	16:08
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot	Visma | Lease a Bike	17:10	16:10
Puck Pieterse	Fenix-Premier Tech	17:12	16:12
Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney	Canyon SRAM	17:14	16:14
Elisa Longo Borghini	UAE Team L’IMAD	17:16	16:16
Cédrine Kerbaol	EF Education-Oatly	17:18	16:18
Marianne Vos	Visma | Lease a Bike	17:20	16:20
Noemi Rüegg	EF Education-Oatly	17:22	16:22
Demi Vollering	FDJ United-Suez	17:24	16:24
Kim Le Court-Pienaar	AG Insurance-Soudal	17:26	16:26
Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset	Uno-X Mobility	17:28	16:28

The sequence creates several direct comparisons.

Reusser establishes the first major GC reference. Ferrand-Prévot starts two minutes later, while Niewiadoma-Phinney and Longo Borghini follow at further two-minute intervals.

Vollering begins 16 minutes after Reusser. By the time she leaves Gevrey-Chambertin, FDJ United-Suez should already know how the Movistar leader performed across the opening section and at the intermediate checkpoint.

The riders most likely to gain significantly are analysed in our Tour de France Femmes 2026 time trial contenders guide.

Marlen Reusser provides the first major benchmark

Reusser begins at 17:08 CEST, or 16:08 BST.

Her start marks the beginning of the decisive GC phase. If she sets the fastest provisional time, every contender beginning afterwards will know the standard required to remain close.

The disadvantage is that Reusser cannot react to Vollering, Ferrand-Prévot or Longo Borghini. Movistar must trust the pacing plan built around the course rather than allowing her effort to be shaped by riders starting later.

That should suit her. Reusser is the strongest established time trial specialist among the leading GC contenders and should be focused on executing her own ride.

She starts 20 minutes before Haugset, meaning she may be approaching Dijon by the time the yellow jersey begins.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot starts at 17:10

Ferrand-Prévot begins at 17:10 CEST, or 16:10 BST, two minutes after Reusser.

Visma | Lease a Bike should receive Reusser’s early split while Ferrand-Prévot is already on the course. That information can show whether the defending champion is limiting her losses, but it should not fundamentally alter her pacing.

Ferrand-Prévot needs to remain controlled through the faster opening kilometres before using the more varied middle portion to reduce the disadvantage to the larger specialists.

Her key comparison may be with Vollering rather than Reusser. Preventing FDJ United-Suez’s leader from creating a large buffer would preserve Ferrand-Prévot’s attacking options for Mont Ventoux and the final mountain stages.

Niewiadoma-Phinney and Longo Borghini follow closely

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney leaves at 17:14 CEST, or 16:14 BST, with Elisa Longo Borghini starting two minutes later.

Niewiadoma-Phinney begins after both Reusser and Ferrand-Prévot, giving Canyon SRAM a clearer indication of the pace required. Her task is damage limitation on the fastest sections rather than trying to match Reusser from the opening kilometre.

Longo Borghini follows at 17:16 CEST, or 16:16 BST. UAE Team L’IMAD should therefore have information from Reusser, Ferrand-Prévot and Niewiadoma-Phinney before their principal leader reaches the middle of the course.

Longo Borghini’s balanced strengths make her one of the contenders best suited to a route combining sustained speed and climbing. Her start position also gives her a useful tactical information advantage over the riders immediately ahead.

Vollering begins four minutes before yellow

Vollering starts at 17:24 CEST, or 16:24 BST.

Only Le Court-Pienaar and Haugset leave later, giving Vollering almost complete information about the other GC performances.

FDJ United-Suez should know Reusser’s finishing time and the progress of Ferrand-Prévot, Niewiadoma-Phinney and Longo Borghini before Vollering begins. That allows the team to place her effort within the wider GC context without encouraging her to chase every provisional split emotionally.

Her four-minute physical advantage over Haugset also creates an obvious reference for the yellow jersey contest.

Vollering is unlikely to catch Haugset on the road unless the Norwegian has a serious problem, but the virtual gap should become one of the central stories of the final half-hour.

Kim Le Court-Pienaar starts at 17:26

Le Court-Pienaar begins at 17:26 CEST, or 16:26 BST, two minutes before Haugset.

The Mauritian starts second-last because she is second overall after Stage 3. Her immediate objective is defending the four-second advantage she holds over Vollering.

That will be difficult given Vollering’s established strength against the clock, but Le Court-Pienaar’s position allows AG Insurance-Soudal to provide almost immediate comparisons with the Dutch rider.

She will also have the yellow jersey beginning behind her. If Haugset starts closing the two-minute gap, that would indicate Le Court-Pienaar is losing significant time. If the distance remains stable, she may be producing the ride needed to stay close to the top of the standings.

The current margins are detailed in our GC and jerseys update after Tour de France Femmes Stage 3.

Zoe Bäckstedt sets an important earlier benchmark

Zoe Bäckstedt begins at 16:29 CEST, or 15:29 BST.

The Canyon SRAM rider is the 99th starter and one of the leading stage contenders outside the final GC block.

Bäckstedt can race entirely for the stage result rather than preserving an overall position. Her aerodynamic power should suit the faster opening and closing roads, while the climb around Marsannay will determine whether she can remain close enough to challenge Reusser and Vollering.

Her start provides the first major stage-winning benchmark. If Bäckstedt takes the provisional lead, she may spend almost 40 minutes in the hot seat before Reusser begins.

Lotte Kopecky starts at 16:39

Kopecky begins at 16:39 CEST, or 15:39 BST.

The Belgian is another clear stage contender, although her recovery from Stage 3 creates an important uncertainty. Kopecky spent much of the closing phase pursuing Haugset alone in extreme heat before finishing second in Poligny.

She starts ten minutes after Bäckstedt and 29 minutes before Reusser.

That gives SD Worx-Protime an early benchmark from Bäckstedt while placing Kopecky on the road well before the principal GC favourites. A strong ride could keep her in the provisional lead throughout much of the final hour.

When does Lorena Wiebes start?

Wiebes begins at 16:02 CEST, or 15:02 BST.

The green jersey lost substantial time on Stage 3 after being dropped on the Col de la Faucille, placing her much earlier in the start order than her two opening victories might suggest.

She is unlikely to challenge the best specialists across the full 21km, but her ride still provides useful information for SD Worx-Protime. Wiebes can report on road conditions and equipment choices before Kopecky and Anna van der Breggen start.

The time trial offers fewer points than a conventional road stage, so her primary objective remains completing the course safely and preserving energy for later sprint opportunities.

Anna van der Breggen starts before the white jersey contenders

Van der Breggen begins at 16:54 CEST, or 15:54 BST.

She is the first rider in the final two-minute interval and should provide another important benchmark before the recognised GC favourites begin.

The main young rider contenders then follow closely:

Rider	Team	CEST	BST
Antonia Niedermaier	Canyon SRAM	16:58	15:58
Isabella Holmgren	Lidl-Trek	17:00	16:00
Paula Blasi	UAE Team L’IMAD	17:04	16:04
Niamh Fisher-Black	Lidl-Trek	17:06	16:06

Niedermaier begins as the strongest established time triallist within the white jersey contest. Holmgren has the power and technical ability to remain competitive, while Blasi is likely to gain more from the climbing section than the high-speed roads.

The two-minute gaps allow each team to receive live comparisons while its rider is still on the course.

British riders’ Stage 4 start times

Six British riders are spread across the start order.

Rider	CEST	BST
Robyn Clay	14:56	13:56
Millie Couzens	15:44	14:44
Alice Towers	15:47	14:47
Pfeiffer Georgi	15:59	14:59
Josie Nelson	16:04	15:04
Zoe Bäckstedt	16:29	15:29

Bäckstedt is the strongest British contender for the stage victory, while Georgi can also produce a competitive performance on the varied route.

Clay is among the earliest starters and will establish one of the first complete times in Dijon. Couzens, Towers and Nelson follow through the middle part of the afternoon.

Best time to watch the Stage 4 time trial

Anyone interested in the complete stage should watch from Hinojosa’s start at 13:51 BST.

For the riders most likely to challenge for the stage, the key viewing window begins with Bäckstedt at 15:29 BST. Kopecky follows at 15:39, Van der Breggen at 15:54 and Niedermaier at 15:58.

The decisive GC sequence starts with Reusser at 16:08 BST.

From that point, another major contender departs every two minutes until Haugset begins at 16:28. The final result should become clear as those riders complete the course during the following half-hour.

Recommended UK viewing times

First rider: 13:51 BST
Zoe Bäckstedt: 15:29 BST
Lotte Kopecky: 15:39 BST
Anna van der Breggen: 15:54 BST
Marlen Reusser: 16:08 BST
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot: 16:10 BST
Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney: 16:14 BST
Elisa Longo Borghini: 16:16 BST
Demi Vollering: 16:24 BST
Kim Le Court-Pienaar: 16:26 BST
Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset: 16:28 BST

Viewers mainly interested in the GC should tune in by 16:00 BST to see Holmgren, Blasi and Fisher-Black before Reusser begins the decisive sequence.

The wider daily timetable is available in our Tour de France Femmes 2026 start-times schedule, while UK broadcast details are covered in the Tour de France Femmes UK viewing guide.

Full final-hour start order

CEST	BST	Rider
16:50	15:50	Monica Trinca Colonel
16:52	15:52	Thalita de Jong
16:54	15:54	Anna van der Breggen
16:56	15:56	Juliette Berthet
16:58	15:58	Antonia Niedermaier
17:00	16:00	Isabella Holmgren
17:02	16:02	Mavi García
17:04	16:04	Paula Blasi
17:06	16:06	Niamh Fisher-Black
17:08	16:08	Marlen Reusser
17:10	16:10	Pauline Ferrand-Prévot
17:12	16:12	Puck Pieterse
17:14	16:14	Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney
17:16	16:16	Elisa Longo Borghini
17:18	16:18	Cédrine Kerbaol
17:20	16:20	Marianne Vos
17:22	16:22	Noemi Rüegg
17:24	16:24	Demi Vollering
17:26	16:26	Kim Le Court-Pienaar
17:28	16:28	Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset

The start order gives Stage 4 a clear progression.

Bäckstedt and Kopecky should establish the first serious stage-winning times. Van der Breggen and Niedermaier then provide a bridge into the GC contest before Reusser begins the decisive run of late starters.

From 17:08 local time, every two-minute interval brings another rider capable of reshaping the Tour.

Haugset has the advantage of starting last, but also the pressure of knowing that every rival will already have completed most or all of the course. Her yellow jersey defence will unfold against a benchmark set by the strongest time triallists in the race.