Geneva to Poligny stage three of Tour de France Femmes 2026 underway

By Liam Tremblay — 3 August 2026 — 4 min read

Stage Overview and Terrain

The third stage of the Tour de France Femmes 2026, spanning 156.5km, commenced from Geneva, Switzerland, and is set to conclude in Poligny, France. This stage marks the second-longest of the tour and introduces the first significant hills, featuring four categorized climbs and approximately 2,500m of elevation gain. The most challenging sections, including the steepest and longest climbs, are concentrated within the initial 25km as the peloton heads north out of Geneva.

Weather forecasts for the day predict hot conditions, with temperatures ranging from 33-35C, alongside a chance of rain, particularly during the demanding early stages. The route largely traverses the Jura region of France. Notably, the first part of the stage, which includes the ascent of the Col de la Faucille, is not being televised in full, unlike Wednesday’s fifth stage and Sunday’s concluding ninth stage.

The Col de la Faucille, a category one climb, is a key feature of today’s route. Early in the climb, Puck Pieterse secured 10 points by being the first over the summit, ahead of Nikola Noskova. The peloton currently maintains a lead of nearly 1km over the group that includes the current race leader, Lorena Wiebes. During the ascent, approximately 11 riders were dropped from the main peloton, including Alison Jackson of St Michel, Amalie Dideriksen of Cofidis, and Pfeiffer Georgi of Picnic.

Local Interest and Rider Updates

The stage began a few minutes ago, passing through Cessy, a small town with a population just under 6,000, known for being located above the Large Hadron Collider. Prior to reaching Cessy and near the French-Swiss border, the route passes through Bossy, part of the Collex-Bossy municipality.

The Jura region is recognized for its local specialities, including Comte cheese, Morbier cheese, and Vache Qui Rit cheese. The town of Saint-Claude within the Jura is known as the “world capital of pipe making” and houses a museum dedicated to pipes and diamonds. Poligny, the stage’s destination, is home to La Maison du Comté, a centre for learning about Comte cheese, which was also a finalist for the 10th French National Wood Construction Award in 2021.

In rider news, Dina Boels has abandoned the race. The Belgian rider was in 139th and last place after yesterday’s second stage, having only just managed to cross the finish line within the time limit. There was also a small, non-serious crash reported earlier in the stage.

Wiebes’ Dominance and Vos’ Legacy

Lorena Wiebes has demonstrated significant dominance in the sprints, securing back-to-back victories in recent days during stages 1 and 2 of the Tour de France Femmes. These wins have increased her career stage tally in the race to seven, and she has now spent her fourth career day in the tour’s yellow jersey. She is considered the fastest sprinter in the sport, showcasing versatility that extends beyond many of her sprint rivals, as evidenced by her performance in the hilly finale of stage 1.

Despite Wiebes’ current success, her career achievements are often compared to those of Marianne Vos. Wiebes, who is 27 years of age, has accumulated 133 career victories so far, including 16 road wins this year. Her dominance in bunch sprints is notable, with rivals often needing to devise strategies to prevent her from winning.

Marianne Vos, at 39 years of age, has a career spanning two decades, beginning in 2006. She holds a remarkable record of 259 career successes. Her achievements include three road world championship titles, six second-place finishes, an Olympic championship in 2012, and 32 stages in the Giro d’Italia Femminile. While she has yet to win a stage in the Tour de France Femmes, this is partly attributed to her age and the race’s relatively recent inception in 2022.

Vos’ career is also distinguished by the wide range of her victories across various terrains, including five Flèche Wallonne Féminine titles and two Amstel Gold successes. Although Wiebes outpaces Vos in current sprints, with Vos finishing third on Sunday’s stage compared to Wiebes’ first, Vos’ overall career accomplishments underscore her significant impact on the sport. Jez Smith, who was in Geneva for the start of today’s stage, shared a picture of his two-year-old Australian Shepherd, Shadow, watching the event with a Swiss broadcaster tower in the background.

Source: theguardian.com