”It’s a super nice route. It’s going to be beautiful, and I really like it. I’m already excited to work hard towards defending my title. Finishing in Nice is fantastic. It means a lot to me, since I live in the area. I know the roads extremely well, which is an advantage. Mont Ventoux is also climb I’ve done many times. It’s actually quite easy for me to train there and to get to know the climb even better,” Ferrand-Prévot said after the big presentation.

For the second time in the race’s history, the 2026 Tour de France Femmes will start outside France, with the first two stages being held in Switzerland. A hilly opening awaits, offering opportunities for strong sprinters and puncheurs, including a finish in Lausanne, where Wout van Aert claimed victory in the men’s race in 2022.

The race will then move into France, where one of the key stages awaits on day four: a 21-kilometre individual time trial finishing in Dijon - the second-longest time trial in the race’s history, and a day Ferrand-Prévot is ready to take by the horns.

”I think it’s great to have a time trial, especially in this region. I know the area quite well, riding through the vineyards is amazing. I’m really happy about that stage and looking forward to it. I’m ready to put in the work on the time trial. It’s a chance to ride a different bike and develop yet another discipline, which is something I really enjoy,” the defending champion remarked.

Stage seven will bring the week’s main highlight as the mighty Mont Ventoux makes its appearance. The 20-kilometre climb has long been regarded as one of the toughest in cycling, and will no doubt have the climbers licking their lips in anticipation. The day after, a marathon stage of 175 kilometers will take the peloton to the rivera, where the final battle looms in the area Ferrand-Prévot trains in day in, day out.

The race concludes with a brutal circuit on the Col d’Eze outside Nice, on a short but demanding 99-kilometre stage that will decide the Tour de France Femmes before the winner of the yellow jersey is crowned on the Promenade des Anglais. All in all, almost 19.000 meters of altitude are on the menu on the course, a new record for Tour de France Femmes.

”It’s a complete Tour, and that’s the challenge. In terms of the parcours, there’s not much that’s dramatically different from last year. It’s never really flat, not even in de first stages. There’s one ultimate test with the Mont Ventoux, which will make the big separation. It’s comparable to Col de la Madeleine from this year, perhaps slightly tougher due the temperature and the wind,” team manager Rutger Tijssen reflected.

”Everything takes place in a relatively small area, with few transfers, which is nice. The time trial is back, which is a great challenge and requires a slightly different preparation compared to last year. We need to take a step forward here, also with Pauline. It’s very trainable, and Pauline has shown that she can make great strides when she sets her mind to something,” were the words of Tijssen.