Stage 1
Lausanne → Lausanne
Stage 1 opens the 5th edition of the Tour de France Femmes with a 137km circuit start in Lausanne, Switzerland — the second consecutive Grand Départ outside France after 2022's Paris start and 2024's Rotterdam. The hilly Vaud canton terrain framing Lake Geneva favours puncheurs over pure sprinters; expect a chaotic opening day with the yellow jersey up for grabs in the closing kilometres.
Watch this stage
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What the stage looks like
Stage 1 opens the 5th edition of the Tour de France Femmes with a 137km circuit start in Lausanne, Switzerland — the second consecutive Grand Départ outside France after 2022's Paris start and 2024's Rotterdam. The hilly Vaud canton terrain framing Lake Geneva favours puncheurs over pure sprinters; expect a chaotic opening day with the yellow jersey up for grabs in the closing kilometres.
What to follow
- Swiss Grand Départ: first time TdF Femmes has opened in Switzerland — Lausanne was previously the men's Tour grand départ in 2022.
- Lake Geneva hills make this a puncheur's opener — the yellow jersey will favour a strong all-rounder, not a pure sprinter.
- Day-one yellow jersey gambit: small bonus seconds at the line can put a rider in yellow for a week.
When to tune in
Watch the final 30km — the lakeside circuit has small kickers that can split the bunch. Puncheurs and breakaway specialists are the strong favourites for the opening yellow jersey.