The route for the 2027 Tour de France Femmes has been revealed, and with it the speculation about how next summer's race will look has already begun.
We have already dissected the route and where the race will be won, reported all the key riders' reactions, and offered our opinions on the course, but the big question still stands: who will actually win the race?
Of course, we won't know the answer to that question until next August, but the route announcement marks the start of the long build-up to the Tour, and riders will already be starting their preparation in one way or another.
So now that we know the route, who does it suit? Who is already in good stead as a possible yellow jersey contender, and who has work to do? Who looks like the most likely winner at this point in time? Should anyone be worrying?
We'll revisit this ranking periodically throughout the year, tracking the movers and shakers right up until our final assessment before the race next summer, but for now, here is our early form ranking of the riders who will hope to win the Tour de France Femmes next August.
Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ)
Even 10 months away from the Grand Départ in Leeds, it's without question that Demi Vollering will start as the overall favourite, having emerged victorious ahead of Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney after a close-fought 2026 edition, and just put together the best season of her career.
Now the World Champion, too, Vollering will take the start next August in the rainbow jersey, looking to make more history and become the first rider to win three Tours de France Femmes. She'll also head into 2027 as the reigning winner at the European Championships, Giro d'Italia, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, La Flèche Wallonne, Tour of Flanders, and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
With her incredibly-stacked FDJ United-SUEZ squad around her, Vollering reached new levels of dominance in the past 10 months to undeniably stand as the top rider in the women's peloton, and while she didn't win the queen stage to Mont Ventoux at the Tour – that honour went to Niewiadoma-Phinney – the key Puy de Dôme climb is arguably even more suited to her characteristics.
There's also nothing to suggest that the rest of the route - packed with a penultimate stage filled with climbs in the Massif Central, a team time trial in London, and several punchy days in hills - only favours the Ardennes specialist Vollering, who is also the top climber in the world, and her FDJ teammates.
Niewiadoma-Phinney almost upset the favourite with a stunning Ventoux ride and staunch defence into, but the final day proved that when it came to stage racing in 2026, the Dutch rider is a cut above, and her improved consistency only points to more incoming glory. (JM)
Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Lidl-Trek)
Along with Vollering, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney has been on the podium of every edition of the Tour de France Femmes, including one victory, and she'll be hoping to continue that streak with her next team next summer. Swapping Canyon-SRAM for Lidl-Trek, the Polish rider is embarking on a new chapter of her career in 2027, one that she hopes can propel her to the top step once again.
Whilst Niewiadoma-Phinney is yet to make her debut in Lidl-Trek colours, the early signs of the transfer point to her stepping into a team that has a bit more resource and climbing support than her old squad, which could be the boost she needs to contest the yellow jersey once again. The lack of a TT on the course suits her, and Lidl-Trek's strength in the TTT is an extra bonus, so it feels pretty likely that she'll be up there and fighting for yellow by the end of the week. The only question is whether she can find that extra percentage needed to turn the podium into the win – can Lidl-Trek be the change she needs? (MP)
Marlen Reusser (Movistar)
Marlen Reusser is one of the riders who will have looked at the Tour route and been dismayed at the lack of a time trial, as this is undoubtedly where she stands to gain the most against her rivals. But don't get it twisted, Reusser is also a fantastic climber on even the hardest of mountains, and whilst she's not always the instigator of early attacking racing, she's always alert and able to handle it when things get aggressive early.
The lack of a TT isn't any reason to count Reusser out, as she only gained 17 seconds on Vollering on the TT stage in 2026 and was still contending for the win until a crash on the final stage wiped out her chances. She will have to find another way to take time next summer, but with plenty of climbing and other chances to attack, there's no shortage of opportunities for Reusser to continue proving her worth as a GC rider.
The only question mark for the Swiss rider is where her new teammate Paula Blasi fits into Movistar's Grand Tour plans, and whether Reusser retains sole leadership here or focuses more on another Grand Tour. (MP)
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike)
2027 was originally the year Pauline Ferrand-Prévot was planning to target victory at the Tour when she made her full return to the road with Visma-Lease a Bike, but having already conquered the yellow jersey on her first attempt in 2025, she'll arrive at the 2027 race as a former champion looking to rediscover her best.
Her title defence didn't quite go to plan, coming majorly unstuck in the stage 4 individual time trial, and then fading towards a DNF after dropping more than 14 minutes behind the leaders on Mont Ventoux.
The lack of a solo race against the clock is of course a major benefit for Ferrand-Prévot, who will be 35 by the time the start of the Tour rolls round, and in theory, the crucial days to Clermont-Ferrand and the Puy de Dôme should suit her if she is back to her 2025 best level.
There were signs of that former best during the Classics, but by the time she raced the Vuelta and the Tour, she was way off the leading standard of Vollering and co. Big improvements will have to be made, but Ferrand-Prévot can sit comfortably knowing she's made similar comebacks before – whether that can be enough to stop Vollering's new peak, though, is a different question altogether. (JM)
Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team L'IMAD)
Until 2026, Elisa Longo Borghini had a fairly unfortunate record with the Tour de France Femmes, mainly marred by DNFs, but this summer she conquered her demons and ascended to the podium on the final day, her best Grand Tour result of the year. Though a two-time Giro d'Italia winner, Longo Borghini has still sometimes been slightly undervalued as a Grand Tour rider, perhaps owing to her lack of a record in the big mountains of the Tour, but third has surely underlined her status as a consistent and genuine podium contender.
In terms of the course, next year's route with its even spread of climbing rather than one big mountain will probably play into Longo Borghini's abilities, a hardy, punchy climber who has sometimes slightly faded when the altitude breaks 1,750 metres of elevation. This course, then, that packs in the elevation but with more, smaller climbs is surely better for her, and poses fewer risks in terms of losing time to the purer climbers. Her attacking style is also obviously great for the earlier, punchier days, so there's no reason why the Italian shouldn't target the podium again, if not the yellow jersey. (MP)
Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM)
With the departure of Niewiadoma-Phinney after nine successful years, Canyon-SRAM will likely be spearheaded by their star home German rider Antonia Niedermaier in 2027, a consistent climber and elite time trialist.
At just 23, Niewiadoma has one of the highest ceilings among the current peloton, and having already finished fourth overall and won the best young rider's white jersey at this year's Tour, alongside taking second behind Vollering at the Giro, she's more than shown she is ready for leadership at the big occasion.
When it comes to the course, any climb suits Niedermaier, but she isn't the punchiest rider in the bunch, so she may be looking to either anticipate or stay in contact in preparation for the Puy de Dôme finale. What does work in her and Canyon's favour is the team time trial, which, despite only being 18km in length, should be a chance to gain some time with the likes of Niedermaier and Zoe Bäckstedt powering their team. (JM)
Paula Blasi (Movistar)
Paula Blasi was the Grand Tour revelation of 2026, winning La Vuelta Femenina in exciting fashion, but she hasn't fully turned her hand to the Tour yet, riding in a controversial co-leader role with UAE this summer. Complications over her role within the team and impending departure aside, though, Blasi put together a great week of racing to finish fifth overall, and underlined that her Vuelta win was not a fluke or surprise.
Considering she took fifth as a co-leader, with teammate Longo Borghini taking third, the next question is how she could perform as sole leader, but it's not immediately clear whether that question will be answered next year.
Heading to Movistar this winter, Blasi will link up with established Grand Tour leader Marlen Reusser, and the pair are expected to balance GC leadership opportunities, but it's not clear yet what that may look like. It seems likely that the two of them could both race the Tour, and therefore it might mean another year of waiting for sole leadership for Blasi. But, as this year proved, she can achieve a top result even when sharing the limelight, so it seems very possible that she could still take home a solid top 10 even if Movistar nominate Reusser as leader. (MP)
Cédrine Kerbaol (SD Worx-ProTime)
Cédrine Kerbaol is not only the best descender in the women's peloton, but also one of the top operators when the road goes uphill, landing her career-best GC finish at this year's Tour de France in sixth.
Making the move from EF Education-Oatly to SD Worx-ProTime, Kerbaol joins one of the top teams in the sport as a potential leader for the Tour, with likely combinations alongside Anna van der Breggen, Nienke Vinke, and Lotte Kopecky.
A team time trial is less favourable to the French rider than an ITT, but the Dutch team should still put up one of the strongest outfits for the race against the clock, with the punchy stages in France and route down to the Massif Central suiting Kerbaol's versatility.
She may be outclimbed on the Puy de Dôme even by teammate Vinke, but will have wanted to attack in prior stages to try and arrive at that finale with time to defend. The constant ups and downs of stages 5 and 8 are right in her wheelhouse, with several chances to attack away on a descent, then stay away on the climbs – with a less brutal climbing route, Kerbaol comes more into play. (JM)
Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal)
AG Insurance-Soudal's Kim Le Court-Pienaar is another rider who will potentially benefit from the lack of a major Alpine or Pyrenean ascent when it comes to the 2027 route.
Her characteristics as a Classics star who can also climb well make it likely that she arrives at the final duo of stages with a lead over some of the purer climbers. And after the rotten luck she has had for much of 2026, the Mauritian will hope to come to the UK Grand Depart without as many bumps in the road as she had in the most recent campaign.
Winner of the stage of the Tour this year, the former yellow jersey winner also won the Tour of Britain, finished ninth on GC at the Tour, and finished fourth at the Tour de Suisse and UAE Tour.
Now established as one of the top riders in the world, Le Court is a marked rider in the bunch, but with a hopefully full-strength Sarah Gigante and Justine Ghekiere among her supporters in 2027, she could put together a result that propels her much higher than ninth in the race for yellow, over a route which is much more suited to her on paper.
Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek)
Isabella Holmgren proved herself as a future GC leader in 2026 with standout results at both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France Femmes, finishing seventh and eighth overall, respectively, but she may have found herself bumped down the leadership hierarchy at Lidl-Trek with the arrival of Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney. It's no slight on Holmgren's ability, but just the reality of having a former Tour winner join the team.
It does mean, though, that we don't know quite what role Holmgren might have in the Tour next year, or even if she goes at all – perhaps a sole leadership bid at the Giro d'Italia will be the focus of her summer. But if she does return to the Tour, something she has more than earned, she'll be a valuable domestique for Niewiadoma-Phinney and strong enough to grab a spot in the top 10 herself. The lack of big, high mountains is probably a disadvantage for the lightweight Canadian climber, meaning her stocks probably aren't quite as high as they were for this year's race. (MP)
Honourable mentions
Her lack of racing in 2026 makes it hard to judge her level, but if Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) can put together an illness- and injury-free run-in to the Tour de France Femmes, then she is always a formidable contender, though she'll rue the lack of an ultra-big climb. With Urška Žigart too, AG Insurance have a wealth of options for this race.
Ninke Vienke is one of SD Worx-Protime's next Grand Tour leaders, but has probably shifted down the hierarchy slightly with the arrival of Cédrine Kerbaol, who will likely claim leadership at her home Tour. Vienke can still provide important climbing support and perhaps a solid result of her own.
Dominika Włodarczyk was the third part of UAE Team L'Imad's three-pronged attack in 2026, and delivered with a seventh to go with her fourth from 2025, proving herself as one of the peloton's most underrated GC riders. She'll step up a level with Blasi gone, but will likely still play second fiddle to Longo Borghini, which may place a ceiling on what she can achieve.
While likely to become a domestique for Niewiadome-Phinney in 2027 at Lidl-Trek, 10th place on GC at the Tour and fifth place overall at the Giro this year, Niamh Fisher-Black should be in the game for the top spots, but the lack of pure high-mountain climbing puts her further down the pecking order.
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