Fewer riders than in the past, but the quality is not lacking: from Niamh Fisher-Black to Mackenzie Coupland, here's who will represent the southern hemisphere in the major women's stage race.
Athletes from Australia and New Zealand have always been a regular presence in the Tour de France Femmes peloton, perhaps more so than ever in the 2025 edition, when Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) and Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the general classification. Now it's time to see what these southern hemisphere riders can offer in the 2026 edition.
Of the eleven who started last year, several will return, including Fisher-Black and Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco). There will also be a new entry, Australian champion Mackenzie Coupland (Liv AlUla Jayco). However, a significant number of previous participants will be missing: Gigante is out while recovering from further surgery, and Ally Wollaston is not in the FDJ United-Suez squad, which is now fully focused on the yellow jersey with Demi Vollering.
The combined number of riders from the two nations is actually the lowest ever in the modern incarnation of the Women's Tour de France: just seven, five Australians and two New Zealanders. Yet, even though the number has decreased, that doesn't mean their impact on the race should be diminished. This could be the year a rider from this part of the world scores her first stage win in the modern edition, and with Fisher-Black in the peloton, a strong overall result remains a real possibility.
Whether or not the results come for the athletes from Australia and New Zealand, many of whom will be domestiques, they will undoubtedly be leading players in the Tour de France Femmes, which will cover 1,175 kilometers from the start in Switzerland on August 1st to the finish in Nice on August 9th.
Brodie Chapman (UAE Team IMAD)
Brodie Chapman had a turbulent debut at the 2025 Tour de France Femmes, as did the entire UAE Team ADQ squad (which rides under the UAE Team L'IMAD banner this year). The team lost not only captain Elisa Longo Borghini, but also several other key riders, and Chapman herself ultimately succumbed to illness, retiring on the final stage. Despite it all, Chapman was part of a team that pursued every opportunity with determination, achieving truly remarkable results considering the adversity they faced: two stage wins with Maëva Squiban and fourth place in the general classification for Dominika Wlodarczyk.
The path to her second participation in the Tour de France Femmes was also far from easy for Chapman. A crash at the Tour of Flanders resulted in a pelvic fracture and a lengthy recovery. However, with patience and determination, she managed to regain her form, returning to racing at the Tour de Suisse and earning a spot on the roster for the Grand Tour, which will start in Switzerland. Chapman will be on a top-tier team: in addition to Longo Borghini and Wlodarczyk, she will include Squiban, winner of two stages in 2025, as well as Mavi García (who won a stage last year with Liv AlUla Jayco) and Paula Blasi, winner of the Vuelta Femenina in May.
Mackenzie Coupland (Liv AlUla Jayco)
The Australian champion is only 20 years old and in her first year on the Women's WorldTour, but Mackenzie Coupland arrives at the start in Switzerland with an already impressive list of victories. In January, she won the elite national title, in March she won the Vuelta a Extremadura Femenina (albeit with the development team), and in July she finished third in the Périgord Ladies, demonstrating her growing form ahead of her unexpected Grand Tour debut. "Being part of the biggest race of the year is something I didn't think I could do this year," said Coupland. "Being in my first Grand Tour, too, gives me a mix of excitement and nerves, and I can't wait to race with such a motivated and united group." From a fantasy cycling perspective, Coupland is an interesting bet: young, on the rise, and capable of surprising.
Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco)
This will be Ruby Roseman-Gannon's fourth Tour de France Femmes, having achieved her best result in the race in her debut year of 2022 with an eighth-place finish on stage four. The 27-year-old is competitive on the climbs but also knows how to exploit her speed in a tight sprint, valuable traits on a course like this year's, which is rarely flat. Roseman-Gannon has shown good form in 2026: at the start of the year, she won a criterium and placed second at the Australian National Championships, then came close to another victory at the Navarra Women's Elite Classic, where she lost only to Cat Ferguson (Movistar). For fantasy cycling, she's a card to keep an eye on in the rolling stages, where pure sprinters could be left out.
Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek)
It will be Amanda Spratt's fourth and final Tour de France Femmes: the Australian veteran, who has been racing professionally since 2012, has announced her retirement at the end of the season. A podium finish at the Giro d'Italia, a top ten finish at the World Championships, and a tenth overall at the 2023 Tour de France are the highlights of an extraordinary resume. This edition, Spratt will put her strength and immense experience to work alongside the young Lidl-Trek team, Fisher-Black and Isabella Holmgren. Despite past setbacks (withdrawals due to crashes in 2022 and 2024, and illness in 2025), the hope is that this farewell to racing will provide Spratt with a stage on the slopes of Mont Ventoux worthy of a glittering career.
Lucie Fityus (Picnic-PostNL)
Lucie Fityus certainly didn't have the 2025 Tour de France Femmes debut she expected, crashing on the second stage and subsequently being eliminated for exceeding the time limit. In her second appearance, however, the 25-year-old Australian will have the opportunity to bounce back with the Picnic-PostNL Women's WorldTour team. The team will aim for stage wins, with Mia Griffin as their key figure in sprint finishes. Fityus, who has already proven her prowess in sprint finishes with a top-10 finish in the first stage of the recent Tour de Pologne, will likely be a key member of her team.
Australian absences to watch out for
Among the notable absentees are Sarah Gigante, sixth last year and a true revelation in the mountains, currently struggling with a lengthy recovery from a fractured femur sustained in training and subsequent surgery; and Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM), a valuable domestique for Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney in the last two editions, who underwent surgery for iliac artery endofibrosis in May. These two significant absences will reshape the Australian standings in this race.
Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) - New Zealand
Niamh Fisher-Black is the rider to watch when the race heads towards the big climbs. Her performance on the Col de la Madeleine in the 2025 edition, where she stood on the stage podium, was yet another demonstration of what the 25-year-old New Zealander can achieve. After four seasons with SD Worx-Protime, Fisher-Black moved to Lidl-Trek to take on a captain's role, and the results were quick to come: sixth in the 2025 Vuelta Femenina, fourth in the Tour de Suisse, and fifth in the Tour de France. In 2026, Fisher-Black arrives at the Tour with even more leadership experience and on the heels of an ambitious performance at the Giro d'Italia, where a masterstroke on the final stage vaulted her three places in the general classification. For fantasy cycling coaches, she's an almost obligatory choice: the New Zealander is a potential star in the mountain stages.
Henrietta Christie (EF Education-Oatly) - New Zealand
This will be the fourth Tour de France Femmes for 24-year-old Wellington native Henrietta Christie, who will ride for a talented EF Education-Oatly team, from two-time Tour Down Under winner Noemi Rüegg to Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner and World Champion Magdeleine Vallieres. Christie, who won the white jersey at the 2023 Tour Down Under, will likely fill a valuable supporting role within a team that has every potential to win at least one of the nine scheduled stages.
New Zealand's absences
Among the New Zealanders missing, Ally Wollaston stands out, having achieved a stage podium in the 2025 edition with FDJ-Suez. Her absence, however, is explained by the team's tactical choices, which are fully focused on winning the yellow jersey with Demi Vollering. Ella Wyllie will also be absent: the rider, twelfth in the 2025 general classification, has been excluded from the Liv AlUla Jayco roster, which has focused on a stage-winning team with Monica Trinca Colonel as its key figure on the climbs.
Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency
Sports journalist and cycling enthusiast, following professional cycling for over 10 years. Collaborates with FantaCycling to bring you the best analysis and news from the world of cycling.
Five years of growth, a great fight in the general classification and a new generation ready to shake up the women's group
The Dane breaks his silence: "Our rivalry has become much more friendly."
The UAE team arrives in Vevey with a stellar roster and a strategy shrouded in mystery: it is one of the absolute favourites for the race
From the Edinburgh Grand Départ to the Slovenian's potential rivals: we analyze scenarios, routes, and ideas for the 2027 Grande Boucle.