Tour de France Femmes 2026 Route stage 8: Sisteron - Nice

Saturday 8 August – At 171.9 kilometres, the longest stage of the Tour de France Femmes runs from Sisteron to Nice. Along the way, the riders tackle just under 1,900 metres of climbing, while two short climbs mark the finale.

Last updated 7 August 2026: weather forecast added

For: resilient sprinters or attackers
Key feature: half the peloton fancies its chances

The route is fairly straightforward. For the first 76.5 kilometres, the riders are mainly heading uphill, while the remainder is mostly downhill. The gradients are never particularly demanding.

After the start in Sisteron, the route is initially flat before gradually beginning to rise at shallow gradients. This continues until the Col des Robines, which comes after just over 60 kilometres and climbs for 2.6 kilometres at 4.6%. That is the steepest section so far, and perhaps even of the entire day.

After a short descent and a few kilometres of rolling terrain, the riders make their way to the highest point via a 6.4-kilometre climb averaging 3.1%. The summit of the Col de Toutes Aures sits at 1,124 metres.

From there, the riders fly downhill towards the Mediterranean. The first 10 kilometres are a serious descent, essentially all the way to the Var valley, after which the route continues on a false flat downhill alongside the river.

In the final 20 kilometres, the riders leave the Var valley twice. The first time is for the Côte de Colomars, a 1.4-kilometre climb averaging 4.5%, and in the final 10 kilometres they tackle the Côte de Ginestière: 2.5 kilometres at 4.4%. They then descend for 3 kilometres to the Promenade des Anglais, with the finish another 3 kilometres further along the same boulevard along the Mediterranean coast.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX stage 8.

Stage 8 of the Tour de France Femmes starts at 13:40 and the race is expected to finish around 17:45 - both local times (CEST).

Weather forecast:
The heat shows no sign of letting up. As the riders head down towards the Mediterranean, temperatures are expected to stay well above 30°C under sunny skies. Should the stage end in the anticipated sprint finish, the peloton will have a light tailwind.

Start: 33°C, sunny, south-southwesterly wind (force 2)
Finish: 30°C, sunny, south-southwesterly wind (force 2)

We will update the weather forecast on the morning of the stage. For the current weather conditions along the route, please use the interactive weather map in the slideshow below this article.