.png)
9 hours ago
9
Key events
A reminder that while scenic Switzerland is home for the entirety of this stage, next year the Grand Départ for both the men’s and women’s race is the UK.
The Tour de France Femmes races from Leeds to Manchester, then to Sheffield and also includes a central London stage. Allez! Or as we say in Blighty: go!
115km to go: We’re into the hills now, the first of the five climbs well under way as the riders head up to the summit of the Côte de Chexbres (3.2km at a 5.6% gradient). We’re in the hills for the next 70km or so.
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’s all still very tight in Vevey.
France’s Océane Mahé is wearing the polka dot Queen of the Mountains jersey today. An incredible result for the Ma Petite Entreprise team, who will be delighted – their Tour made on stage one, in fact!
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!
Lorena Wiebes on her win yesterday: “The 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 …
“I got in a good position and from there I could ride my own sprint. It’s nice to already have a stage in my pocket. I hope to be able to strike again.”
Ominous words! Let’s see if Wiebes can indeed strike a second time – you wouldn’t bet against her if she’s lurking at the finish.
135km to go: The pack largely together in the early going – despite a few moves – nothing decisive so far. We’re still around 15km from the first climb.
A quick reminder of what happened on stage one as today’s action gets properly under way. Jeremy Whittle was on the scene for us in Lausanne.
Lorena Wiebes took the first yellow jersey of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes after climbing the Côte Saint-François and outsprinting race favourites Kim Le Court and 2023 champion, Demi Vollering.
“The team worked super hard today,” Wiebes said. “When Demi attacked, I knew I had to follow. It was a long sprint, but I’m super happy.”
It was the Dutch rider’s sixth stage win in the Tour de France Femmes. The 27-year-old also won the opening stage of the 2026 women’s Giro d’Italia in May but was disqualified because her bike had an illegal weight, an outcome which left her team considering legal action against cycling’s governing body, the UCI.
So at a tick before 1.30pm (BST) the racing begins! The 143 riders are officially in competitive action in Switzerland.
Top 10 GC after stage one
1) Lorena Wiebes Team (SD Worx-Protime) 3hrs 29min 01sec
2) Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) +0:04sec
3) Demi Vollering (FDJ United–Suez) +0:06sec
4) Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) +0:10sec
5) Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) +0:10sec
6) Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team L’Imad) +0:10sec
7) Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) +0:10sec
8) Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) +0:10sec
9) Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) +0:10sec
10) Marlen Reusser (Movistar) +0:10sec
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 by just four seconds. So every small advantage counts.
Preamble
Welcome to stage two of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes – Aigle to Geneva – 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’re likely in for a bunch sprint.
That, of course, could play into the hands of one Lorena Wiebes – your race leader after her victory on stage one. 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.
Stage two is 147.9km and the route passes close by the UCI headquarters and the World Cycling 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 Côte de Chexbres.
The neutralised start is at 1.20pm (2.20pm CET) before they reach kilometre zero and the racing begins. Stay with us for updates!
