The eighth stage of the Tour de France Femmes is the most demanding mountain leg of the race. Known for its steep climbs and high altitude, this section will push riders to their limits. The route spans 111.9 kilometers from Chambéry to Saint François Longchamp – Col de la Madeleine, featuring over 3,500 meters of elevation gain. The first major climb, the Col de Plainpalais (13.2km at 6.3%), begins early at the 13-kilometer mark. Later, the peloton will tackle the Côte de Saint-Georges-d’Hurtières before the final punishing ascent to the finish atop the Col de la Madeleine (18.6km at 8.1%, reaching over 2,000 meters above sea level).
With the race nearing its end, general classification contenders will be determined to leave their mark. Kim Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal) retained the yellow jersey yesterday despite losing ground on the last climb. However, she faces strong competition from Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike), Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon/SRAM), Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez), and Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx Protime), all within 35 seconds of the lead. Le Court Pienaar’s teammate Sarah Gigante, a strong climber, could contend for the stage win after praising her colleague’s form ahead of this pivotal day.
Maëva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) secured back-to-back victories, so her performance today will be closely watched. Riders such as Shirin van Anrooij and Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek), Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez), Silke Smulders, and Mavi García (Liv Alula Jayco) may also attempt breakaways.
The stage begins at 1.45pm CET. For a recap of the previous day’s events, read CuriosityNews’ report from Chambéry.
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