Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2025: Route preview

For nine days in late July, cycling and sports fans across the globe will turn their eyes towards France to follow the world’s best women as they compete in the Tour de France Femmes. Here is everything that you need to know about the Tour de Frances Femmes avec Zwift route, including where we predict the drama could be, where the race might be won and, inevitably, where a win could slip away.

Grand Départ: Brittany kicks things off with a spicy start

If there is one region in France that has bike racing running through its veins, it’s Brittany. Sat up in the country’s northwest corner, it’s often called the Belgium of France. Not just for its obsession with racing, but for its punchy terrain, grippy roads, and constant coastal winds (Brittany boasts more kilometres of coastline than any other region in France). Add to that a packed local race calendar and you get a place where two wheels aren’t just sport, they’re culture.

The ASO has decided on quite a spicy start to this year’s race. Stage one, Vannes to Plumelec, has crosswinds written all over it. The stage ends with a punchy finish that suits the likes of riders with a strong uphill sprint, like World Champion Kopecky, European Champion Wiebes or Vos. With both Kopecky and Wiebes riding for SD Worx, they’ll need to pick a leader or risk cancelling each other out. For riders looking at the overall, this will be a stage to stay upright and out of trouble in. But with narrow, technical roads and the risk of crosswinds, stress in the peloton could mean we see a lot of crashes.

Stage two: Brest to Quimper could prove a high stress day

Stage two, Brest to Quimper, has a short transfer north. The sawtooth profile and proximity to the coast off another predictably high stress day with crashes and crosswinds a possibility. Another uphill sprint might favour a similar type of rider as the day before. But with anything possible on this stage, don’t rule out an opportunistic attack as it’s the kind of stage that encourages it.

Stages three and four: flatter but not necessarily an easy ride

Stages three and four will serve up to back-to-back flatter stages as the race heads west to east through central France. Will it be something of a breather? Only on paper. While perfect for breakaways and bunch sprints, easier stages like these tend to present traps for riders focused on the overall, when saving energy can lead to a lack of focus, thanks to the continued risk of crashes and crosswinds. If you’re time-strapped, these might be the stages to catch on highlights, but they’re not without tension.

Stage five: shots could be fired

Stage five and we hit the medium mountains as the race tilts upwards. The final 60 km of this stage are slightly uphill with the back end of the day being stacked with three categorised climbs and a downhill finish. We expect to see the GC-focused riders fire some shots and test their competitors’ legs. As with the previous four stages this won’t see the overall decided, but this could be a day when one of the hopefuls drops out of contention. But with an eye on the next four stages, we could equally see riders keeping their energy in check for what is to come.

Stage six: where the mountains get serious

Stage six, Clemont-Ferrand to Ambert, and the mountains get serious now. It also marks the start of four back-to-back stages in the mountains. With around 2,400 metres of climbing on the menu, this is where the GC picture sharpens.

We will see who has the legs, who has saved their legs, and get a hint towards who will take the final yellow jersey. If you’re only catching one part of the day, make it the final hour.

Stage seven: ends with a bite

Stage seven, Bourg-en-Bresse to Chambéry, is another stage with a lot of climbing at the back end. After a relatively easy roll-out, the final 50 km will really bite with three categorised climbs. We see the day’s penultimate climb, the Côte de Berland as a launchpad for the Col du Granier, thanks to its very steep sections. After a hair-raising run down into Chambéry, this stage’s winner will surely be a rider focused on the overall.

Stage eight: the hardest stage of the Tour de France Femmes 2025

Stage eight is the hardest stage of this year’s race. Starting in Chambéry, finishing in Saint-François Longchamp atop the mighty Col de la Madeleine – 18.6.km at 8.6%. But what makes it crueller is the uphill start too, meaning fatigue will be a real factor, and any rider who hasn’t recovered from stage seven will pay. Today we will either see the final overall decided and set in stone, or we will see a couple of protagonists set the stage for a final duel on stage nine.

Stage nine: the final duel

Stage nine, Praz-sur-Arly to Châtel Les Portes du Soleil: one last mountain outing. With three mountains on the menu, including the mid-stage Col de Joux Plane offering long sections of 10% to test tired legs, the overall could change here and all but the strongest are likely to crack. Though the final 30k doesn’t see any classified climbs, there are some very steep roads on the run-in to a finish that’s anything but soft, so expect the overall battle to be fought to the bitter end here.

With a tough start, a tactical middle, and four savage mountain days to close it out, the 2025 Tour de France Femmes promises to bring the fireworks. We can’t wait to follow the race – and we’d highly recommend you do too! Find out how to watch live based on your location here, and stay tuned for our riders to watch.