Every American, Canadian, Mexican and Cuban Rider in the Tour de France Femmes 2026

The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift could well see the first North American stage win in its history, with a pack of motivated, talented stage hunters starting the race in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

Five Americans line up, the same as in 2025, including double Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly) and Lily Williams (Human Powered Health).

Chloé Dygert, Megan Jastrab, and Ruth Edwards, all starters last year, are not racing. Dygert is out with Red-S and facing shoulder surgery while Jastrab is recovering from three pelvis fractures and memory loss after a 70km/h crash in late May. Edwards is not racing, having recently given birth.

Canada sees six starters, including world champion Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly), Tour de l’Avenir winner Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) and versatile Visma-Lease a Bike talent Sarah Van Dam.

European riders have controlled the Tour de France Femmes since its return in 2022. The lone exception came in 2025, when Kim Le Court of Mauritius became the first and only non-European stage winner in the race’s modern era.

That could all change this year, although don’t count on a North American bettering Ferrand-Prévot, Vollering and company in the GC.

Here’s our rundown of America, Canada, Mexico and Cuba’s competitors, where they could shine and what they had to say to Velo ahead of their biggest race of the year.

Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly), 33

The double Olympic champion was on good form and, crucially, health pre-race in Lausanne.

“This is my fourth Tour de France Femmes, but two of them I found I had COVID halfway through and last year I was pretty sick,” she told Velo Friday afternoon. “This is my first one showing up healthy, so I’m actually quite excited. I’m overdue for a good one.”

“It’s been a bummer in past years training so hard and being so fit coming in. This past week, I took it super easy and kind of isolated myself a bit!”

Faulkner is targeting a stage win and a strong TT on day four, while supporting teammate Cédrine Kerbaol in her bid for GC success. She did a lot of work against the clock in the spring before winning the Pan-American Games and has been doing skills training in recent months.

“I think stage five is a fun one,” she said when asked which day could suit her best up the road. “Actually, there’s a lot of days that could be unpredictable, depending on how it’s raced. I think it could be a race where there’s a lot of stage-winning opportunities, which is fun for me because of the kind of rider I am.”

Having raced the Vuelta and Giro this year, Faulkner hopes they will prepare her in terms of fatigue resistance and knowing what works in training, helped by altitude training pre-race in Utah.

Lily Williams (Human Powered Health), 32

After second places in recent bunch sprint stages at the Giro d’Italia and Tour de Suisse, Williams is knocking on the door of something big. Does the Floridan feel she is closer than ever to a first win in Europe?

“No. I think you can never predict it, you just have to keep pushing. Until that happens, I won’t believe it,” she tells Velo.

Refreshing honesty from the level-headed Olympic team pursuit gold medalist at least.

Williams is happy for her steady, linear trajectory, gathering experience and rising up the results sheet year after year since her first full European campaign in 2022. She attributes Human Powered Health head sports director Magnus Backstedt for helping to raise her and the team’s  game.

Looking at the amount of elevation on the route, she does not think there are any “proper” sprint days. “For me, it would be great to be playing in some of the more challenging finales. But at the same time, we’ve brought our strongest climbing squad and I’m looking at it to do my best as possible for the team every day, one of the best options for positioning and help where necessary.”

A finisher who thrives in a sprint on a hard day loaded with fatigue, Williams expects to be freelancing in the finales without a lead-out of her own.

Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly), 24

There will be no mistaking Canadian challenger Vallieres in her rainbow jersey, won with a breakout performance on the roads of Rwanda last September after funding her own trip there.

Despite her youth, this is her fifth successive participation in the Tour. She is coming off 12th at the Giro and a spring highlight of fifth at Strade Bianche. With plenty of punchy hills on this Tour route, the world champion could have her chance to shine.

“We’re coming with a really strong team. We had a good camp all together, and I’m super excited to see what we do,” Vallieres said in a team press release Thursday. “Watching Noemi [Rüegg] going into the red jersey at the Vuelta, I think it’s extra motivation now for this Tour and to try to get the jersey in the first few stages.”

“I think all of the stages are quite good,” she added. “We have someone that fits each stage quite well. I’m mostly excited about stage 5 and the [ninth and final] stage in Nice, but any stages where I can try to be aggressive, I am looking forward to.”

Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek), 21

After two successive seventh places overall at the Giro, the Canadian’s star is rising fast. Holmgren is ready for her Tour debut and has said that she is looking forward to the mountain finish on Mont Ventoux, a climb striking fear into the hearts of most of her peers.

“I’m super excited to be a part of this really strong team. It’s a race like no other,” she said pre-race Friday. “I’m able to learn from my previous years, so I’m excited to see how the Tour goes.”

Reigning Tour de l’Avenir champion Holmgren is guaranteed to gain experience from the grueling nine-day race.

She says Lidl-Trek will treat the Tour de France Femmes like a one-day race for nine days in a row and “just give everything. I expect to be empty by the end.”

Rivals, you’ve been warned.

Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93), 37

You can never discount the charismatic former Canadian champion and Paris-Roubaix winner, hot off an intensive training camp in Colorado with her St Michel teammates.

“Training is fun, but I really love the racing side so I’m excited we’ll get started soon,” she told Velo.

We could see action from Jackson right from the gun in Saturday’s opener in Lausanne on the uphill finish. “Stage 1 is always really special because you can win it all, and there’s no GC ambition for me. So, just be bold and try to make something happen. The risk is worth it for sure on day one.

“But otherwise, our team will just be looking for stage wins. I think some of that will be maybe in breakaway moments.”

Sarah Van Dam (Visma-Lease a Bike), 24

Sarah Van Dam was snapped up by Visma-Lease a Bike in the winter of 2025 and has continued to show her strength and versatility this season. Second on a Tour de Suisse stage to Elisa Longo Borghini last month, this do-it-all racer is overdue for a big performance.

However, she will likely be content to be a dynamite teammate to Pauline Ferrand-Prévot in her quest for a second Tour de France Femmes title.

Fellow countrywomen Kiara Lylyk (Mayenne Monbana My Pie) and Nadia Gontova (Liv AlUla Jayco) are also lining up in Lausanne for the grand départ. Canadian national time trial champion Gontova has finished inside the top 20 of her last four stage races, including 17th at the Giro.

Both are making second appearances at the Tour de France Femmes after both finishing the 2025 edition.

Hinojosa makes history for Mexico

Mexico also see its first-ever starter with Romina Hinojosa (Lotto Intermarché Ladies), whose partner Isaac del Toro made Mexican cycling history at the Tour de France with third overall and a stage win.

At the other end of the experience scale, Cuba’s Arlenis Sierra is back after welcoming son Marckx into the world in March 2025. The Movistar Team racer could feature in the sharp end of one or two bunch sprints.

American debutants Franz, Quinn and Wreszin ‘dreaming big’

In recent years, American Heidi Franz had been on three different international teams facing collapse. After enduring so much heartbreak and challenge, finally making her Tour de France Femmes debut is testament to the climber’s fighting spirit and passion for the sport.

“There were several times I didn’t think I’d make it here,” she told Velo. “What I’ve been saying is the Tour is sort of my north on a compass. I knew when I started racing in 2018, that was ultimately my first goal, the first time someone asked me to really dream big.

“At that point, it hadn’t even come back yet. It’s been guiding me a lot. Knowing that I worked really hard to be here, it kept me going.”

The 31-year-old will be chasing breakaways and hoping to win Queen of the Mountains points.

It is a similar dream realized for her teammate Caroline Wreszin. The 25-year-old was racing gravel until 2025 until Tim Johnson helped to link her up with the open-minded French team.

“It’s been a big transition,” she said. Wreszin, who sees herself as between being a sprinter and climber, has loved the fresh dynamic of road racing, having to be switched-on the whole time “without an off moment”.

Last but not least, 24-year-old Natalie Quinn makes her first start, racing for French-registered team Mayenne Monbana My Pie.

United States

• Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly)
• Lily Williams (Human Powered Health)
• Natalie Quinn (Mayenne Monbana My Pie)
• Caroline Wreszin (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93)
• Heidi Franz (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93)

Canada

• Isabella Holmgren (Lidl -Trek)
• Kiara Lylyk (Mayenne Monbana My Pie)
• Sarah Van Dam (Visma-Lease a Bike)
• Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly)
• Nadia Gontova (Liv AlUla Jayco)
• Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93)

Mexico

• Romina Hinojosa (Lotto Intermarché Ladies)

Cuba

• Arlenis Sierra (Movistar Team)