2026 Tour de France Femmes Stage 1 Results & Recap
Stage 1 of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
Wiebes claims first yellow jersey at Tour de France Femmes
Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime) claimed the first yellow jersey of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes on Saturday, powering to victory in the uphill sprint finish in Lausanne from a select group of GC favorites. Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) finished second, four seconds behind on general classification after bonus seconds were awarded, while Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) rounded out the stage podium.
The 138-kilometer opener exploded into action almost immediately as attacks flew from the gun. Maud Rijnbeek (VolkerWessels) and Idoia Eraso (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) were among the first to get some daylight before Nikola Nosková (Cofidis) bridged across. Océane Mahe (Ma Petite Entreprise) later joined the move to create the day's four-rider breakaway.
Behind them, Canadian champion Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) animated the race with a determined solo chase that lasted more than 50 kilometers. Kiara Lylyk (Mayenne-Mombana-MyPie) also spent much of the opening half of the stage off the front before both riders were eventually absorbed by the peloton.
The breakaway was given plenty of freedom, stretching its advantage to nearly six minutes as the peloton showed little interest in mounting an early chase. Eraso claimed maximum points at the intermediate sprint in Villeneuve, while Mahe strengthened her grip on the Queen of the Mountains competition by cresting the first two categorized climbs ahead of her companions.
A handful of crashes marred the peloton, with Zoe Bäckstedt, Puck Pieterse, Robyn Clay and Christina Schweinberger among those hitting the ground before remounting. Laura Tomasi (Uno-X Mobility) later became the first rider to abandon this year's Tour after injuries sustained in an earlier crash.
On the final classified climbs, FDJ United-Suez increased the tempo with Amber Kraak and Évita Muzic on the front, splitting the bunch and putting several riders into difficulty. On the Côte de Vulliens, Nosková attacked her fellow escapees after taking maximum mountain points, riding clear on her own while Eraso, Rijnbeek and later Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) tried to organize the chase.
As the race entered its final 20 kilometers, the chasers rejoined Nosková, reforming a four-rider lead group. Behind them, UAE Team ADQ and Canyon//SRAM marshaled the peloton.
The quartet's advantage melted away on the Category 4 Côte Saint-François, the final climb of the day, where bonus seconds toward the yellow jersey were also on offer. The breakaway was finally swallowed with just over six kilometers remaining.
Le Court launched the first acceleration inside two kilometers to go, but the favorites marked one another closely as they passed under the flamme rouge. Demi Vollering struck first in the uphill sprint, with Le Court immediately on her wheel, but Wiebes patiently waited for her moment before launching a finishing kick that carried her to the stage victory and the race's first yellow jersey.
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