Stage 8 Individual Time Trial — Pau to Pau (22.6km) — Sunday, July 30
Not that the riders will be looking up, but you can’t beat the views for this final stage of the Tour de France Femmes. Pau, located on the Pyrenees mountains’ northern edge and about 85 km from the Spanish border, is just breathtaking. Pau is the town that has hosted the race most often, after Paris and Bordeaux.
Riders finish the race with an individual time trial consisting of mostly flat terrain. And at 22.6K there’s enough room to make some moves. This is virtually the same distance the men rode in their stage 17. And just like the men, the Femmes riders will have to deal with a climb. This stage follows the roads through the countryside and will demand proper pacing to be able to really gun it at the end.
This stage is very similar to the men’s 2019 time trial, but running the opposite direction. After finishing the climb (1.8km at 5.5%), which comes right around the halfway mark, the winding course will give several opportunities to sprint. The finish line approach is at a slight incline with plenty of suspense at the end (we hope).
Riders to watch
Because it’s the final stage, expect everyone to empty the tank. It’s the first time the Tour de France Femmes will see a time trial. Demi Vollering (SD Worx) will be wearing the yellow jersey, looking to clinch the win in the General Classification. Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM) and defending TDFF champion Annemiek van Vleutan (Movistar) will aim to solidify their spots on the podium, but former yellow jersey holder Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx)—a strong time trialist—is not far off in fourth.
We could see some surprises here—Teniel Campbell (Jayco–AlUla)? She won the Caribbean Road Championships TT last year and we’d love to see her throw down on the final stage. Grace Brown (FDJ–Suez) will definitely shine—she was 2nd in the TT at Worlds in 2022
When to watch
The final stage begins at 8:30 a.m. ET and the last rider should be through around 11:30 a.m. ET. The excitement should build throughout the day, but it’s the last stage so you’ve got to watch it all!
Micah Ling is a freelance writer who lives in the mountains of Colorado. She splits her free time between mountain biking and trail running.
