Belgian rider Justine Ghekiere won stage three of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes on 3 August, beating Maeva Squiban and Demi Vollering to the line in Poligny after 156.5 kilometres of racing from Geneva.

The stage crossed from Switzerland into France, leaving Geneva and threading through Le Grand-Saconnex, Colovrex and Collex-Bossy before heading into the Jura foothills. The route's defining obstacle was the Col de la Faucille — a climb that has featured in some of the most storied stages of the men's Tour de France. Puck Pieterse was first over its summit, collecting 10 mountain classification points ahead of Nikola Noskova.

Lorena Wiebes started the day in the yellow jersey — the garment worn by the overall race leader, known as the general classification or GC. After stage two she led the standings at 7 hours 10 minutes 59 seconds, with Kim Le Court Pienaar 14 seconds behind in second and Vollering 16 seconds adrift in third.

For Ghekiere, the victory is a notable result for a Belgian rider on cycling's biggest stage for women. The Tour de France Femmes, now in its fifth edition, has grown rapidly since its 2022 relaunch. This year's race began with a Grand Départ in Switzerland — stage one looped around Lausanne on 1 August, stage two ran from Aigle to Geneva — and will finish on the iconic Mont Ventoux and the Promenade des Anglais in Nice across nine stages. The 2027 edition is set to start in Great Britain.

The day carried its share of hardship. Belgian rider Dina Boels abandoned during stage three, her race over after finishing 139th and last on stage two. For every rider who reaches the finish in Poligny's grand square — a building with eight columns, three circular balconies and a 16-metre rotunda under a dome — there are those who do not make it through.

The race continues on 4 August with stage four, running 156.5 kilometres from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon. From there the route heads south through the Beaujolais and the Rhône Valley before the mountains arrive: stage seven finishes on Mont Ventoux, and the race ends with two stages around Nice on 8 and 9 August.

With Vollering finishing third on the stage, the battle for yellow is tightening. Wiebes, a sprinter by trade, will need to defend her lead as the terrain tilts upward in the coming days.