Tour de France Femmes 2025 – Stage 7 Preview
Bourg-en-Bresse → Chambéry | Friday, August 1, 2025 | 159.7 km | Hilly
The Tour de France Femmes enters the high mountains—and the stakes rise with the elevation.
Stage 7 delivers the first true Alpine test of the race. After a deceptive opening 100 kilometers of smooth Rhône Valley roads, the terrain shifts. Fast. Two sharp climbs open the finale, but all eyes are on the Col du Granier—an 8.8-kilometer ascent that will help decide who’s still in the GC conversation. From there, it’s a downhill run into Chambéry, but don’t mistake it for easy. This descent is long, fast, and technical. Mistakes can cost seconds—or the race.
With nearly 2,000 metres of climbing and a nervy, twisting finish, this is the queen stage disguised in plain clothing. Expect fireworks in the final hour.
📊 Stage 7 Quick Profile Snapshot
Detail | Info |
|---|---|
Date | Friday, August 1, 2025 |
Stage Type | Hilly / Mountain Transition |
Start → Finish | Bourg-en-Bresse → Chambéry |
Distance | 159.7 km |
Elevation Gain | ~1,950 m |
Main Climbs | Côte de Saint-Franc, Col du Granier |
Key Descent | Col du Granier → Chambéry (17.7 km) |
Start Time (CEST) | 13:30 |
Finish Time (Est.) | ~17:30 |
🧭 TDF Femmes stage 7 Route Breakdown
The stage opens in Bourg-en-Bresse, hugging the lowlands for over 100 km. The Rhône guides the route south through sleepy villages and flat farmlands—perfect for breakaways, but unlikely to challenge the peloton.
That all changes just past Les Échelles. First comes the Côte de Saint-Franc (3.8 km at 6.9%)—a punchy effort that wakes up the legs. Then, the road briefly dips before pitching again at Côte de Berland (1.2 km at 7.2%), a sharp gateway to the queen-maker of the day.
The Col du Granier rises gradually at first, but builds rhythm and bite. Officially, it’s 8.8 km at 5.4%, but in reality, the road climbs for nearly 20 km from the base of Berland to the summit. GC riders can’t afford to miss the moment—it’s likely to be the last big test before Sunday’s finale.
Once over the top, riders face a high-speed 17.7-kilometer descent into Chambéry. Risk and reward ride together here. Time gaps opened on the climb can be stretched—or erased—on the way down.
Key Climbs of the 7th Stage
Climb | Length | Gradient | Category | GC Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Côte de Saint-Franc | 3.8 km | 6.9% | Cat. 3 | Early selection trigger |
Côte de Berland | 1.2 km | 7.2% | Cat. 4 | Launchpad to Granier |
Col du Granier | 8.8 km | 5.4% | Cat. 1 | GC-defining climb of stage |
🔁 Tactics & Scenarios
This is a GC day. The long flat start will offer little for sprinters or climbers—until it doesn’t.
Expect a cagey first 100 km, with teams like SD Worx, FDJ-Suez, or Lidl-Trek protecting their leaders. Once the peloton hits Saint-Franc and Berland, the dynamic flips. Look for pace to spike and domestiques to vanish.
On the Col du Granier, attacks are inevitable. The gradient isn’t savage, but the length and altitude will tell. Riders like Demi Vollering, Kasia Niewiadoma, or a surging Juliette Labous could seize this as a launchpad.
The descent to Chambéry might be just as decisive. Rain? Even more so. Technical corners and rapid pacing could decide podium positions—or destroy them.
🎯 Sprint & KOM Points
🟢 Intermediate Sprint – Groslée-Saint-Benoît
Top 15 score green jersey points, with 25 on offer to the winner.
⛰️ QOM Climbs
Location | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Côte de Saint-Franc | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Côte de Berland | 2 | 1 | – | – |
Col du Granier | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
🕒 Time Bonuses at Finish
- 🥇 1st place: 10 seconds
- 🥈 2nd place: 6 seconds
- 🥉 3rd place: 4 seconds
⏱️ Stage 7 Timetable – Bourg-en-Bresse to Chambéry (159.7 km)
📍 Location | 🛣️ KM from Start | ⏰ Caravan | 🚴 42 km/h | 🚴 40 km/h | 🚴 38 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Start – Bourg-en-Bresse | 0.0 | 11:30 | 13:30 | 13:30 | 13:30 |
Certines | 7.5 | 11:38 | 13:50 | 13:50 | 13:51 |
La Tranclière | 11.3 | 11:44 | 13:55 | 13:56 | 13:56 |
Priay | 23.4 | 12:01 | 14:11 | 14:13 | 14:13 |
Château-Gaillard | 27.5 | 12:07 | 14:17 | 14:18 | 14:19 |
Saint-Maurice-de-Rémens | 31.3 | 12:13 | 14:22 | 14:24 | 14:25 |
Lagnieu | 40.1 | 12:27 | 14:33 | 14:36 | 14:37 |
Saint-Sorlin-en-Bugey | 43.5 | 12:32 | 14:38 | 14:41 | 14:42 |
Villebois | 50.5 | 12:43 | 14:47 | 14:50 | 14:52 |
Flévieu (Briord) | 60.7 | 12:58 | 15:01 | 15:05 | 15:07 |
Rix (Lhuis) | 65.2 | 13:05 | 15:07 | 15:11 | 15:13 |
Sprint – Groslée-St-Benoît | 73.2 | 13:18 | 15:18 | 15:22 | 15:25 |
Romagnieu | 90.7 | 13:44 | 15:41 | 15:46 | 15:49 |
Le Pont-de-Beauvoisin | 95.4 | 13:52 | 15:47 | 15:53 | 15:56 |
Saint-Jean-d’Avelanne | 102.0 | 14:02 | 15:56 | 16:02 | 16:06 |
Côte de Saint-Franc (Cat. 3) | 111.8 | 14:17 | 16:14 | 16:22 | 16:27 |
Côte de Berland (Cat. 4) | 124.5 | 14:36 | 16:33 | 16:42 | 16:48 |
Start Granier climb zone | ~132.0 | 14:48 | 16:44 | 16:53 | 17:00 |
Col du Granier – summit (Cat. 1) | 142.4 | 15:04 | 17:09 | 17:21 | 17:30 |
Jacob-Bellecombette | 154.7 | 15:23 | 17:24 | 17:36 | 17:46 |
Finish – Chambéry | 159.7 | 15:31 | 17:30 | 17:42 | 17:53 |
Watch stage 7 results and live updates.
Stage 7 is a masterclass in tension-building. A flat road that lies. Climbs that wait until everyone’s legs are tired. A descent that rewards risk and nerves of steel. This is where the Tour can tilt, especially with Stage 8 looming in the high Alps. If you’re in yellow—or close—you can’t afford to miscalculate.
It’s a day for climbers, for GC hopefuls, and for boldness. Mistakes will be punished. Greatness could be born.
