Key events<\/p>\n
71km to go: This \u201cflat\u201d stage certainly does look pretty hilly to my non-expert eyes. Merciless, the Tour, even in these early stages.<\/p>\n
Confirmation that Ema Comte picked up two points for being first across the line on today\u2019s third climb, pipping Anouska Koster who picks up a point for second.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.31 EDT<\/p>\n 73km to go: A reminder that the five-rider breakaway (now up to 2min 20sec) is Eline Jansen, Yuliia Biriukova, Carlotta Cipressi, Anouska Koster and Ema Comte.<\/p>\n The last two contest the sprint at the at the summit of the C\u00f4te de Cossonay. Did Comte just nick it ahead of Koster? TBC, it was very close. We await confirmation.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 77km to go: The gap from those breakaway riders to the pack is up to two minutes. We\u2019re past halfway through the stage and the C\u00f4te de Cossonay is about to begin \u2013 the third of today\u2019s climbs with a 5.66% gradient.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIf she sees a finish line, she explodes,\u201d warns Danny Stam, team manager of SD Worx\u2011Protime, of his star sprinter Lorena Wiebes. But he\u2019s realistic about the aim of a second successive stage win. \u201cIt\u2019s really hard to control the race. I don\u2019t want to build the team too early \u2026 we hope we can create a bunch sprint but it will not be easy.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 84km to go: We\u2019re going through Assens \u2013 downhill with a way to go before the next climb: the category four C\u00f4te de Cossonay midway through the stage. Oc\u00e9ane Mah\u00e9 is back up with the peloton. Good to see.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 89km to go: Eline Jansen, Yuliia Biriukova and Carlotta Cipressi are the trio of riders leading a breakaway \u2013 Ema Comte and Anouska Koster are aiming to stay with them. One minute and seven seconds is the gap to the peloton.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A spectacular view for these two Tour fans in Chexbres \u2013 known as the \u201cBalcony of Lake Geneva\u201d. You can see why.<\/p>\n The peloton passes by on stage two. Photograph: Jean-Christophe Bott\/Keystone\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n 95km to go: The pack still very much together, although Mah\u00e9 is now around 40 second back in the polka dots \u2026 As I type that Eline Jansen goes on the attack! The young Dutch rider is attempting to make the day\u2019s first decisive break. Who will go with her?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Jeremy Boyce emails, in praise of Ma Petite Entreprise \u2013 well said. It was a great story from stage one.<\/p>\n \u201cHad a lovely ride myself this morning (need to get out early, I live in the south of France, it\u2019s 36C now), now following the women on Eurosport and your pages. How great a concept is Team Ma Petite Entreprise?<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes vision to come up with that kind of idea, then the energy to make it work. As you say, their Tour is already made after yesterday, they can enjoy themselves now. They\u2019ve just interviewed the MPE Race manager and he comes across as a very switched on guy, he was very complimentary about Oc\u00e9ane Mah\u00e9, she\u2019s still studying alongside her MPE rides.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish them luck, I wish the Tour Femmes luck too, if the dosh was there MPE might not exist, but they\u2019ve done a great job creating LTF in its new\/current format. A lot of this is down to Marion Rousse, and the willingness of Le Tour management to get behind her and the rest of the women.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 100km to go: The second climb of the day is won by Marion Bunel, ahead of Ma\u00ebva Squiban. A few more contenders for the QoM. In other news, Lorena Wiebes in the yellow jersey has managed to stay with the peloton in the hills, which could be bad news for her rival sprinters. We shall see! This race is rarely predictable.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.50 EDT<\/p>\n 105km to go: We\u2019re on to the second climb, the category four C\u00f4te de Savigny \u2013 the pace remains pretty high, any attempted breakaways still being swallowed up. Oc\u00e9ane Mah\u00e9 in polka-dot jersey has dropped back, however. Possibly paying for yesterday\u2019s immense effort.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 108km to go: The average speed is 38.6kph for the first hour. Not too slouchy, all things considered, on a hot day. So Kerbaol picks up three points for that first climb, the EF Education-Oatly rider might be targeting the Queen of the Mountains jersey.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 111km to go: I told you what a tightly packed peloton it was in the early going \u2013 as you can see for yourself.<\/p>\n That said, it\u2019s starting to spread out a bit now, with C\u00e9drine Kerbaol first to the top of the opening climb on C\u00f4te de Chexbres, followed by Puck Pieterse in second and Sara Casasola in third.<\/p>\n The peloton passes through the village of Chexbres. Photograph: Jean-Christophe Bott\/EPAShare<\/a><\/p>\n A reminder that while scenic Switzerland is home for the entirety of this stage, next year the Grand D\u00e9part for both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s race is the UK.<\/p>\n The Tour de France Femmes<\/a> races from Leeds to Manchester, then to Sheffield and also includes a central London stage. Allez! Or as we say in Blighty: go!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 115km to go: We\u2019re into the hills now, the first of the five climbs well under way as the riders head up to the summit of the C\u00f4te de Chexbres (3.2km at a 5.6% gradient). We\u2019re in the hills for the next 70km or so.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 117km to go: Several more attacks, Alison Jackson pushing again and Idoia Eraso (wearing the green jersey) also involved in a few moves. But once again; nothing decisive. It\u2019s all still very tight in Vevey.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n France\u2019s Oc\u00e9ane Mah\u00e9 is wearing the polka dot Queen of the Mountains jersey today. An incredible result for the Ma Petite Entreprise team, who will be delighted \u2013 their Tour made on stage one, in fact!<\/p>\n Ma Petite Entreprise’s Oc\u00e9ane Mah\u00e9 celebrates on the podium wearing the polka-dot jersey. Photograph: Denis Balibouse\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n 125km to go: Still very few gaps in the peloton. Alison Jackson is part of a group that eke out a small opening, but the Canadian and her compadres are soon caught up. No major moves as yet!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Lorena Wiebes on her win yesterday: \u201cThe sprint was hectic and it was mostly about staying upright. The last kilometres were a real fight for position and quite technical along the canal. In a sprint you can never be sure, you have to find the right gap \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cI got in a good position and from there I could ride my own sprint. It\u2019s nice to already have a stage in my pocket. I hope to be able to strike again.\u201d<\/p>\n Ominous words! Let\u2019s see if Wiebes can indeed strike a second time \u2013 you wouldn\u2019t bet against her if she\u2019s lurking at the finish.<\/p>\n Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) at the start of the second stage of the Women’s Tour de France. Photograph: Jean-Christophe Bott\/Keystone\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n 135km to go: The pack largely together in the early going \u2013 despite a few moves \u2013 nothing decisive so far. We\u2019re still around 15km from the first climb.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A quick reminder of what happened on stage one as today\u2019s action gets properly under way. Jeremy Whittle was on the scene for us in Lausanne.<\/p>\n double quotation markLorena Wiebes took the first yellow jersey of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes after climbing the C\u00f4te Saint-Fran\u00e7ois and outsprinting race favourites Kim Le Court and 2023 champion, Demi Vollering.<\/p>\n \u201cThe team worked super hard today,\u201d Wiebes said. \u201cWhen Demi attacked, I knew I had to follow. It was a long sprint, but I\u2019m super happy.\u201d<\/p>\n It was the Dutch rider\u2019s sixth stage win in the Tour de France Femmes. The 27-year-old also won the opening stage of the 2026 women\u2019s Giro d\u2019Italia in May but was disqualified because her bike had an illegal weight, an outcome which left her team considering legal action against cycling\u2019s governing body, the UCI.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n So at a tick before 1.30pm (BST) the racing begins! The 143 riders are officially in competitive action in Switzerland.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Top 10 GC after stage one<\/p>\n 1) Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) 3hrs 29min 01sec How the riders shape up after stage one. You might not think it matters too much in GC terms, but a reminder that Vollering lost the 2024 Tour de France Femmes<\/a> by just four seconds. So every small advantage counts.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.12 EDT<\/p>\n Preamble<\/p>\n Welcome to stage two of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes<\/a> \u2013 Aigle to Geneva \u2013 and officially categorised as flat but containing five categorised climbs on the route. Just cruel if you ask me. That said, the final climb is more than 40km from the finish, so we\u2019re likely in for a bunch sprint.<\/p>\n That, of course, could play into the hands of one Lorena Wiebes \u2013 your race leader after her victory on stage one<\/a>. The Dutch sprinting ace finished ahead of Kim Le Court and the pre-race GC favourite Demi Vollering, who are second and third respectively after a dramatic day.<\/p>\n Stage two is 147.9km and the route passes close by the UCI headquarters and the World Cycling<\/a> Centre, then heads along Lake Geneva, before the finish on Quai du Mont-Blanc. It should look wonderfully picturesque. For us, if not for all of the riders toiling away in the heat. The first climb comes about 30km in with the C\u00f4te de Chexbres.<\/p>\n The neutralised start is at 1.20pm (2.20pm CET) before they reach kilometre zero and the racing begins. Stay with us for updates!<\/p>\n
2) Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) +0:04sec
3) Demi Vollering (FDJ United\u2013Suez) +0:06sec
4) Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) +0:10sec
5) Noemi R\u00fcegg (EF Education-Oatly) +0:10sec
6) Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team L\u2019Imad) +0:10sec
7) Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) +0:10sec
8) Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot (Visma-Lease a Bike) +0:10sec
9) C\u00e9drine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) +0:10sec
10) Marlen Reusser (Movistar) +0:10sec<\/p>\n