at
Mont Ventoux, at an elevation of In June 2025, it was announced that 2026 edition would have a
Grand Départ in
Switzerland, with stage starts in
Lausanne,
Aigle and
Geneva.
The Guardian noted that the "new stand-alone date for the Femmes reveals how quickly the race has established itself and how popular it has become, particularly after the win of France’s
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot". Prior to the route announcement,
Le Dauphiné libéré reported rumours that the race would have a summit finish on
Mont Ventoux for the first time, with
Ici reporting that
Dijon would host a time trial. In October 2025, the full route was announced by race director
Marion Rousse. The route has nine days of racing with nine stages, covering a total of with of elevation gain – the longest distance and most elevation gain of any Tour de France Femmes. The final stage will be a circuit around
Nice, with four ascents of the
Col d'Èze before a finish on the
Promenade des Anglais. Reacting to the route, ''
L'Équipe considered that the route was the toughest so far, Velo
stated that the route offered "something for each type of rider", whereas Escape Collective
thought that there was "no real opportunities for the sprinters". The Athletic stated that the race "reaches new heights on Ventoux", with L'Équipe'' considered that "the women's Tour continues its momentum of discovering legendary climbs" with the inclusion on Mont Ventoux.
Sporza considered that the final stage in Nice would be "incredibly tough" and that the Tour would remain exciting "until the very end". Rousse called the route "mischievous", noting that there were difficulties on every single stage. Rousse hoped the time trial on stage 4 would allow riders like
Marlen Reusser to gain time, enhancing the battle for the general classification. 2024 winner
Katarzyna Niewiadoma stated that she “definitely [likes] the course", and that " the time trial [...] stood out to me the most". French rider
Marion Bunel stated she thought the "route [was] made for Pauline". == References ==