Tour de France Femmes facts for kids
 2025 Tour de France Femmes |
|
| Tour de France Femmes official logo.svg | |
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | July |
| Region | France |
| Local name(s) | Tour de France Femmes (in French) |
| Nickname(s) | La Grande Boucle, Le Tour Femmes |
| Discipline | Road |
| Competition | UCI Women's World Tour |
| Type | Stage race |
| Organiser | Amaury Sport Organization |
| Race director | Marion Rousse |
| History | |
| First edition | 24 July 2022 |
| Editions | 4 (as of 2025) |
| First winner |  Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) |
| Most wins | No Repeat winner |
| Most recent |  Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA) |
The Tour de France Femmes is a big bike race for women held every year in France. It's like a journey across the country on bikes! The same group that organizes the famous men's Tour de France also puts this race together. It is part of the top series of women's bike races in the world.
Many people see this race as one of the most important events in women's cycling. It is a huge challenge for the riders!
For many years, there were other big bike races for women in France. These races, held from 1984 to 2009, faced challenges like not having enough money or media attention. People who loved women's cycling worked hard to bring back a major race. This led to a shorter race called La Course by Le Tour de France from 2014 to 2021. Finally, the Tour de France Femmes started its first official race in 2022.
The race usually happens in July, right after the men's Tour de France. From 2022 to 2024, the race had eight stages, which are like daily races.
Each day, riders race against the clock. Their times are added up from all the stages. The rider with the fastest total time is the leader and gets to wear the famous yellow jersey (maillot jaune). This is the main prize! But there are other exciting competitions too. Sprinters compete for the green jersey by earning points in flat stages. Climbers battle for the polka dot jersey by being first to the top of mountains. Young riders (under 23) compete for the white jersey. There is also a team competition. Winning a single stage is also a big achievement for any rider.
Contents
The History of Women's Cycling in France
For a long time, there have been women's bike races in France that were similar to the men's Tour de France. The very first one was held in 1955. From 1984, a women's Tour de France was held regularly. Its name changed several times, like Tour de France Féminin or Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale. A famous French rider named Jeannie Longo won these races three times in a row from 1987 to 1989.
Over the years, these races faced difficulties. They struggled with money problems and did not get much media attention. There were also disagreements about the race name with the organizers of the men's Tour de France. The last of these older races took place in 2009.
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La Course: A Step Towards a Full Tour
In 2013, some professional cyclists and athletes formed a group called Le Tour Entier. This name means "the whole tour." They asked the organizers of the Tour de France to create a new, bigger women's race.
Many people supported them, and over 100,000 signed a petition. Because of this, the organizers launched La Course by Tour de France in 2014. This race was held at the same time as the men's Tour. The first race was just one day long, on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. In later years, it took place in different locations. The organizers said this was the best way to show off women's cycling.
At first, people liked La Course because it got more attention by being linked to the men's Tour. However, some felt it was not a "full Tour de France." They thought it was too short and not challenging enough. People also said the organizers did not do enough to promote the race. They also did not provide good facilities for the women riders in 2017.
The organizers explained that it was hard to organize a men's and women's Tour de France at the exact same time. They also said any new race needed to be able to pay for itself.
The Modern Tour de France Femmes
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In June 2021, the organizers announced a brand new women's stage race. It was called Tour de France Femmes. The first race was planned for 8 days, right after the 2022 Tour de France in July 2022. A company called Zwift became a main sponsor. Live TV coverage was provided by France Télévisions and other European broadcasters. The men's tour director, Christian Prudhomme, said they learned from past races. Their goal was to create a race that would last for a very long time.
The women cyclists were very happy about this news. Many riders said it had been their dream to compete in a women's Tour de France.
The Tour de France Femmes has the same awards as the men's Tour. The yellow jersey is for the overall leader. The green jersey is for the best sprinter. The polka dot jersey is for the best climber. The white jersey is for the best young rider (under 23). These special jerseys are made by Santini. The main sponsor, Zwift, said that a successful "virtual Tour de France" during the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged them to support the real race. Other big sponsors of the men's Tour also joined in. The race has a prize fund of €260,000, making it the richest race in women's cycling. A report said the race has the biggest audience in women's professional cycling.
The First Race: 2022 Edition
The route for the 2022 race was announced in October 2021. The race started in Paris, with a stage finishing on the Champs-Élysées. This happened on the morning of the final day of the men's race. The 8-day race ended with a tough climb at La Planche des Belles Filles.
The first edition of the race took place in July 2022. Annemiek van Vleuten won the week-long race by almost 4 minutes. She won even though she had a stomach bug early in the race. Marianne Vos won the green jersey for points. Demi Vollering won the polka dot jersey for mountains and finished second overall. The public, media, and riders loved the race. There were large crowds and many people watched on TV. It was the first official women's Tour de France since 1989. The race director, Marion Rousse, said there was still room to make future races even better.
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Exciting Races: 2023, 2024, and 2025
The route for the 2023 race was announced in October 2022. Riders praised the route. The race started in Clermont-Ferrand on the same day the men's Tour finished. It then headed south towards the Pyrenees mountains. The final stage was a solo race against the clock in Pau. Like in 2022, this race also had 8 stages. Demi Vollering won the race. She beat her rival Annemiek van Vleuten with a very strong climb on the Col du Tourmalet. Lotte Kopecky won the points jersey and finished second overall. Kasia Niewiadoma won the polka-dot jersey for mountains and finished third overall. For the second year, the race was highly praised by everyone. The race director said the 2023 race proved the first one was not just a one-time success.
The route for the 2024 race was announced in October 2023. Because of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, the race did not happen right after the men's Tour. Instead, it took place between the Olympics and the Paralympics. This race had its first start outside France, beginning in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Three stages were held in the Netherlands. The route then went south towards the Alps. The final stage had a mountain top finish at the famous Alpe d'Huez. Kasia Niewiadoma won the race, beating Vollering by only four seconds. Vollering had lost time in a crash on stage 5. Marianne Vos won the green jersey for points for the second time. Justine Ghekiere won the mountains classification. Again, the race was praised by the public, media, and riders. A cycling magazine noted that the very close finish showed how strong women's cycling has become.
The route for the 2025 race was announced in October 2024. The race started in Brittany in north-west France. It was also extended to nine days long. French rider Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the race by over three and a half minutes. She won after two strong stage wins in the Alps. Vollering finished second overall, with Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney in third. Ferrand-Prévot became the first French winner of the Tour de France Femmes. She was also the first French winner of a women's Tour de France since Jeannie Longo in 1989. Lorena Wiebes won the green jersey for points. Elise Chabbey took the polka-dot jersey for mountains. The race was widely praised. Large crowds attended the start in Brittany. There were record TV audiences in France. People celebrated Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's victory, with a sports newspaper saying it created "unprecedented enthusiasm in women's cycling."
Looking Ahead: Future Races
In June 2025, it was announced that the 2026 race will start in Switzerland. Stages will begin in Lausanne, Aigle, and Geneva. This race will start a week after the men's race. This allows both races to share resources. It is rumored that the race will have a mountain top finish on Mont Ventoux for the first time.
In March 2025, it was announced that the 2027 race will start in the United Kingdom. However, the exact starting place has not been confirmed yet.
From 2026, the UCI (the world cycling organization) will give more ranking points to the Giro d'Italia Women, Tour de France Femmes, and Vuelta Femenina. This will make these three races even more important.
Champions of the Tour de France Femmes
Since 1955, various professional women's bike races in France have been held. These were similar to the men's Tour de France. You can find the winners for those older events in their own articles.
| Year | Rider | Team | Time | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) |
Movistar Team | 26h 55' 44" | + 3' 48" |
| 2023 | Demi Vollering (NED) |
SD Worx | 25h 17' 35" | + 3' 03" |
| 2024 |  Katarzyna Niewiadoma (POL) |
Canyon–SRAM | 24h 36' 07" | + 4" |
| 2025 | Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA) |
{{{team name-2025}}} | 29h 54' 24" | + 3' 42" |
Other Important Jerseys
While the overall winner's yellow jersey is the most famous, the race has other exciting competitions. The points classification goes to the rider who earns the most points. Riders get points for finishing high in stages and in special sprints during stages. Sprinters usually win this jersey. The mountains classification gives points for riders who are first to the top of certain hills and mountains. The young rider classification is for riders under 23 years old. It is based on their overall time, just like the yellow jersey competition.
| Year |  Points Classification |
 Mountains Classification |
 Young Rider Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Marianne Vos (NED) |
Demi Vollering (NED) |
Shirin van Anrooij (NED) |
| 2023 |  Lotte Kopecky (BEL) |
Katarzyna Niewiadoma (POL) |
Cédrine Kerbaol (FRA) |
| 2024 | Marianne Vos (NED) |
Justine Ghekiere (BEL) |
Puck Pieterse (NED) |
| 2025 | Lorena Wiebes (NED) |
 Elise Chabbey (SUI) |
Nienke Vinke (NED) |
Yellow Jersey Records
The "Jerseys" column shows how many days a cyclist wore the yellow jersey. The "Tour wins" column shows how many times a cyclist won the entire race. Bold years mean they won the overall Tour that year.
This table was updated after the 2025 Tour de France Femmes.
| Cyclists who are still active |
| Cyclists who won the Tour de France |
| Rank | Name | Country | Yellow jerseys |
Tour wins |
Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marianne Vos |  Netherlands |
8 | 0 | 2022, 2025 |
| 2 | Lotte Kopecky |  Belgium |
6 | 0 | 2023 |
| =3 | Demi Vollering | Netherlands |
4 | 1 | 2023, 2024 |
| =3 | Katarzyna Niewiadoma |  Poland |
4 | 1 | 2024 |
| =3 | Kimberley Le Court |  Mauritius |
4 | 0 | 2025 |
| =6 | Annemiek van Vleuten | Netherlands |
2 | 1 | 2022 |
| =6 | Charlotte Kool | Netherlands |
2 | 0 | 2024 |
| =6 | Pauline Ferrand-Prévot |  France |
2 | 1 | 2025 |
| =9 | Lorena Wiebes | Netherlands |
1 | 0 | 2022 |
Stage Winners: Who Won Each Day?
Here is a list of riders who have won a stage in the Tour de France Femmes. This table was updated after the 2025 Tour de France Femmes.
| Cyclists who are still active |
| Cyclists who won the Tour de France |
| Rank | Name | Country | Stage wins | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lorena Wiebes | Netherlands |
5 | 2022, 2023, 2025 |
| =2 | Demi Vollering | Netherlands |
3 | 2023, 2024 |
| =2 | Marianne Vos | Netherlands |
3 | 2022, 2025 |
| =4 | Annemiek van Vleuten | Netherlands |
2 | 2022 |
| =4 | Marlen Reusser |  Switzerland |
2 | 2022, 2023 |
| =4 | Charlotte Kool | Netherlands |
2 | 2024 |
| =4 | Maeva Squiban | France |
2 | 2025 |
| =4 | Pauline Ferrand-Prévot | France |
2 | 2025 |
| =9 | Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig |  Denmark |
1 | 2022 |
| =9 | Lotte Kopecky | Belgium |
1 | 2023 |
| =9 | Liane Lippert |  Germany |
1 | 2023 |
| =9 | Emma Norsgaard | Denmark |
1 | 2023 |
| =9 | Ricarda Bauernfeind | Germany |
1 | 2023 |
| =9 | Yara Kastelijn | Netherlands |
1 | 2023 |
| =9 | Puck Pieterse | Netherlands |
1 | 2024 |
| =9 | Blanka Vas |  Hungary |
1 | 2024 |
| =9 | Cédrine Kerbaol | France |
1 | 2024 |
| =9 | Justine Ghekiere | Belgium |
1 | 2024 |
| =9 | Mavi Garcia |  Spain |
1 | 2025 |
| =9 | Kimberley Le Court | Mauritius |
1 | 2025 |
Race Starts Outside France
The start of the Tour is known as the Grand Départ. These editions of the Tour started, or are planned to start, outside France:
- 2024: Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Future Starts
- 2026:
Lausanne, Switzerland - 2027:
Not yet announced, United Kingdom
See also
In Spanish: Tour de Francia Femenino para niños
- Giro d'Italia Women – a stage race in Italy
- La Vuelta Femenina – a stage race in Spain
