Women's Tour de France Tackles Mont Ventoux for First Time

Women cyclists are about to make history on one of the most famous mountains in sports.

The Tour de France Femmes begins Saturday in Lausanne, Switzerland, and will tackle Mont Ventoux for the first time in the women's race. The iconic climb in Provence has tested male cyclists for generations, but women riders have never competed on this legendary peak during the Tour.

Stage seven will take riders to the summit of Ventoux, where a telecommunications tower marks one of cycling's most challenging ascents. This year's race covers 1,175 kilometers across nine stages, making it the longest since the Tour returned to the World Tour calendar as a stage race in 2022.

Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot of France knows the mountain well. The 34-year-old has scouted the route multiple times since learning it would be included in this year's race.

Ferrand-Prevot made history last year when she became the first Frenchwoman to win the Tour since 1989. She's no stranger to breaking barriers, having become the first cyclist ever to hold world titles in mountain biking, cyclo-cross, and road racing simultaneously back in 2015.

Dutch rider Demi Vollering poses a serious threat to Ferrand-Prevot's title defense. She won the Tour in 2023 and finished second in three other editions, making her one of the most consistent performers in the race's brief modern history.

Britain's Zoe Backstedt will make her Tour debut at age 21. She's already won seven races this season and follows in her father Magnus's footsteps, who won a Tour de France stage in 1998.

The Ripple Effect

The expansion of the women's Tour represents a massive shift in professional cycling. Just four years ago, this multi-stage race didn't exist on the calendar.

Now women riders tackle the same legendary climbs that made cycling heroes out of men for decades. Ferrand-Prevot races wearing a jersey designed by children as part of her campaign to inspire the next generation of cyclists.

Six other British riders join Backstedt on the starting line, with talent spread across multiple teams. The race has grown to attract the world's best cyclists across all disciplines, from climbers to sprinters to time trial specialists.

Young riders like 21-year-old Marion Bunel have a real shot at the white jersey for best young rider. The competition across all jersey categories shows how deep the talent pool has become.

Women's professional cycling keeps gaining ground, one mountain at a time.