That was the slightly surreal situation facing viewers during the opening days of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. It also explains why the debate over full, start-to-finish television coverage has become much louder.
Now, race director Marion Rousse says a change is being seriously discussed.
Six partially hidden stages
Only three of this year’s nine stages (stages 1, 5 and 9) are scheduled to be televised from start to finish. On stage 2, France 2 joined the race at 15:50, by which point the riders had been on the road for approximately 80 minutes and covered more than 50 km.
The consequences became even more obvious the following day. Sigrid Haugset launched what became the stage-winning move with 88 km remaining – approximately five kilometres before live pictures began. Viewers therefore missed the moment that ultimately shaped the entire stage.
For years, broadcasters could argue that the opening kilometres of a road stage contained little more than a ceremonial roll-out and the establishment of a predictable breakaway. That argument is increasingly difficult to make in modern women’s racing, where aggressive tactics, smaller teams and less control can make the first hour one of the most important parts of the day.
You cannot tell the complete story of a race if the cameras arrive halfway through the first chapter.
“The women deserve it”
Speaking at the start of stage 5 in Mâcon, Rousse confirmed that she had discussed full-stage coverage extensively with France Télévisions and Tour organiser ASO.
She told Le Parisien that the possibility was now being examined because “the women deserve it” and because the race is delivering strong audiences.
“The public wants to watch women’s cycling, and that’s fantastic,” Rousse said.
The discussions do not yet amount to a promise that every kilometre will be televised in 2027. But Rousse emphasised that this is no longer merely a request from a few supporters on social media.
“There’s a real discussion to be had,” she told Cycling Weekly.
As she put it elsewhere, “Things are moving in the right direction.” Rousse also made the sporting argument clearly: “The starts, middles and ends of stages are spectacular to watch.” Her conclusion was simple: “Let’s hope we can pull it off,” she told the reporters.
Why did it take this long?
The obvious comparison is with the men’s Tour de France, where every stage is now shown from start to finish. But Rousse pointed out that complete live coverage of the men’s race only began in 2017.
When the modern Tour de France Femmes was launched in 2022, organisers still had to establish that the race could attract a sizeable and lasting audience.
“We needed to get settled in, and we didn’t want to rush things,” Rousse explained to Cycling Weekly.
Five editions later, that argument has largely been settled. The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has expanded to nine stages, taken its Grand Départ abroad and placed legendary climbs such as Mont Ventoux at the centre of its route. Instead of wondering whether anyone will watch, organisers now receive messages from supporters asking why they cannot watch more.
Rousse acknowledged that money remains the central obstacle. “Everything is a question of resources,” she told Le Parisien. Longer broadcasts require additional production time and several more hours of work from the camera motorcycles, relay aircraft, technical teams and commentators.
Full coverage creates cycling fans
Showing complete stages is not simply a symbolic matter of treating the women’s and men’s Tours equally. It can also make the racing easier to understand and the riders easier to support.
The quieter periods give commentators time to introduce lesser-known riders, explain why a team wants someone in the break and show how the tactical battle develops. Viewers can see the effort required to establish a move rather than meeting an apparently random group of riders after it has already gained several minutes.
Those details turn a sequence of attacks into a coherent story. More airtime creates familiarity, and familiarity creates supporters.
That is why missing Haugset’s attack mattered. The absent footage did not merely deprive viewers of some pleasant scenery. It removed the beginning of the day’s defining sporting narrative.
A welcome problem for the Tour
Rousse said she was pleased that the television coverage was provoking such a strong reaction. In 2022, the question was whether the revived Tour de France Femmes could succeed. In 2026, supporters are complaining because they cannot see enough of it.
That is a healthy problem for any sporting event to have.
The race has demonstrated that it can provide the spectacle. The audience has demonstrated that it wants to watch. The organisers and broadcaster are finally discussing how to connect the two from the very first kilometre.
The next decisive Tour de France Femmes attack should not have to wait for television coverage to begin.