Tour de France Femmes 2026 sees rising contenders Niamh Fisher-Black and Zoe Backstedt

New Zealand climber Niamh Fisher-Black, 25, finished fifth in the 2025 Tour de France Femmes and is now the clear general‑classification leader for Lidl‑Trek in the 2026 edition. She aims to convert her top‑five finish into a podium by limiting losses in the Dijon time trial, staying close on the hilly middle stages and attacking on the decisive climbs of Mont Ventoux and the final mountain stage around Nice.

British rider Zoe Backstedt, 21, received her first Tour de France Femmes selection after a breakthrough season that included national road and time‑trial titles and a dominant record in individual time trials. She said, "When you get the phone call to say that you've been selected, it's like, OK, don't scream. You can scream after you've put the phone down." Backstedt, the under‑23 world champion, will target a stage win in the 21 km time trial from Gevrey‑Chambertin to Dijon, hoping her recent form translates to success on the race’s opening weekend in Lausanne.