"The objective is to enter the legend of the Tour" - Race organiser discusses dream to further expand Tour de France Femmes
Cycling
Today marks 100 days until the Grand Départ of the fourth
edition of the Tour de France Femmes, which will begin on Saturday 26th July.
For the first time in its history, the women’s Grande Boucle will kick off in
the Morbihan region of Brittany.
The 2025 edition will span nine stages, one more than in
previous years, highlighting the event’s ongoing growth and ambition. At a
presentation held today, Cyclism’Actu caught up with Franck Perque, who offered insight into the upcoming route and what fans can
expect.
"A short and dynamic format for punchers, this will be
the case on the first stage with only 79km and three times the ascent of
Cadoudal," Perque explained of the race’s opening day in Brittany. "We
wanted to be quickly in the tempo. The riders will certainly have to be in
shape from the start, we cannot afford not to be.
“The girls who will be fighting for the general
classification will have to be vigilant. We can lose the Tour every day, we saw
it again last year with the fall of Vollering, but we will have to be vigilant
from this Grand Départ, with potential breaks and gaps.
"Lotte Kopecky is particularly strong on this type of
stage, and she has made it her main objective. But we also think of the French
women, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Evita Muzic, Juliette Labous..."
As for the general classification picture, Perque believes
the race will start to take shape very early.
"I think we'll have an idea of the profile of the overall winner on
Saturday, after La Madeleine. And the next day, those who have been trapped
will want to express themselves and reshuffle the cards in Joux-Plane. The
objective is to enter the legend of the Tour, so we'll look for the legendary
passes, like the Tourmalet and then the Alpe d'Huez before that."
With nine stages now on the schedule, the race continues to
push its boundaries. Asked how far the Tour de France Femmes can go, Perque
remained open-minded.
"I don't know, but we're not ruling anything out. We had to evolve, and
we'll continue to do so. If we want to be part of the event that's the
benchmark, we need to have a significant number of days and demanding courses
to showcase the best. I don't have a specific number in mind, but 9 days is
already significant, and we'll see later."
Before wrapping up, he also gave a nod to home favourite
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, hinting that she could be a serious contender, "We
can't rule anything out, we saw her on Saturday at Paris-Roubaix. Given her
physical qualities, there's no doubt: she'll be there, she's already proven it
at the start of the season."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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