The 2026 Tour de France Femmes is decided today, Sunday 9 August, with a short but brutal 99.2-kilometre final stage around Nice and only eight seconds separating Demi Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney.
Stage 9 starts unusually late. The neutralised rollout from Place Masséna is scheduled for 15:05 BST, with the race proper beginning at approximately 15:10 BST. The winner should reach Nice between 17:51 and 18:10 BST.
UK viewers can watch every kilometre live through TNT Sports and HBO Max. Our full Tour de France Femmes 2026 TV schedule covers the wider broadcast picture across the race.
There is almost no reason to delay tuning in. The riders begin climbing virtually immediately and reach the first summit of the Col d’Èze after only 7.7 kilometres.
If you are only interested in the decisive battle for yellow, 16:40 BST is the latest sensible time to switch on. That should catch the approach to the third Col d’Èze and everything thereafter. For the final, harder ascent and the last attack for the Tour, be watching no later than 17:15 BST.
Tour de France Femmes Stage 9 timings
| Stage detail | UK time |
|---|---|
| Neutralised start at Place Masséna | 15:05 BST |
| Official racing start | Around 15:10 BST |
| First Col d’Èze summit | 15:22-15:24 BST |
| End of first circuit | 15:48-15:52 BST |
| Second Col d’Èze summit | 16:04-16:11 BST |
| End of second circuit | 16:30-16:39 BST |
| Third Col d’Èze summit | 16:47-16:58 BST |
| End of third circuit | 17:12-17:26 BST |
| Chemin du Vinaigrier | 17:19-17:35 BST |
| Col des Quatre Chemins | 17:22-17:38 BST |
| Final Col d’Èze summit | 17:26-17:42 BST |
| 5.8km remaining | 17:41-18:00 BST |
| Expected finish in Nice | 17:51-18:10 BST |
The official schedule is based on average speeds of 37, 35 and 33km/h.
Stage 9 contains 2,100 metres of climbing in less than 100 kilometres, so the slower end of those estimates remains entirely plausible if the GC battle becomes tactical.
For the complete route breakdown, including all four Col d’Èze ascents, see our Tour de France Femmes 2026 Stage 9 preview.
What time does Tour de France Femmes Stage 9 start?
The riders roll away from Place Masséna in Nice at 16:05 local time, which is 15:05 BST.
The official start follows at around 16:10 CEST / 15:10 BST.
This is not a stage where viewers can safely assume nothing important will happen for the first hour.
The road begins rising almost immediately.
The first Col d’Èze summit comes only 7.7 kilometres into the stage, with the fastest schedule placing the leaders there around 12 minutes after racing begins.
With Vollering leading Niewiadoma-Phinney by eight seconds, Canyon SRAM have every reason to begin making FDJ United-Suez work from the opening lap.
The full daily timing schedule across all nine stages is available in our Tour de France Femmes 2026 UK and US start times guide.
How to watch Stage 9 in the UK
Stage 9 is available live in the UK through:
- TNT Sports
- HBO Max
The race is being shown from start to finish, meaning UK viewers can follow virtually the entire 99.2-kilometre final stage.
For anyone needing the broader viewing options, our guide to watching the Tour de France Femmes 2026 in the UK covers TNT Sports and HBO Max access in more detail.
The late start also means the decisive action runs into the early evening, with the Tour expected to be settled shortly before or just after 18:00 BST.
How to watch Stage 9 outside the UK
The main international options include:
| Country or region | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | TNT Sports / HBO Max |
| United States | Peacock |
| Canada | FloBikes |
| France | France Télévisions |
| Belgium | RTBF / VRT |
| Netherlands | NOS |
| Spain | RTVE |
| Australia | SBS |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport |
The complete territory-by-territory breakdown is available in our Tour de France Femmes 2026 live stream guide by country.
For viewers in the United States specifically, we also have a dedicated guide to watching the Tour de France Femmes 2026 in the USA.
The race begins at approximately:
- 10:10 EDT
- 09:10 CDT
- 08:10 MDT
- 07:10 PDT
The expected finish falls between approximately 12:51 and 13:10 EDT.
Why Stage 9 is worth watching from the start
This is not a conventional final stage.
There is no long procession towards a ceremonial sprint.
Stage 9 is classified as a mountain stage and contains four ascents of the Col d’Èze. The first three are 7.7km at 5.9%, while the final approach changes and produces a harder 6km climb at 7.6%.
The first summit comes after 7.7km.
The second after 33.6km.
The third after 59.6km.
The final summit comes after 83.8km, leaving only 15.4km to the finish.
Our Nice finish guide goes into more detail on the repeated circuit, the best places to watch and how the race returns to the Promenade des Anglais.
Canyon SRAM therefore have four distinct opportunities to apply pressure to Vollering rather than having to wait for one final mountain.
And after the controversy surrounding Célia Gery and Niewiadoma-Phinney on Stage 8, there is little reason to expect either side to race conservatively.
Photo Credit: GettyWhen is the first Col d’Èze?
The first Col d’Èze is almost immediate.
The climb measures 7.7km at 5.9% and is Category 2.
The summit is expected between:
15:22 and 15:24 BST
That is only around 12 to 14 minutes after the official start.
It may be too early for Niewiadoma-Phinney herself to attack seriously, but it is an obvious place for Canyon SRAM to put Antonia Niedermaier or another rider into an early move.
The purpose would not necessarily be to win the stage.
It would be to make FDJ United-Suez start defending immediately.
When is the second Col d’Èze?
The second ascent tops out after 33.6km.
Expected summit:
16:04-16:11 BST
There are still 65.6 kilometres remaining at the top.
This is where the race could become tactically interesting.
If Canyon SRAM have a rider ahead, FDJ need to decide whether to chase.
If the race has stayed together, Niewiadoma-Phinney can begin testing how many teammates Vollering still has available.
Marlen Reusser also has an incentive to move before the finale. At 1:12 overall, waiting for one explosive final ascent is unlikely to be enough for her to challenge Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney.
When should GC viewers definitely tune in?
Be watching by 16:40 BST.
The third Col d’Èze summit is expected between approximately 16:47 and 16:58 BST.
It comes with 39.6km remaining.
By this point, the race should have climbed the Col d’Èze three times and completed more than half its distance.
This is likely to be where Canyon SRAM’s strategy becomes obvious.
If Niewiadoma-Phinney reaches the third summit with Vollering isolated, there is little reason to wait another 25 kilometres before increasing the pressure.
If Vollering still has several FDJ teammates, Canyon will need to begin removing them.
For anyone interested predominantly in the yellow jersey rather than the early breakaway or mountains competition, 16:40 BST is the best compromise viewing time.
When does the final Col d’Èze begin?
The final circuit is different from the first three.
After passing through Nice with 24.2 kilometres remaining, the riders turn towards the Chemin du Vinaigrier.
They are expected to reach that section between approximately:
17:19 and 17:35 BST
The route then passes the Col des Quatre Chemins, expected between:
17:22 and 17:38 BST
before joining the upper section towards the final Col d’Èze summit.
This approach is steeper than the earlier laps and forms the decisive Category 1 climb.
What time is the final Col d’Èze?
The final Col d’Èze is officially 6km at 7.6%.
Its summit comes with 15.4 kilometres remaining.
Expected summit time:
17:26-17:42 BST.
If you only want to watch the point where the Tour is most likely to be decided, switch on by 17:15 BST.
Do not wait until 17:30.
Under the faster schedule, the main GC attack could already be happening by then.
Niewiadoma-Phinney needs to create a gap somewhere because finish bonuses alone are unlikely to overturn Vollering’s eight-second advantage if the two arrive together.
That makes this final ascent the obvious place for the decisive move.
Why eight seconds matters so much
Vollering starts the final stage eight seconds ahead of Niewiadoma-Phinney after winning Stage 8 in Nice.
The full story of how she overturned the GC is in our Stage 8 race report.
Reusser is third at 1:12, making the immediate Tour battle increasingly a direct contest between the first two riders.
The normal finish bonuses are still available:
- 10 seconds for first
- 6 seconds for second
- 4 seconds for third
But that does not mean Niewiadoma-Phinney can simply beat Vollering in a sprint.
If Niewiadoma-Phinney wins and Vollering finishes second on the same time, the four-second bonus swing leaves Vollering ahead overall.
Even first versus third on the same time creates only a six-second swing.
Niewiadoma-Phinney therefore needs either a physical gap or Vollering to finish outside the major bonus positions.
For the full mechanics of those bonuses, see our Tour de France Femmes 2026 time bonuses explainer.
The Gery controversy adds another reason to watch early
Saturday’s finale has ensured the last stage begins with considerably more tension than the GC standings alone would create.
Niewiadoma-Phinney accused FDJ United-Suez rider Célia Gery of deliberately blocking her near the barriers as Vollering was being positioned for her decisive Stage 8 attack.
The race jury issued no sanction, but the incident left Niewiadoma-Phinney openly furious after losing yellow.
The full post-stage dispute, including the competing accounts and jury outcome, is covered in Niewiadoma-Phinney accuses Célia Gery of blocking her.
That changes Sunday’s dynamic.
Canyon SRAM already needed to attack because of the eight-second deficit.
Now there is very little incentive for either team to give the other a comfortable afternoon.
The first Col d’Èze may therefore matter much more than a normal opening climb.
What time is the Tour de France Femmes expected to finish?
The earliest official estimate is:
17:51 BST
The middle schedule gives:
18:00 BST
The slowest estimate is:
18:10 BST
The final 15.4 kilometres are predominantly downhill towards Nice, through Villefranche-sur-Mer and back towards the coast.
The riders should enter the final five kilometres between approximately 17:43 and 18:02 BST before reaching the finish at around 18:00.
Could the Tour be decided on the descent?
Absolutely.
The final Col d’Èze summit is not the finish.
There are still 15.4 kilometres to race.
If Niewiadoma-Phinney takes ten or 15 seconds over the summit, Vollering still has the descent into Nice to close the gap.
If Niewiadoma-Phinney has a teammate with her, that becomes much harder.
Equally, if Vollering remains on her wheel at the summit, Niewiadoma-Phinney will have very few remaining opportunities to find the eight seconds she needs.
That makes the final descent worth watching rather than assuming the Tour is settled at the KOM line.
Stage 9 viewing guide: when to switch on
Watch from 15:05 BST if you want the entire final stage. The first climb begins almost immediately.
Watch from 16:00 BST for the second Col d’Èze and the beginning of the serious tactical phase.
Watch from 16:40 BST if you mainly care about the GC battle. The third Col d’Èze is approaching and the decisive selections should begin.
Watch from 17:15 BST if you only want the final showdown. This catches the Chemin du Vinaigrier and the harder final Col d’Èze.
Do not wait until 17:30 BST. At the fastest schedule, the decisive final climb may already be well underway.
Stage 9 live viewing summary
- Date: Sunday 9 August 2026
- Route: Nice to Nice
- Distance: 99.2km
- Stage type: Mountain
- Elevation gain: 2,100 metres
- Neutralised start: 15:05 BST
- Official racing start: Around 15:10 BST
- First Col d’Èze: 15:22-15:24 BST
- Second Col d’Èze: 16:04-16:11 BST
- Third Col d’Èze: 16:47-16:58 BST
- Final Col d’Èze: 17:26-17:42 BST
- Expected finish: 17:51-18:10 BST
- Best time to tune in: 16:40 BST
- Latest safe time for the final GC battle: 17:15 BST
- UK television: TNT Sports
- UK streaming: HBO Max
- United States: Peacock
- Canada: FloBikes
- Yellow jersey: Demi Vollering
- Gap to Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney: 8 seconds
- Main question: can Niewiadoma-Phinney create the physical gap she needs before the final descent?
