The 2026 Tour de France Femmes runs 1–9 August from Lausanne to Nice — and for South African fans it shapes up as the farewell Grand Tour of Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, in what she has said is her final season.
The route: a Swiss start, Ventoux, and a Nice finale
The fifth modern edition of the women's Tour opens with a Swiss Grand Départ — three stages around Lausanne, Geneva and the Jura before the race crosses into France. Stage 4 is the only individual test against the clock: a 21 km time trial from Gevrey-Chambertin into Dijon that will already start splitting the general classification. From there the race tilts steadily upward through the hilly Beaujolais and Rhône stages toward its centrepiece.
Stage 7 is the one every contender has circled: 144 km from La Voulte-sur-Rhône to the summit of Mont Ventoux, the highest point of the race at 1,910 m. It is the first time the women's Tour has finished on the fabled 'Giant of Provence'. Two days later the race closes not in Paris but on a punishing circuit around Nice — four ascents of the Col d'Èze before the finish on the Promenade des Anglais. Across the whole route the organisers count 18,795 m of climbing, the most in the event's short modern history: three flat stages, three hilly, two summit-heavy mountain days and the Dijon time trial.
The South African angle: Moolman-Pasio's last Tour
For South African supporters the storyline is Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio. The 40-year-old from Pretoria — the most decorated woman in SA road racing, a multiple national champion and a fixture in the sport's biggest one-day and stage races — has said that 2026 is her final season, with the Tour de France Femmes as its focus. Riding for the Belgian AG Insurance-Soudal team, this is in all likelihood her last Grand Tour, and a Ventoux stage plus a mountainous Nice finale suit a climber who has spent a career thriving when the road tilts up.
Moolman-Pasio has long carried the flag for African cycling on the WorldTour and has backed development of the women's side of the sport at home. A strong ride in France would be a fitting close to a career that helped put South African women's cycling on the international map — and gives local fans a clear reason to follow all nine days.
Frequently asked questions
When and where is the 2026 Tour de France Femmes? +
It runs from 1 to 9 August 2026 over nine stages, starting in Lausanne, Switzerland and finishing in Nice, France.
What is the hardest stage? +
Stage 7 to the summit of Mont Ventoux (1,910 m) is the queen stage, but the final-day circuit around Nice with four climbs of the Col d'Èze can still reshape the general classification.
Is this really Moolman-Pasio's last Tour? +
She has said 2026 is her final professional season and named the Tour de France Femmes as her priority, so it is expected to be her farewell Grand Tour.
How can South Africans watch it? +
The race is broadcast internationally; SA viewers should check local sports broadcasters and streaming platforms closer to the 1 August start for confirmed coverage.
