{"id":816979,"date":"2026-10-28T23:16:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T23:16:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/816979\/"},"modified":"2026-10-28T23:16:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T23:16:22","slug":"cyclists-way-too-early-tour-de-france-femmes-predictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/816979\/","title":{"rendered":"Cyclist’s way-too-early Tour de France Femmes predictions"},"content":{"rendered":"

How do you follow up a Tour de France Femmes that was heralded as one of the best Grand Tours ever? Maybe a visit to England.<\/p>\n

Yes, the 2027 Tour de France Femmes will start in Yorkshire. From Leeds, the race will cross the Pennines twice, back and forth from Manchester to Sheffield before a team time-trial in London. Back in France, the parcours points southwards for stage finishes in Calais, Magnanville and Bourges. The mountains finally arrive on Stage 7 with the race\u2019s first summit finish atop La Loge des Gardes. To round things out, the Massif Central\u2019s most mythical climb, the Puy de D\u00f4me, will host the race\u2019s final mountain test.<\/p>\n

So now we know where the next Tour de France Femmes is going, let\u2019s drum up some wildly early predictions and guess who will win the nine stages and four distinctive jerseys next August. Check out my predictions for the men\u2019s race here<\/a> once you\u2019ve read this one.<\/p>\n

Predicting every stage of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Stage 1<\/p>\n

\"01\/08\/2026A.S.O.\/Ga\u00ebtan Flamme<\/p>\n

Ey\u2019 up ar kid. The Tour is coming to Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. Not that the race will spend much time on the roads there, as the opening stage is incredibly short.<\/p>\n

The day\u2019s three climbs will seem tough, but they don\u2019t seem to be long enough to shake off the likes of Lorena Wiebes or Marianne Vos. In that case, prepare to see Wiebes roar down Deansgate faster than any of her rivals, yielding a third career stint in the maillot jaune. It\u2019s a no-brainer, really.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Extra prediction incoming. Prime Minister Andy Burnham will be there to hand out the yellow jersey to a very happy Wiebes. We can only hope the two will head to Deansgate Wetherspoons for a recovery Curry Club meal and a cheeky pint afterwards.<\/p>\n

Cyclist’s prediction: Lorena Wiebes<\/p>\n

Stage 2: Manchester to Sheffield<\/p>\n

\"05\/08\/2026A.S.O.\/Ga\u00ebtan Flamme<\/p>\n

Stage 2 is more the ticket. It’s a right tough day out in the Pennines, featuring some UK classics like Winnats Pass <\/a>and Snake Pass.<\/p>\n

Now, this is very similar to Stage 2 of the men’s Tour, when that headed to Sheffield in 2014. That day, Jenkin Road ended up being a launchpad for Chris Froome, Vincenzo Nibali and Alberto Contador to show face on a rather mundane Yorkshire road.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney won’t be able to resist the urge to attack there, and we suddenly have a real GC battle on our hands. Demi Vollering, Paula Blasi and Elisa Longo Borghini follow and the group manage to hold a gap to the end. It’s a sprint between them for the stage win, claimed by the newly-crowned world champion Vollering.<\/p>\n

Feeling groggy after her microwave jalfrezi, Wiebes hands yellow over to Vollering as a result of the stage win.<\/p>\n

Cyclist’s prediction: Demi Vollering<\/p>\n

Stage 3<\/p>\n

\"04\/08\/2026A.S.O.\/Aur\u00e9lien Vialatte<\/p>\n

In London, the women will be treated to the kind of sightseeing tour that’s usually only handed to those who fork \u00a3200 on a fluffy rickshaw. We’ve got Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace all squeezed into an 18km loop.<\/p>\n

While that’ll guarantee good TV shots, it’s unknown how the stage will pan out. We don’t have many team time-trials on the women’s circuit, so it’s hard to judge team performance. I reckon that’ll motivate a few to get in the wind tunnel this off-season, given that this will be the only race against the clock at the 2027 edition.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Lidl-Trek, Visma-Lease a Bike and FDJ United-Suez could all be candidates for victory, but I’m backing SD Worx-Protime.<\/p>\n

In a roster that includes Anna van der Breggen, Lotte Kopecky, Misha Bredewold, Lorena Wiebes and new recruit C\u00e9drine Kerbaol<\/a>, it seems as though SD Worx have the strength on paper to pull this one off.<\/p>\n

Cyclist’s prediction: SD Worx-Protime<\/p>\n

Stage 4<\/p>\n

\"02\/08\/2026A.S.O.\/Billy Ceusters<\/p>\n

We finally make it back to France after our three-day trip to England. And once the Eurotunnel is conquered, the riders will be back on rolling roads, this time over the white cliffs of Calais.<\/p>\n

The coast is very exposed to the wind, so an attack on the Cap Blanc-Nez would require some confidence because a 12km solo in harsh winds will be tough to pull off.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There’s no need for Vollering to roll the dice, nor Niewidaoma-Phinney to make a move, given what’s to come the following afternoon. It’s the kind of thing prime Lotte Kopecky could do. However, we don’t have prime Kopecky anymore and Lorena Wiebes seems to be ever more comfortable on the climbs these days.<\/p>\n

Boring.<\/p>\n

Cyclist’s prediction: Lorena Wiebes<\/p>\n

Stage 5<\/p>\n

\"06\/08\/2026A.S.O.\/Ga\u00ebtan Flamme<\/p>\n

Time for another Classics-like stage. This time, it heads into the Vexin, a part of France that rarely gets the chance to host the Tour, thanks to its close proximity to the French capital.<\/p>\n

That’s a shame, because this stage looks like a banger, with at least six categorised climbs in the final 50km. A few of them will offer double-digit gradients, so expect a more Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge kind of finale than what we had in Calais the previous day.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Fans of cheese will recognise Magnanville as the host town of Paris-Camembert, although the Paris end rather than the cheesy finale. The C\u00f4te de Magnanville has appeared a few times at Paris-Nice. It’s 1km long and at an average of 5%, so it’ll be a bit of a drag for the sprinters in the final kilometre of this stage. <\/p>\n

It seems blindlingly obvious to pick Kim Le Court-Pienaar in that case. She’s won stages like this at both the 2025 and 2026 editions, and she’s a winner of Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge.<\/p>\n

It’s starting to feel like groundhog day, isn’t it?<\/p>\n

Cyclist’s prediction: Kim Le Court-Pienaar<\/p>\n

Stage 6<\/p>\n

\"28\/07\/2025A.S.O.\/Pauline Ballet<\/p>\n

On paper, this is the most conventional sprint stage of the week. <\/p>\n

However, there is one sprinter miles ahead of everyone right now. That’s Lorena Wiebes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

She’ll win by a few bike lengths, so she’ll have some time to come up with a showstopping celebration. Something inspired by local hero Joan of Arc? Another two-headed Albanian eagle? A gang sign or a gesture making refernce to her team’s HR platform sponsor?<\/p>\n

Cyclist’s prediction: Lorena Wiebes<\/p>\n

Stage 7<\/p>\n

\"26\/04\/2026A.S.O.\/Ga\u00ebtan Flamme<\/p>\n

I guess this will be our first mountain stage of the race, despite some people’s claims that La Loge des Gardes isn’t a proper summit finish.<\/p>\n

Fair enough, it isn’t the steepest climb out there. It barely goes above 8%, so it’s really a climb for the engines. That indicates that it won’t be too attritional for the big GC favourites. History concurs. This has been used twice at recent editions of Paris-Nice and the winner has never come home solo.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chances are, Vollering would still win a four-up sprint atop the mountain, meaning she strengthens her grip on the overall lead. The gaps will be slim, but it’ll distill the fight for the podium down to just a few names.<\/p>\n

I say that, but here’s to hoping Paula Blasi makes the difference and bags her first ever Tour stage atop the Loge.<\/p>\n

Cyclist’s prediction: Demi Vollering<\/p>\n

Stage 8<\/p>\n

\"09\/08\/2026A.S.O.\/Billy Ceusters<\/p>\n

At this point in the race, we are knee-deep in the Massif Central. As such, Marion Rousse has designed a stage that heads over every bump on offer in this volcanic highland.<\/p>\n

This is the perfect day to sweep up QOM points, so I believe this will be fought out among the breakaway. I can envision the likes of Puck Pieterse, Magdeleine Vallieres and C\u00e9lia Gery heading up the road, but it all depends on whether they play out the GC or not.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The C\u00f4te de Charade will filter the GC group down somewhat, but I feel the riders will be waiting to lay down the gauntlet on the Puy de D\u00f4me. Then again, a few time gaps didn’t hurt anyone.<\/p>\n

Cyclist’s prediction: Puck Pieterse<\/p>\n

Stage 9<\/p>\n

\"07\/08\/2026A.S.O.\/Billy Ceusters<\/p>\n

First of all, forgive the above image, because there won’t be any fans on Puy de D\u00f4me. OK, that’s not confirmed yet, but its conservation status has restricted fans in the past, so expect a quiet arrival atop the Massif Central’s most iconic mountain.<\/p>\n

Now, the final mountain stage of the Tour de France Femmes has never gone to an escapee. Expect the same to happen here, leaving the likes of Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney to fight out the stage and possibly the GC.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Puy de D\u00f4me’s final kilometres are fiendishly steep, so I’m inclined to favour Niewidoma-Phinney on an arrival like this. She proved on Mont Ventoux this year that she’s more of a specialist on longer uphill finishes, and I feel she’ll be motivated to get something out of this race given Vollering will have led the GC quite comfortably up until now.<\/p>\n

Saying that, the World Champ does enough to limit her losses in order to retain the yellow jersey for another year.<\/p>\n

Cyclist’s prediction: Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney<\/p>\n

The GC podium and jersey predictions<\/p>\n

\"09\/08\/2026A.S.O.\/Billy Ceusters<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, I think Demi Vollering will be able to pull on the yellow jersey once again, making her the first rider to win this event on three occasions. She’s gone undefeated in 2026 and it just feels as though she’s hitting her prime. <\/p>\n

As for the remainder of the podium, I have Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Paula Blasi written down. Niewiadoma-Phinney will relish the final stage, but Blasi seems like a burgeoning GC all-rounder, possibly with a domestique-de-luxe in Marlen Reusser at her disposal.<\/p>\n

By virtue of her three stage victories, Lorena Wiebes will comfortably win another green jersey. As for the white jersey, we can only guess because the Tour organisers keep changing the rules. However, I’ll go out on a confident whim and say Puck Pieterse doubles up on polka-dot jerseys after her success at this year’s race.<\/p>\n

It’s 2026 all over again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"How do you follow up a Tour de France Femmes that was heralded as one of the best…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":816980,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,101,6549,56,54,55,23725],"class_list":["post-816979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-cycling","tag-sports","tag-tour-de-france","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-womens-cycling"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=816979"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816979\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/816980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=816979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=816979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=816979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}