The 2026 Tour de France Femmes begins in Lausanne on Saturday and will feature its first-ever ascent of Mont Ventoux, a landmark stage likely to shape the overall contest. The nine-stage race is its longest since returning as a World Tour stage race in 2022, and the iconic climb adds a major new test to the women’s event.

Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is among the favourites, but faces strong competition from former winner Demi Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, the 2024 champion. The 1,175km route includes a team time trial and a stage-four individual time trial, where Welsh debutant Zoe Bäckstedt may target success while supporting Canyon-SRAM’s general-classification campaign.