Race Guide: Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift

From the Netherlands to the top of Alpe d’Huez, covering 949.7km / 590.1 mi, the third Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift promises eight stages of compelling racing. Here’s our stage-by-stage guide, and an overview of the names to watch. This year’s race, which starts outside France for the first time in TDFF history, comprises two flat stages, three hilly stages, one individual time trial and two mountain stages – and includes an unusual split day.

RELATED: Tour de France Femmes: A Strava Primer

The Stages

Stage 1 | 12 August | Rotterdam > The Hague  Not all of the Netherlands is flat, but this first stage certainly is. There is a little climb, but it’s actually out of a tunnel, so takes place below sea level. Minimal elevation here! Stages 1 and 2 will be welcomed by the sprinters: during last year’s hilly Tour de France Femmes only one stage ended in a true bunch sprint. There’s a possibility, however, that crosswinds will force a split and they might not have their day. 

Stage 2 | 13 August | Dordrecht > Rotterdam  Another pancake-flat stage. At only 67 kilometres (42 mi) long, it may be so well patrolled by sprinters’ teams that a break never gets established. Again, crosswinds may make this stage unpredictable and even cause splits in the GC. 

Stage 3 | 13 August | Rotterdam > Rotterdam  A very short (6.3km / 3.9 mi) time trial that won’t make any meaningful difference to the General Classification, but may well give a specialist a day in the yellow jersey!

Stage 4 | 14 August | Valkenburg > Liège  A hilly 122km / 76 mi starting in the Netherlands and ending in Belgium. It traverses climbs made famous by Amstel Gold and Liège–Bastogne–Liège, notably the Cauberg (0.68km / 0.42 mi @ 8.1%), La Redoute (1.6km / 1 mi @ 9.4%) and the Côte de la Roche aux Faucons (1.3km / 0.8 mi @ 11% according to the Tour stats)

Stage 5 | 15 August | Bastogne > Amnéville  This 150km / 93 mi stage takes the peloton on to home soil. It’s peppered with third- and fourth-category climbs; with the Côte de Montois-la-Montagne (1.75km / 1.1 mi @ 6%) topping out less than 14km / 9 mi from the finish line, it may be one for a late breakaway.

Stage 6 | 16 August | Remiremont > Morteau  At 160km / 100 mi, this stage will be relentless, and the bigger climbs are back-loaded. From the Côte des Fins (1.82km / 1.13 mi @ 6.7%) it’s 15km / 9.5 mi downhill and then flat to the line.

Stage 7 | 17 August | Champagnole > Le Grand-Bornand  Another long one – a 167km- / 104 mi introduction to the mountains. At the end of the day there’s the double whammy of the Col de Saint-Jean-de-Sixt and the Montée du Chinaillon – over 12km / 7.5 mi of climbing at more than 5% gradient up to the summit finish. 

Stage 8 | 18 August | Le Grand-Bornand > Alpe d’Huez  If it didn’t happen yesterday, this 149.9km / 93 mi stage will decide the yellow jersey. Featuring the classic combo of the Col du Glandon (19.7km / 12.24 mi @ 7.2%) and a summit finish on Alpe d’Huez (13.8km / 8.57 mi @ 8.1%), which climb over 2,500m / 8,200 ft between them–it’s a step up in difficulty even over the Tourmalet stage that featured in last year’s race.

Riders to watch

Demi Vollering (SD Worx–Protime) is the defending champion and has proved her superiority on the longest, toughest road climbs. Her team isn't quite as dominant as last year – and she’ll be missing one of her key lieutenants in Lotte Kopecky (see below). Even so, will anyone be able to challenge her? 

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx–Protime), meanwhile, will not be at the TDFF. The world champion, who was second last year and won the green jersey, is integral to Belgium’s track squad and has opted to focus on the duration of this summer’s track program and skip the Tour.

Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon–SRAM) has always been Vollering’s closest mountain rival. She was Queen of the Mountains last year and third in both previous Tours, and will be hoping to move up a step… or two!

Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl–Trek) has excelled in stage races over her long career, including winning this year’s Giro d’Italia Women. She’ll be hoping for a podium place.

Juliet Labous (Team DSM–Firmenich PostNL) is France’s big hope and will be targeting a top-5 position and stage wins.

Neve Bradbury (Canyon–SRAM) is a former Zwift Academy rider who proved her place in the pro peloton with a stage victory on the Blockhaus and third overall in the Giro d’Italia this year. She could be a real contender.

As for the sprint stages, Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx–Protime) is acknowledged as the fastest woman on two wheels. Elisa Balsamo (Lidl–Trek) is a former world champion, and Liane Lippert (Movistar) and Chiara Consonni (Team UAE) have form, and it would be foolish ever to completely rule out the evergreen G.O.A.T. Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike)!