We preview the biggest race on the calendar
The biggest event on the women’s cycling calendar is here. Switzerland sets the stage for the Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes 2026, and Lidl-Trek is primed and ready to race.
We line up in Lausanne with a versatile seven-rider squad capable of challenging for the general classification, sprint victories and opportunities across every terrain.
Photo: Anouk Flesch
From a general classification perspective, Niamh Fisher-Black and Isabella Holmgren will lead the team in the mountains. Both riders have had strong seasons so far, proving their climbing prowess at the Giro d’Italia Women just a few months ago. Fisher-Black has established herself among the sport’s most consistent stage racers in recent years and will relish a Tour route that becomes increasingly selective over nine days of racing. She is hoping to challenge the very best in the fight for the yellow jersey this week.
Holmgren is one of the most promising young riders in the current Women’s WorldTour peloton and, as a result of this, convincingly won the white jersey at the Giro d’Italia in June. The young Canadian will make her Tour de France Femmes debut with the aim of gaining experience and learning from her teammates, as well as chasing her own ambitions when the race hits her favoured terrain. The 21-year-old is a key contender for the maillot blanc.
Photo: Getty Images
On the flatter stages, Elisa Balsamo will spearhead Lidl-Trek’s sprint challenge. The Italian arrives at the Tour in excellent form following two podium finishes at the Tour of Poland, and will have several opportunities to hunt stage victories. She will be backed by a team capable of delivering her into position when the race comes down to a fast bunch kick and is motivated off the back of her four stage victories and stint in pink at the Giro.
Supporting those ambitions is a versatile group with experience across every terrain. Lucinda Brand brings her trademark resilience and race craft, while Riejanne Markus provides strength in the mountains and on the front of the peloton. Loes Adegeest adds another attacking option, with the Dutch rider equally comfortable covering dangerous moves or creating opportunities from breakaways.
Amanda Spratt completes the seven-rider roster, bringing a wealth of Grand Tour experience and calm leadership to the team. Her knowledge of racing at the highest level will be invaluable throughout the week, particularly as the race reaches its decisive mountain stages.
Lidl-Trek’s lead Sports Director, Ina-Yoko Teutenberg commented ahead of the race:
The Tour is always hard. It’s never easy but this year it’s an extremely challenging route that ASO created. The long time trial will create gaps between the GC riders, so I really see an agressive race coming in the first few day, but for sure after the TT from stage five to nine. We know the race is not decided until everyone crosses the finish in Nice as the last stage is one of the hardest of the whole race. Mont Ventoux will show the best climbers of the Tour and we have good chances there with Bella and Niamh on the start line. But we picked a team this year with the whole management and performance group and we want to approach the Tour day by day as we really want to capture that missing stage win that the team hasn’t got in the past five years of the Tour de France Femmes.
Photo: Anouk Flesch
We will do everyday going into the stage as a one-day race. We have some strong riders capable to win out of breaks even if the courses are hard and we will see what Niamh and Bella can do, but they also will go firstly for stage wins and the GC win will come if they have no mishaps and good legs, then they will get support from the team at the later end of the race. But we start the race with a first priority for stage wins and then we see where we can end up on GC with Bella and Niamh both being co-leaders.
With contenders across multiple stage profiles, Lidl-Trek is ready to race aggressively. Whether it’s chasing the yellow jersey, sprinting for victory or making the most of opportunities through attacking racing, the team has all the ingredients to leave its mark on the biggest race of the season.
