Category Archives: Pro Racing

For years, women’s cycling operated in the background of men’s cycling, living in the shadow of the men’s Tour de France — but that’s changing fast.

The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift isn’t just another version of the men’s race. It’s become a celebration of female strength, camaraderie, and the raw joy of riding a bike at the absolute limit. This is a race that reminds us what cycling is really about.

The Road to the Tour: A Long Time Coming

The men’s Tour de France began in 1903. But women had to wait much longer for their turn on cycling’s biggest stage.

• 1955: The first women’s Tour de France is held as a one-off race.
• 1984–1989: A short-lived revival sees women racing similar routes alongside the men.
• 1990s–2000s: Various attempts like La Grande Boucle Féminine keep the dream alive, but ultimately fade out due to lack of funding and media coverage.
• 2022: The modern-day Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is born — with full ASO support, global broadcast rights, and the legendary Marion Rousse at the helm.

This latest iteration is more than a reboot. It’s a statement: women belong on the world’s biggest stage — and they’re here to shake it up.

How the Women’s Tour Differs

The Tour de France Femmes isn’t just shorter — it’s sharper, punchier, and full of surprises.

• 9 days, not 21: The women’s race is shorter making every single stage crucial.
• More action, less control: Unlike the men’s race where the budget disparity allows superteams like UAE to control stages — the women’s race is much less predictable and much more exciting.
• Different route, same ambition: The women don’t follow the same roads. They carve out their own Tour — like 2023’s unforgettable penultimate stage atop the Col du Tourmalet.
• Authenticity front and center: The vibe is refreshingly real. Less brand polish, more guts and grit.

Riders like Demi Vollering, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, and Lotte Kopecky aren’t just elite athletes — they’re bold, joyful personalities who wear their hearts on their sleeves.

The Podium That Went Viral

During the 2025 Spring Classics, footage of the women’s podium at the Amstel Gold Race went viral on social media. The three medal winners, stood atop the podium, cheered and downed their celebratory beers. The moment went viral.

Why? Because it was positioned in stark contrast to the men’s podium who took a sip at most. The men’s podium felt controlled, corporate and lack-lustre.  

This viral moment highlighted what fans increasingly believe: women’s cycling has kept its soul.

Why It Matters

There’s a growing hunger for cycling that feels real. Not just marginal gains, data, and the team tactics of superteams able to afford the best riders— but the joy, the pain, the human stories. And that’s exactly what the Tour de France Femmes delivers.

It’s a race full of:

• Attacking spirit (when everything is on the line, they go for it)
• Emotional interviews (tears, laughter, honesty)
• Moments of connection (both within the peloton and with the fans)

It’s competitive, yes. But it’s also a reminder of why we all ride: for the freedom, the challenge, and the friendships that form when we suffer together.

The Tour de France Femmes isn’t playing catch-up. It’s blazing its own trail — and inviting all of us to remember why we fell in love with cycling in the first place.

Who to Watch

The 2025 Tour de France Femmes promises a fierce battle for the yellow jersey, with some of the most exciting riders in women’s cycling set to return to the spotlight. Defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma will be back to fight for her title, having clinched victory in 2024 by a razor-thin margin of just four seconds. Hot on her heels will be FDJ-Suez’s Demi Vollering determined to overturn last year’s narrow defeat. The formidable, Lotte Kopecky, droppedout of the Giro early hoping to recover from a back injury in time for the Tour de France Femmes.

Meanwhile, several stars of the Women’s Spring Classics, include rising star Puck Pieterse and the Paris-Roubaix champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. Olympic gold medalist Ferrand-Prévot came out of retirement to join Visma | Lease a Bike on a three-year deal and the French favourite is shaping up to be a serious wildcard threat.

2025 Tour de France Femmes Trip with Trek Travel

This year Trek Travel has crafted an incredible race-trip itinerary that puts you on the front lines of some of the race’s most exciting stages. Highlights include:

Stage 7: Climb from the crystal clear water of Annecy Lake up the locals favorite, Col de Leschaux, before tackling Col du Plainpalais and Col du Granier, the route the racers will take in reverse!From our private terrace viewing right at the top of Col de Granier you’ll have the perfect vantage point to see the riders race to the top!

Stage 8: Enjoy an early morning ride, climbing up Col du Chat with stunning views of Lac Bourget below, before heading to the stage start in nearby Chambery. Enjoy VIP access to the official departure village as you cheer on your favourites!

Stage 9: Experience the stage 9 route yourself with a morning climb up Col du Corbier before heading to the finish line of the Tour de France Femmes where you’ll have VIP access to the hospitality area with flat screens and exclusive behind-the-scenes access with the Lidl-Trek team.  

Dreaming of Riding the Tour de Femmes Routes?

Want to experience the magic of the Tour for yourself? Trek Travel offers an incredible cycling vacation that follows in the wheel tracks of the women’s Tours — including bucket-list climbs, pro-level support, and that post-ride glass of something cold and earned.

What does the Yellow Jersey mean in the Tour de France?

The Yellow Jersey, or maillot jaune, is the symbol perhaps most closely associated with the Tour de France worldwide. It designates the leader of the General Classification, or the overall, collective time of all stages together. It can change hands often throughout the entirety of the race and can be won without winning a single stage of the Tour.

Its beginnings date back to 1919, when the Tour de France founder, Henri Desgrange, decided that the leader of the race needed to be clearly identified with bright colors as he rode through the night. Today, a new Yellow Jersey is printed for each day of the Tour that it changes hands, and each one is imprinted with “HD” in honor of Desgrange himself.

Winners of the Yellow Jersey are awarded a trophy, cash prize, and final jersey of the race. The current record for overall Yellow Jersey wins is five, shared by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain.

What does the Green Jersey mean in the Tour de France?

The Green Jersey, or maillot vert, is also often referred to as “the sprinter’s jersey,” although this is a slight misnomer. Green Jersey winners accumulate the most points throughout the entirety of the race. They can earn these points for sprint wins, finishing in the top three places of a stage, or at intermediate sprints in the middle of a stage. Many of these contests take place during flatter stages, so sprinters have an advantage, but the Green Jersey winners are racers with more grit, persistence, and consistency across the entirety of the race.

Peter Sagan, who still races today, is the current record holder for most Green Jersey wins. Green Jersey winners are awarded cash prizes, trophies, and an overall jersey.

What does the Polka Dot Jersey mean in the Tour de France?

The Polka Dot Jersey, or “King of the Mountains Jersey,” is given to the best climber in the Tour, or the racer who has accumulated the most points for winning mountaintop finishes. Many times, the winner of the Polka Dot Jersey and Yellow Jersey are very close in standings, as mountaintop finishes play a huge role in the strategy of the overall race.

The Tour de France classifies climbs based on length, grade, and overall difficulty, where “category 4” is the least difficult and “hors categorie” is the most difficult. Difficult climbs offer more points for winners, and therefore the lightest, best climbers have an advantage in this jersey battle.

The current record-holder for most Polka Dot Jersey wins is French rider Richard Virenque, who has won it seven times. Polka Dot Jersey winners are awarded cash prizes, trophies, and an overall jersey.

What does the White Jersey mean in the Tour de France?

The White Jersey, or maillot blanc, is given to the best-placed rider overall under the age of 25. This classification began in 1975. Before 1975, there was a white jersey awarded to the overall best-ranked cyclist in points, climbs, and time, but then was changed to go to best “neo-pro” or new, inexperienced professional.

Experience the Tour with Trek Travel

Trek Travel can get you closer than you ever thought possible to all of these jerseys. Our Tour de France bike tours include visits to the podium, special access to the teams, and even VIP views of the finish lines and jersey presentations. It’s a chance to see the race and its history like never before as you witness the battles for each jersey with your own eyes.

The Tour de France is more than just a race — it’s one of the most iconic sporting events in the world. Each summer we witness a combination of grit, glory over three thrilling weeks. Since 1903, the Tour has captured the hearts of cycling fans, drawing millions of roadside spectators and TV viewers eager to see the world’s top cyclists battle it out across mountains, plains, and cobbled streets.

At Trek Travel, we’ve been part of this magic for years. As an Official Tour Operator of the Tour de France, we have built a reputation for creating unforgettable Tour de France experiences. Whether you dream of pedaling legendary climbs or soaking up the electrifying atmosphere as a spectator, our pro-race tours and spectator viewing events take you to the heart of the action. Our close connection to the LIDL-Trek pro team also means that we can deliver exclusive moments that no other tour operator can match.

What do the different jerseys mean?

When you watch the Tour, you’ll notice riders wearing distinctive colored jerseys. Each of these carries special meaning:

The Yellow Jersey (Maillot Jaune): Worn by the overall race leader — the rider with the fastest cumulative time across all stages. This is the ultimate symbol of Tour de France dominance.

The Green Jersey (Maillot Vert): Awarded to the leader of the points classification, generally favoring sprinters who excel on flatter stages and intermediate sprints.

The Polka Dot Jersey (Maillot à Pois Rouges): Given to the best climber, the “King of the Mountains,” who racks up points on the course’s toughest ascents.

The White Jersey (Maillot Blanc): For the best young rider under the age of twenty-five, showcasing cycling’s rising young stars.

How Do the Teams Work?

Each Tour de France team is made up of eight riders, carefully selected for specific roles — from the team leader aiming for overall victory, to domestiques who protect, support, and pace their leader across the grueling course. There are sprinters, climbers, all-rounders, and time trial specialists, all working together in a complex dance of tactics and teamwork.

There are 23 teams racing in the men’s Tour de France this year and 22 teams in the women’s Tour de France Femmes.  

Trek Travel’s close partnership with the LIDL-Trek pro team offers you insider access you won’t find elsewhere. On our VIP Access tours you’ll get the chance to meet riders, snap photos with the team, or even hear firsthand about their strategies before a key stage. We bring you closer to the inner workings of pro cycling — connecting the dots between what you see on TV and the behind-the-scenes action that makes it all happen.

Who to Watch?

The 2025 Tour de France is poised to deliver another thrilling chapter in the ongoing rivalry between Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. Pogačar, aiming for his fourth yellow jersey, dominated the 2024 season, and so far in 2025 he’s been victorious at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Tour of Flanders, Strade Bianche, and Fleche Wallonne.

Vingegaard, a two-time Tour winner who made a miraculous recovery from injury to finish second in 2024, has been training hard and has his sights set on reclaiming the top spot on the podium at this year’s Tour.

Remco Evenepoel has yet to race this 2025 season coming off the back of a crash, but the reigning world champion is targeting a comeback at the Tour and is definitely a name to watch. Despite abandoning his race in the Giro this year, Primož Roglič remains a formidable presence in the mountain stages with his Grand Tour experience. Emerging talents like Isaac del Toro and Juan Ayuso from UAE Team Emirates are also ones to watch.

Who to Watch in the Tour de France Femmes

The 2025 Tour de France Femmes promises a fierce battle for the yellow jersey, with some of the most exciting riders in women’s cycling set to return to the spotlight. Defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma will be back to fight for her title, having clinched victory in 2024 by a razor-thin margin of just four seconds. Hot on her heels will be FDJ-Suez’s Demi Vollering, determined to overturn last year’s narrow defeat. LIDL-Trek enters the fray with the powerful Gaia Realini and UAE’s ever-consistent Elisa Longo Borghini is more than capable of mounting a serious GC challenge. Meanwhile, several contenders from the Women’s Spring Classics this year, include rising star Puck Pieterse and the Paris-Roubaix champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. Olympic gold medalist Ferrand-Prévot came out of retirement to join Visma | Lease a Bike on a three-year deal and the French favorite is shaping up to be a serious wildcard threat.

As the race unfolds, these athletes, men and women, will undoubtedly shape the narrative of the 2025 Tour, offering fans a spectacle of endurance, strategy, and sheer willpower.

Why Trek Travel Offers the Best Tour Experience

There’s no better way to experience the Tour de France than with Trek Travel. We handle every detail — from hand-picked accommodations and expert local guides, to VIP race access and top-of-the-range bikes — so you can fully immerse yourself in the action.

Whether you’re riding legendary climbs, cheering at a thrilling sprint finish, or enjoying champagne in a private viewing area, our Tour de France cycling tours provide the ultimate fan experience.

2025 Stages with Trek Travel

Want to ride the Tour de France course yourself? Our fully supported rides let you take on legendary climbs just like the pros. Our hand-crafted itineraries put you on the front lines of some of the race’s most exciting stages. Highlights include:

Stage 16: From our VIP viewing area, you’ll watch the pros tackle the iconic Mont Ventoux. See them ascend from Bedoin through the forest’s brutal gradients to the iconic, bare moonscape at the summit. Then tackle it yourself, fully supported, to truly understand the painful ecstasy that comes with conquering the mighty “Giant of Provence”.  

Stage 9:  (Women’s Tour de France): Get an early start to climb Col du Corbier, the iconic Alpine pass, just hours before the women’s peloton flies up and over it. While they’re climbing it, you’ll be right at the finish line in Chatel ready to cheer them home in the thrilling finale of the women’s Tour.

Stage 18: Begin the day climbing Col de la Loze—the highest point of this year’s Tour. You’ll feel the glory of the Tour as you crest the summit, cross the finish line, and step onto the Official Tour podium with your fellow Trek Travelers for an unforgettable photo opportunity. Afterward descend back towards Courchevel to celebrate, enjoy lunch and await the peloton.

Stage 19: Start the day with exclusive VIP access to the official departure village and team paddock to capture photos of the pros fine-tuning their bikes for today’s final alpine stage. Then position yourself to see the teams head toward the Col des Saisies and the mountaintop finish at La Plagne. Once the racers depart, you’ll tackle the epic Col de la Madeleine.

Whether you’re climbing Col de la Loze or tackling Ventoux, you’ll experience the Tour de France route just like your heroes.

The Paris Finale

For decades, the Tour de France has reached its historic finale on the famed Champs-Élysées in Paris — an iconic moment where the world’s best sprinters battle it out under the golden glow of the Arc de Triomphe, cheered on by thousands of fans lining the cobblestone boulevard. Trek Travel elevates this unforgettable experience with an exclusive VIP viewing event, offering guests premier access to a private terrace at the Automobile Club de France. With champagne and gourmet French delicacies on hand, you’ll watch the peloton thunder past, soaking in the electric atmosphere of cycling’s most prestigious finish.

Ready to experience the Tour with Trek Travel?

Our pro race bike tours are designed to follow the race at its most dramatic moments — from epic mountain summits to flat-out sprint finishes.

We take the stress out of Tour de France vacation planning by handling every detail — from routes and hotels to race-day access. Whether you dream of riding alongside the pros or simply want the best spectator experience, Trek Travel’s pro-race trips bring you closer to the Tour de France than you ever imagined. Explore our full line-up of trips and start planning your cycling adventure of a lifetime.

For nearly twenty years, Trek Travel has been taking our guests to experience the greatest race on earth— the Tour de France. We don’t just go to the sidelines — we bring you into the heart of the action.

Our History at the Tour de France

Back in 2011, Trek Travel became an Official Tour Operator of the Tour de France — a distinction that unlocks exclusive privileges for our guests. With VIP access to stage starts and finishes, the chance to ride on roads closed to the general public fully supported by guides both on bikes and in a van, and even the unforgettable opportunity to cross the finish line and pose on the official podium, our guests don’t just watch history — they live it.

Exclusive Access with the LIDL-Trek Pro Team

Our long-standing connection to the LIDL-Trek team takes our guests even deeper into the world of pro racing. You’ll get rare behind-the-scenes access: it could be a Q&A with the riders, close-up access to the team bus and at-work mechanics, or even the opportunity to watch warmups from the team area. With Trek Travel, you truly ride with the pros and experience the Tour de France like an insider.

Always Evolving

Each year, the Tour de France route changes, but our experience ensures that we deliver the best Tour de France stage tours, no matter where the race goes. From legendary mountain climbs to finish line sprints through villages lined with supporters, our local on-the-ground guides use their experience and in-depth regional knowledge to carefully craft Tour de France travel itineraries that guarantee the best rides, the best viewing spots, and the best hotels, all within close proximity to the race. No two years will ever be the same but whether you want to ride the Tour de France course ahead of the pros or need expert Tour de France vacation planning, we know how to deliver a once-in-a-lifetime cycling experience.

The Paris Finale

The 2025 Tour de Tour returns to its historic finish on the cobblestones of the Champs-Élysées in Paris — and as always we will be right at the center of this legendary moment. From the exclusive VIP area, guests watch the riders as they power through their final laps around the Place de la Concorde. With a glass of champagne in hand and the Eiffel Tower shimmering in the distance, they’ll celebrate the 112th Tour de France finale. Whether you choose to take in the triumphant finish from our VIP access areas or soak up the excitement at street level, we ensure your Tour de France vacation planning is seamless and unforgettable — giving you insider Tour de France spectator tips and the ultimate Paris viewing experience to celebrate cycling’s most iconic moment in grand style.

The Tour de France Femmes

In 2025, Trek Travel invites you to experience the thrill of the women’s Tour de France with our Tour de France Femmes Ultimate Alps VIP Team and Race Access bike tour. On this exclusive trip, you’ll witness the world’s top female cyclists battle it out in the breathtaking French Alps as they chase the coveted yellow jersey.

While the men’s Tour de France draws massive media fanfare and a frenzy of global attention, the women’s race is quietly building something powerful. There’s a magic to the atmosphere of the TDFF: it’s more intimate, more grounded, and offers fans a rare closeness to the riders themselves. Without so many layers of media hype, you feel the raw spirit of cycling — the camaraderie, the grit, and the sheer joy of the sport. Watching the women’s peloton surge through the Alps feels like stepping back into the golden days of the Tour de France, when it was all about the road, the riders, and the race. This is the moment where women’s cycling is gathering momentum, and you have a front-row seat.

On this journey, you’ll enjoy ultimate VIP access, getting you behind the ropes with the LIDL Trek Women’s Team and into the center of the action at premium viewing spots. With Official VIP race passes, you’ll cheer the riders off as they take on the Queen stage from Chambéry to Col de la Madeleine, and then you’ll take on the iconic Col du Corbier—featured seven times in the Tour de France, with its last appearance in 1988. Arriving in Châtel just before the pros, you’ll get an exclusive vantage point aboard an official VIP luxury open-top bus to watch the racers close in on the finish line.

Your accommodations are handpicked hotels nestled against the stunning backdrop of the Alps and the crystal-clear waters of Lake Annecy and Bourget — the perfect base to enjoy both the heart-stopping race and Alpine riding. With Trek Travel’s signature touches, this isn’t just a bike tour — it’s history, or better yet, herstory, in the making.

Epic Race Moments

Each and every Tour de France trip offers the possibility for epic adventure and the chance to witness historic race moments. From famous ascents up legendary climbs like Mont Ventoux and Alpe d’Huez to thrilling finishes in Paris, our guests have seen cycling history made, time and time again.

How about when Jens Voigt waved to our tour group spectating from Chalet Renard just before entering the iconic moonscape of the Mont Ventoux?

Or in 2022, when we conquered the epic Pyrenean giant—Hautacam—early in the morning before the pros. Our expert guides flawlessly handled the logistics, some leading the group on bikes while others provided full support from the vans. At the summit, we experienced the Tour de France like true French cycling fans, enjoying an unforgettable roadside boulangerie-style picnic. As the roadside transformed into an arena of passion, we caught polka dot shirts hurled from the passing caravan and joined the roaring crowds, shouting “Allez! Allez!” as Vingegaard powered to victory atop the mountain.

Or picture 2024, when the Tour finished in Nice, and we had front-row seats to witness Pogačar and Vingegaard’s epic showdown in the decisive individual time trial. We privatized the iconic Hotel Negresco, right on the Promenade des Anglais, and celebrated with a beachfront BBQ and live music. That evening, we treated our guests to an exclusive moment with LIDL-Trek’s Mads Pedersen and Giulio Ciccone, cocktails in hand, overlooking the Mediterranean.

If we’re lucky, we might even spot a celebrity or two at our viewing spots — but the true magic of our Tour de France cycling tours goes beyond these epic race moments. It’s about sharing the journey with your guides and fellow guests and forging lifelong friendships along the way.

Join one of our Trek Travel Tour de France cycling tours and discover why we are the gold standard in Pro Race Tours. This isn’t just a vacation — it’s your front-row seat to cycling history.

From conquering the cobbles of Flanders to experiencing the thrill of Paris-Roubaix from the best seats in the house, the 2024 Spring Classics was a journey like no other. Our guest, Patrick Gabrion, wrote about his experience on this year’s Spring Classics bike tour in his blog, Pedal2Page. See the featured posts below!

Part 1:  Trek Travel & My New Friends

Right from the start, I realized my cycling trip was going to be special — not even close to anything I’d experienced in the past. The entire time we were based at Hotel Harmony in Ghent, one of Belgium’s oldest cities and the historic capital of Flanders. The location alone certainly set the tone.

Part 2: Cobbles & Climbs

While intimidating in one sense, these bone-jarring stones were a major reason for deciding to embark on this Trek Travel cycling vacation. Like a moth to a flame, I just needed to experience them for myself — no matter the possible danger.

Part 3: Tour of Flanders

It’s one of the five Monuments, the most prestigious single-day races in men’s professional cycling. I’ve viewed it countless times on television, but now I was actually there in person for the first time.

Part 4: Trip Highlights

There were three other highlights that truly elevated my whole five-day cycling vacation, increasing the “wow” factor to an even loftier level. I’m totally convinced that these particular occasions were additional examples of why Trek Travel earns top marks for its guest services and hospitality.

Part 5: The Belgium Experience

Where does one begin when summarizing such a fantastic five-day cycling experience? It is something I’ve attempted to accomplish through my previous four blog postings — hopefully, with some success. But to bring things to a close, I’d like to offer a few final thoughts.