Catch the Women's Tour de France 2025 stages live on television without shelling out a dime, here's when and where to tune in.
The 2025 edition of the Women's Tour de France will take place from July 26 to August 3, promising a thrilling contest among top women cyclists across a varied terrain. This year's race route reflects a mixture of short, punchy climbs favoring puncheurs in early stages and serious Alpine climbs for the general classification battles towards the final stages.
The Route
The race will start in Brittany, with the first stage covering 79 km from Vannes to Plumelec. This stage features medium mountains, including the Côte de Cadoudal, setting the tone for a challenging route. Stage 2, a flat 110 km ride from Brest to Quimper, will provide a much-needed respite before the mountain stages commence.
The third stage, a 162 km flat ride from La Gacilly to Angers, will be followed by the fourth stage, a 128 km flat stage from Saumur to Poitiers. However, the real challenges begin with the fifth stage, a 166 km medium mountain ride from Chasseneuil-Du-Poitou Futuroscope to Guéret.
The race will then head to the Alps for three mountain stages. Stage 6, covering 124 km from Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert, will be a mountain stage. The queen stage will be on Saturday, August 2, featuring the ascent of Col de la Madeleine, after climbing Col de Plainpalais, Col du Fréne, and Côte de Saint-Georges-d'Hurtières. The eighth stage, a 112 km mountain ride from Chambéry to Saint-François-Longchamp, will be another gruelling test for the riders. The final stage, on August 3, will cover 160 km from Praz-Sur-Arly to Châtel, making for a fittingly challenging conclusion to the race.
Key Riders to Watch
Key riders to watch this year include Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (a contender for overall victory), Puck Pieterse (predicted winner of stage one), Lotte Kopecky, Marianne Vos, Niamh Fisher-Black, Riejanne Markus, Juliette Labous, Liane Lippert, and Dominika Włodarczyk, among others.
Past Winners and Defending Champion
The Tour de France Femmes was relaunched in 2022 after many years without a comparable women’s Tour. The previous winners include Annemiek van Vleuten (2022) and Demi Vollering (2023). Kasia Niewiadoma is the defending champion, having won the race in 2024 by a narrow margin of four seconds over Demi Vollering.
Participating Riders
Seven Spanish riders will participate in the Women's Tour de France 2025: Alicia González, Mavi García, Sara Martín, Alba Teruel, Ane Santesteban, Idoia Eraso, and Usoa Ostolaza (from Laboral Kutxa-Euskadi).
Watch the Race
All stages of the Women's Tour de France 2025 can be watched on the website Play.
In summary, the 2025 edition promises a thrilling contest among top women cyclists across a varied terrain, starting with Brittany’s hills and culminating with the high mountains of the Alps, with several star riders expected to animate the race.
The challenges in the 2025 Women's Tour de France will require an average level of performance from the participants, as the route includes a mix of short climbs and longer mountain stages that will test their endurance. In the 'sport' of cycling, the race will showcase a variety of climbs, ranging from medium mountains in the early stages to serious Alpine climbs towards the final stages.
