Tour de France Femmes 2025 stage 9 preview – Last chance to make an impact on the general classification

The Tour de France Femmes will conclude with stage 9, a 124.1km stage from Praz-sur-Arly to Châtel. The stage is held entirely in the Haute-Savoie département, which will host the multi-discipline 2027 World Championships. The Châtel ski resort is part of the cross-border French-Swiss ski area Les Portes du Soleil.

Early on, riders will get a look at part of the circuit to be used in the 2027 Worlds road race as they pass the top of the Côte de Domancy (also used in the 1980 Worlds) and descend towards Sallanches.

After a few kilometres in the valley of the Arve, the road turns uphill to the village of Arâches-la-Frasse. The first-category, 6.2km climb has an average gradient of 7.1%, and if a break hasn’t formed already, it offers the perfect opportunity for good climbers to get away.

A short stretch on a plateau and the following descent take the peloton to the valley of the Giffre, following the river upstream to Samoëns. The intermediate sprint in Morillon likely won’t be of much interest since the points classification is virtually decided, with Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) holding a 32-point lead over Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), who will probably focus on protecting Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s yellow jersey.

In Samoëns, however, the Col de Joux Plane begins. The hors catégorie ascent goes on for 11.6km at 8.5% and is the hardest climb of the day. Always climbed from Samoëns, it has been used 13 times in the men’s Tour de France, twice (1984 and 1987) in the Tour de France féminin that was held alongside the men’s Tour from 1984 to 1989, and four times in the Critérium du Dauphiné.

After a 2.8km stretch to the Col du Ranfolly, riders face a fast and technical 7.1km descent towards Morzine. This descent and the one from the Col du Corbier that comes later in the stage could be used by Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) or Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) to put pressure on Sarah Gigante in an attempt to wrest the GC runner-up spot from the Australian climber.

Having passed through Morzine, the race will follow the Dranse de Morzine downriver until 34.8km to go, where riders turn right onto the first-category Col du Corbier. Climbing for 5.9km at 8.5%, it is the final classified climb of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes. The Col du Corbier was used seven times by the men’s Tour, twice (1985 and 1988) by the Tour de France féminin.

The 2012 Critérium du Dauphiné also crossed the Col du Corbier on its final stage 7, and the Tour de France Femmes peloton will follow the same route, climbing the Dranse d’Abondance valley towards Châtel.

In Châtel, the Route de la Béchigne is a 1.5km climb at 8.7% that was classified as a third-category climb in the 2012 Dauphiné but offers no mountain points to the Tour de France Femmes peloton. And unlike the men in 2012 who finished here, the women keep going for another six kilometres.

These are the same as on stage 9 of the 2022 men’s Tour de France that came into France over the Pas de Morgins. After descending slightly for two kilometres, riders will gain 184 altitude metres on the last 4km to Pré la Joux, climbing very irregularly, sometimes almost flat, sometimes at a 10% gradient.

As in the men’s Tour, no mountain points are on offer at the top, but the allure of a prestigious Tour stage victory will be strong. While Ferrand-Prévot only has to defend her sizable GC lead, she could be tempted by a stage win in the maillot jaune – and even if the Frenchwoman is content with securing her overall victory, there should be enough riders wanting to nudge the podium or take the stage.

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAMzondacrypto) has taken to the overall podium of the race the last three years and doesn't want that to change in the fourth, even though she is currently sitting in fourth overall, 22 seconds behind third-placed Demi Vollering and 1:03 behind Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal). Vollering, too could easily be eyeing off that second place overall now held by Gigante.

Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) lost nine minutes on stage 8 and tumbled down the GC. If she recovered well overnight, Van der Breggen could go for the stage, either from an early breakaway now that she is no longer a GC threat or by attacking on the climbs in the final.

Stage 9 information

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Mountains

• Côte d'Araches-la-Frasse (6.2km at 7.1%), Cat.1, 33.9km
• Col de Joux-Plane (11.6km at 8.5%), HC, 66.6km
• Col du Corbier (5.9km at 8.5%), Cat.1, 95.2km