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Two days of racing through the volcanic hills of southern France

Tour de l’Ardèche Women

A compact stage race in the Ardèche that rewards climbers who can handle steep, punchy terrain across consecutive days.

Open 2026 results Winners
Location
🇫🇷 France
When
Early September
Course
Stage Race
Most recent winner
🇫🇷 Juliette Berthet (2026)
Also known as
Faun Tour Femmes
Category
Women’s Continental

About Tour de l’Ardèche Women

Tour de l'Ardèche Women is a two-day cycling stage race held in the Ardèche department of southern France. The race typically takes place in early September and serves as a late-season opportunity for climbers and stage-race specialists on the continental calendar.

Also known as: Faun Tour Femmes · Tour Cycliste Feminin International de l'Ardeche · TCFIA

Since its 2003 debut, the Ardèche has grown into one of the toughest tests on the women's calendar, known for its severe elevation and volcanic mountain scenery.

The Ardèche offers a distinct flavor of French racing: narrow roads, volcanic ridges, and short, steep climbs that punish hesitation. The compact format means every stage matters, and the terrain favors riders who can climb repeatedly without fading. It's a proving ground for emerging talent and a late-season target for those who thrive in hilly, technical racing.

Tour de l’Ardèche Women winners

YearWinner
2026🇫🇷Juliette Berthet
2025🇮🇹Monica Trinca Colonel
2024🇳🇱Thalita de Jong
2023🇮🇹Marta Cavalli
2022🇩🇪Antonia Niedermaier
2021🇺🇸Leah Thomas
2020🇺🇸Lauren Stephens
2019🇳🇱Marianne Vos
2018🇵🇱Kasia Niewiadoma

2026 results

This edition is complete.

Tour de l’Ardèche Women route

The race unfolds across the rolling, sometimes severe terrain of the Ardèche, a region defined by volcanic plateaus, river gorges, and sudden elevation changes. Stages typically feature multiple categorized climbs, often short and steep rather than long Alpine ascents. The roads are narrow and technical, and the racing tends to fracture early on exposed ridges or punchy finishes. Time gaps accumulate through attrition rather than single decisive moves. Climbers with good positioning and the ability to recover overnight hold the advantage. Flat stages are rare, and even transitional kilometers tend to roll. The GC is usually decided by cumulative climbing strength and consistency across both days.

What shapes the race

  1. Week-long climbing test

    Traditionally a 6 to 7 stage race through the Ardeche and surrounding regions, with mountain stages that favor climbers and all-rounders.

  2. French women's racing foundation

    The longest-running international women's stage race in France (since 2003), filling a gap left by the defunct Grande Boucle Feminine.

  3. Gorges and mountains

    The route passes through the Gorges de l'Ardeche canyon landscape and into the Cevennes mountains, offering dramatic terrain.

Signature landmarks

  1. Terrain

    Gorges de l'Ardeche

    The scenic canyon landscape through which the race routes pass, one of France's most dramatic natural features.

  2. Summit finish

    Mont Lozere

    A stage finish in the Cevennes mountains, providing the race's most demanding climbing test.

History

Memorable editions

  1. 2003

    Inaugural edition

    Created to fill the void left by the Grande Boucle Feminine Internationale's removal from the UCI calendar.

  2. 2019

    Vos dominates

    Marianne Vos won five stages and the overall in dominant fashion, capping a season that earned her VeloNews Female Cyclist of the Year.

  3. 2018

    Niewiadoma wins

    Kasia Niewiadoma, the future Tour de France Femmes champion, won the race early in her career.

Iconic victories

  1. Emma Pooley

    Only two-time winner (2011, 2012). Former World Time Trial Champion and Olympic silver medalist.

  2. Marianne Vos

    Won in 2019 with five stage wins and the GC, arguably the greatest female cyclist of all time showcasing her climbing range.

  3. Kasia Niewiadoma

    Won in 2018, the future Tour de France Femmes champion's early-career stage race credentials.

Eras and records

First held in 2003. The longest-running international women's stage race in France, with 23 editions through 2025.

  1. Most overall wins

    Emma Pooley, 2 (2011, 2012).

  2. Editions held

    23 editions since 2003. From 2026, the format will shrink from 6-7 stages to three stages with live TV coverage.