Monday 3 August – Tour de France Femmes stage 3: Genève → Poligny (156.5 km)

Route

Stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes takes the peloton from Genève to Poligny, 156.5 kilometres away. The stage is hilly with around 2,500 metres of elevation gain, largely concentrated in the first half of the stage.

After a run-in through Gex (km 11.9), the toughest climb of the day begins immediately: the Col de la Faucille (11.4 km at 6.3%), with the summit at km 23.9 at an altitude of 1,320 metres, the highest point of the stage. After the descent comes the Côte de Lajoux (3.6 km at 5.6%), with the summit at km 36. Further on, at km 74.1, lies the summit of the Col de la Savine (5.6 km at 5.1%). After Champagnole (km 99.7), the final climb of the day follows over rolling terrain, the Côte de Chaux-Champagny (1.8 km at 6.4%), with the summit at km 131.8.

From the summit of Chaux-Champagny it's nine kilometres downhill to Arbois (km 141.6), where the flat final phase of 14.9 kilometres begins.

Final kilometres

From Arbois (km 141.6), the road is flat to slightly rolling. The final 2 kilometres run dead straight to the finish line in Poligny.

Recent editions

Poligny is a finish town in the Tour de France Femmes for the first time this year. The town did host a stage of the men's Tour in 2023: Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) won then after a mass sprint, with a margin of 0.004 seconds over Kasper Asgreen (Soudal Quick-Step), the smallest margin ever in the Tour de France.

Champagnole (km 99.7 in this stage) was the start town of stage 7 of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes, won by Justine Ghekiere ahead of Maeva Squiban (now UAE Team ADQ) and Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez). Both riders are also on the start list for the 2026 edition.

Scenarios

A flat finish with a bunch sprint seems the most likely outcome after the calm final 15 kilometres. The key section of this stage lies on the early Col de la Faucille, followed shortly afterwards by the Côte de Lajoux, which can significantly thin out the peloton. The main question is how the race will be ridden there: can Lorena Wiebes crest those climbs with the leaders, and will Team SD Worx–Protime choose to control the race or send someone up the road? In the latter scenario, Lotte Kopecky and Mischa Bredewold are the most logical candidates.

Local

Gex (km 11.9) saw the men's Tour stop twice, in 1920 (Nicolas Frantz) and 1924 (Léon Scieur). Saint-Claude (km 46.1) is the birthplace of Alexis Vuillermoz, stage winner in the 2015 Tour de France. Arbois (km 141.6) was the starting point of a time trial won by Jacques Anquetil in 1963, and is the place where Louis Pasteur grew up.