The ascent to the summit of Mont Ventoux is shaping up to be a defining moment for the Tour de France Femmes peloton. The climb holds a significant place in cycling history, once described by philosopher Roland Barthes in his mid-1950s essay 'The Tour de France as an Epic' as an 'evil god' and a 'terrain of damnation.'
Tour de France director Marion Rousse characterized the Mont Ventoux stage as 'the queen stage,' noting that the arrival at the summit is 'the most spectacular French pass.'
Rider perspectives on the ascent
Competitors have expressed a range of reactions to the upcoming challenge. Demi Vollering stated that the mountain inspires her, while Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt anticipated a 'beautiful fight' during the race.
Antonia Niedermaier noted that while she only knows the mountain through analysis tools, she knows it 'inside and out.'
The Ventoux inspires me very much
— Demi Vollering
It will be a beautiful fight
— Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt
C’est l’étape reine, avec l’arrivée au sommet du Ventoux, le col français le plus spectaculaire
— Marion Rousse
Updates
The seventh stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, covering 146.8 kilometers, features the first-ever ascent of Mont Ventoux by the women’s peloton, a 15.7-kilometer climb at 8.8% average gradient with four categorized ascents preceding the summit, while Katarzyna Niewiadoma confirmed she aims to break the Strava KOM record on the climb and Audrey Cordon-Ragot framed the inclusion as a step to dismantle historical gender barriers in cycling.
The seventh stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, covering 146.8 kilometers, features the first-ever ascent of Mont Ventoux by the women’s peloton, a 15.7-kilometer climb at 8.8% average gradient with four categorized ascents preceding the summit; Demi Vollering won the fifth stage, Kim Le Court-Pienaar took the sixth in a sprint, and Sigrid Haugset claimed stage three after an 88km breakaway, while Katarzyna Niewiadoma stated she aims to break the Strava KOM record on the climb.
The seventh stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, covering 146.8 kilometers, features the first-ever ascent of Mont Ventoux by the women’s peloton, a 15.7-kilometer climb at 8.8% average gradient with four preceding categorized ascents, marking a historic milestone for the race.
The seventh stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, covering 146.8 kilometers, features the first-ever ascent of Mont Ventoux by the women’s peloton, a 15.7-kilometer climb at 8.8% average gradient preceded by four categorized ascents, including the Col de la Grande Limite, Col du Colombier, and Col de Suzette — a historic moment for the race, which now spans nine stages and has seen Demi Vollering win Stage 5, Kim Le Court-Pienaar take Stage 6, and Sigrid Haugset triumph in Stage 3 after an 88km solo breakaway.
The seventh stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, starting in La Voulte-sur-Rhône and ending at the summit of Mont Ventoux via the Bédoin ascent, will cover 146.8 kilometers with 3,565 meters of elevation gain, including four categorized climbs before the final 15.7-kilometer, 8.8% gradient ascent; Marlen Reusser leads the general classification by 12 seconds over Demi Vollering, with Katarzyna Niewiadoma 1'17 behind, and the stage will be broadcast live on France 2 and france.tv at 15:20.
The seventh stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, starting in La Voulte-sur-Rhône and concluding at the summit of Mont Ventoux via the Bédoin ascent, covers 146.8 kilometers with 3,565 meters of elevation gain, including four categorized climbs before the final 15.7-kilometer, 8.8% gradient ascent; Marlen Reusser leads the general classification by 12 seconds over Demi Vollering, with Katarzyna Niewiadoma 1'17 behind, and the stage will be broadcast live on France 2 and france.tv at 15:20.
