Tour de France Femmes 2026 Route stage 7: Voulte-sur-Rhône - Mont Ventoux

Friday 7 August – At 146.8 kilometres, the 7th stage of the Tour de France Femmes takes the riders from La Voulte-sur-Rhône to Mont Ventoux. Packing in 3,400 metres of elevation gain, the stage culminates on the Beast of the Provence. The iconic 15.7-kilometre climb averages 8.8%.

First published 28 July 2026

For: climbers and yellow jersey contenders
Key feature: most important stage of the Tour

The yellow caravan gets rolling in the Rhône valley, and it is not long before the riders face an easy warm-up in the shape of the Col de la Grande Limite: 6.6 kilometres at 5%. After 41 kilometres in the saddle, the Col du Colombier provides a little more spice, with 3.2 kilometres at 6.4% — although that is, of course, still nothing compared with the day's ultimate destination, Mont Ventoux.

After those two introductory climbs, there is nothing much to report for dozens of kilometres. It is not until around kilometre 100 that the road tilts uphill again. The Col de Suzette is a 3.9-kilometre climb averaging 6.4%. From there, it is another 20 kilometres of rolling terrain to Bédoin. A little later, the ascent of the Beast of Provence begins.

Over 15.7 kilometres, the riders haul themselves uphill at an average gradient of 8.8%. For the first 10 kilometres, the road winds through the forest before easing off briefly after Chalet Reynard. At the same time, however, the riders emerge onto the exposed slopes, where the wind has a free rein.

As the summit draws closer, the gradient kicks up again, and in the final 1.7 kilometres towards the transmitter mast at the summit, Mont Ventoux serves up an average gradient of 9.4%.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX stage 7

Stage 8 of the Tour de France Femmes starts at 12:50 and the race is expected to finish around 17:20 - both local times (CEST).