- Over 5,500 passionate cyclists took part in the first edition of L’Étape du Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, from Chambéry to Saint-François-Longchamp (Col de la Madeleine)
- 117 km with a total climb of 3,540 m, or an alternative route of 98 km and 3,050 m of elevation gain
- Just a few hours before the pros, on the course of the 8th and penultimate stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift
- Closed roads for maximum safety, the same experience as the pros, on the same day as the champions
- Victories for Frenchman Thibaut Clément and Briton Victoria Stansfield
- Nearly one-third of the participants were women, with 58 nationalities represented
Breathless, but filled with joy. At the summit of the Col de la Madeleine, 2,000 meters up in Saint-François-Longchamp, despite cloudy skies and “fresh” temperatures, joy prevailed. Participants in the first edition of L’Étape du Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift knew they had experienced a particularly intense—and above all, unique—day. The day began early in Chambéry. Just hours before the eighth and penultimate stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, they took the same roads as the champions, from Chambéry to Saint-François-Longchamp via the Col de la Madeleine. As with L’Étape du Tour de France from Albertville to La Plagne on July 20th, cyclists enjoyed closed roads for maximum safety and dreamlike scenery over 117 km through the heart of Savoie, including 3,540 m of elevation gain. Around 900 riders opted for the slightly less demanding alternative route: 98 km and 3,050 m of climbing. Just a few kilometers after the start, the Col de Plainpalais (13.2 km at 6.3%) presented the first major challenge. Riders then left the Bauges massif to reach the Maurienne valley via the smoother Col du Frêne (only on the longer route). After a fairly technical descent toward the feed zone at Saint-Pierre-d’Albigny, they tackled the Côte de Saint-Georges-d’Hurtières (4.8 km at 5.9%). Following a 20 km ride through the valley, the peloton faced the climb to the Col de la Madeleine from its hardest side (18.6 km at an average of 8.1%)—a legendary Tour de France climb with its 2,000 m summit. Along the way, spectators gathered to “warm up” and cheer riders on before the women's peloton passed by later that day.
Thibaut Clément, a 32-year-old Normandy native living in Annecy, was the fastest, finishing in 3h49’04’’, 16 seconds ahead of Arthur Blanc (second at L’Étape du Tour de France), and nearly three minutes ahead of Antoine Berger. Clément, fourth in L’Étape du Tour de France 2024 and 2025 and is a Gran Fondo European Champion with 7 wins last year. He also holds the unsupported record for crossing Corsica (590 km and 9,400 m of climbing) and the Route des Alpes in 38h46’56 (754 km with 17,540 m of elevation). “I’m super proud of this win,” he said. “I really wanted to podium, since I knew the course well. Reaching the summit of such an iconic climb as the Madeleine is incredible. I attacked 3 km from the top of Plainpalais. I got away but didn’t build much of a gap. We managed it well with my teammate Antoine Berger. We’re not the best climbers, so we had to get ahead. It held, but it was tight! It also makes up for my frustration from L’Étape du Tour de France, where I just missed the podium. I trained a lot for this. Riding just before the pros is also thrilling—it helps you really appreciate it.”
In the women’s race, Briton Victoria Stansfield, 30, a top-level trail runner based in Chamonix and international triathlete with a 2h41 marathon time, showed her cycling strength, reaching the summit in 4h25’35’’ ahead of Germany’s Emila Welte and France’s Eva Poirot. “I’m really, really happy,” she said. “It’s only my second bike race. I started in June and I love it! I didn’t really have a strategy, just wanted to enjoy it. The atmosphere was truly amazing. Everyone was cheering at the top. It’ll be exciting to watch the pros this afternoon. The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is iconic—we have to support women!”.
For many others, the day was much longer—but equally exhilarating. “I had an amazing time,” said Florence from the Paris region. “It was my first time doing something like this and I loved it. Everything is set up to make the day magical. I was also surprised by how many women were in the peloton. It’s great to see so many. I’ve been watching the women’s Tour all week, and today I almost felt like one of those champions! OK, not with the same speed, but the same excitement…” Former French triathletes Audrey and Célia Merle also took part, finishing just over 5 hours.
The peloton included many French cyclists of course, but also 14% international riders from 58 countries. “I planned my holiday around this event,” said Jos from Belgium. “Riding on closed roads in full safety is a real luxury. And all the volunteers, all the feed zones—we had the best conditions! Even with the overcast skies, I’ll long remember these landscapes and this day.”
After crossing the finish line, participants, medal around their necks, headed to the Fan Zone in Saint-François-Longchamp to soak in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift atmosphere—with its publicity caravan and many activities. They still had enough strength and enthusiasm to cheer on the peloton: Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Maëva Squiban, Juliette Labous, and all the other French riders, as well as Dutch star Demi Vollering, Yellow Jersey Kim Le Court-Pienaar from Mauritius, and all the other champions. A great day of sport—and celebration.
