The fifth edition of the Tour de France Femmes is almost here! The 2026 route is a doozy, too. There are several tough stages, including Mont Ventoux, a first for the TdFF. So far there are five Canucks, too, although the start list is still not final. But still, that\u2019s four more than the Tour de France Fellas (although national TT champ Derek Gee-West did a fine job representin\u2019.)<\/p>\n
Stage 1 of the Tour de France Femmes<\/p>\n
The TdFF gets underway on Saturday with a tough little opening stage around Lausanne, Switzerland. While the route is officially classified as flat, it\u2019s hardly that.<\/p>\n
The 138-km opener packs in enough climbing to rule out a straightforward bunch sprint. It could very well see the race\u2019s punchier riders fighting for the first yellow jersey.<\/p>\n
The course<\/p>\n
The peloton rolls out beside Lake Geneva before heading north toward Lake Neuch\u00e2tel. It starts off relatively gently, but the first categorized climb, the C\u00f4te de Ch\u00e2bles (1.6 km at 7.7 per cent), arrives before the race reaches its halfway point. That will wake up some legs.<\/p>\n
The real selection begins later in the day. The climb to Villars-le-Comte (5.4 km at 5.8 per cent), followed by the C\u00f4te de Vulliens (3 km at 5.3 per cent), should break up the field.<\/p>\n
The finale is where things get pretty interesting. With 2.6 km remaining, the road tilts upward at an average of 4.5 per cent. There are ramps that hit a brutal 12 per cent around 800 metres from the finish. The gradient eases in the final few hundred metres. So whoever is left has a beaut of a little launchpad to go for the sprint.<\/p>\n
The favourites<\/p>\n
Judging by the course, it\u2019s hard to figure out who will come out on top. It will all come down to the dynamics of the race and which team burns matches. Lorena Wiebes will be among the favourites if she can stay with the front group over the final climb. But riders like Marianne Vos, Lotte Kopecky or Kim Le Court all have the versatility to give \u2018er on this type of finish.<\/p>\n
Demi Vollering will, of course, be in the mix as she tries to win the Tour again, as will defending champ Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot. Victoria\u2019s Sarah Van Dam<\/a> was just added to the start list, no surprise, really, and how great would her first pro win be if it involved a yellow jersey? She\u2019s had a run of great rides this year in reduced bunch sprints.<\/p>\n Other Canadians confirmed are world champ Magdeleine Valli\u00e8res Mill of Sherbrooke, Que., the new national champ Nadia Gontova of Richmond, B.C., Vermilion, B.C.\u2019s Alison Jackson, and Guelph, Ont.\u2019s Kiara Lylyk.<\/p>\n Each stage is broadcast on FloBikes.com<\/a>, but if you miss it, be sure to check back on Canadian Cycling Magazine for a full report.<\/p>\n
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