Tour de France 2026 Prepares to Make History with Expanded Women's Race
The 2026 Tour de France women's race will be the longest yet, backed by strong viewership growth and extended Zwift sponsorship, marking a new milestone in women's cycling.
- • The 2026 Tour de France Femmes route is the longest in its history and starts a week after the men's race.
- • Marion Rousse, director of the Women's Tour de France, attended the 2026 race roadmap presentation in Paris on October 23, 2025.
- • The women's race attracted 23.2 million live viewers in its first year, with 2.7 million average viewers per stage in France in 2025.
- • Zwift's sponsorship has been critical, contributing to increased female user engagement and an extended four-year partnership.
Key details
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is set to make history with its 2026 edition, confirmed as the longest route in the event's brief history since its start in 2022. The women's race will commence one week after the men’s Tour de France, reflecting the growing popularity and stature of women's cycling. This decision was announced during a key presentation of the 2026 Tour de France roadmaps held in Paris on October 23, 2025, where Marion Rousse, director of the Women's Tour de France, attended, symbolizing the event's importance and readiness for what's to come.
The women's race has shown remarkable growth with a total live audience of 23.2 million across eight stages in its inaugural year, making it the fourth most-followed women's sport globally. In France alone, the 2025 average audience hit 2.7 million per stage, peaking at an impressive 7.7 million viewers for the final stage—numbers comparable to major sporting events such as the NHL Stanley Cup. This growing viewership aligns closely with Zwift's increasing involvement, whose sponsorship has been crucial in establishing and promoting the women's race since its launch. Zwift, a virtual reality cycling platform, has leveraged this partnership to expand its female subscriber base from 18% in 2022 to 23% of new users currently, reflecting a substantial shift in female engagement in cycling.
Zwift's embrace of the women's cycling market has been transformative, leading the company to extend their sponsorship for another four years, underscoring the long-term vision for growth in the sport. The Amaury Sport Organization (ASO), which established the women's Tour de France, has strategically aligned with Zwift to maximize exposure and engagement in the burgeoning women's cycling sector.
With the comprehensive roadmap for the 2026 Tour de France now public, preparations are well underway to deliver a landmark event that promises to elevate women's cycling to new heights alongside the traditional men's races. These developments highlight the event's commitment to inclusion, growth, and the evolving landscape of competitive cycling in France and across Europe.