Sandrine Tas debuts at Tour de France Femmes after rapid rise from speed skating

Former Belgian speed skater Sandrine Tas, who narrowly missed a medal at the Olympic Winter Games, switched to road cycling less than six months ago. In her first full season she won two stages of the Bretagne Ladies Tour, earned two medals at the Belgian road championships and quickly became one of the season’s breakout riders.

Intermarché‑Lotto Ladies announced her selection for the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, describing her as a key rider for the squad. Tas said the race is a “big discovery trip” and expressed pride at starting the world’s premier women’s stage race.

Her earlier development was spotted by the Sprinters Malderen team, whose director Luc Steenackers recalled her talent from her skating days and noted the lack of training compensation for women’s cycling talent pathways.