Human Powered Health Cycling is in the south of France to race the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche from September 9 through 14.
The 2025 edition is suited to puncheurs and climbers, with each road stage providing opportunities for frenetic racing. A hilly individual time trial sets up an exciting GC battle on Ardèche’s final mountainous weekend.
The team heads to France with a strong climbing squad. Without Thalita de Jong, the 2024 champion, who is recovering from illness, the team calls upon Yurani Blanco, Giada Borghesi, Carlotta Cipressi, Marit Raaijmakers, Katia Ragusa, and GC hunter Barbara Malcotti.
How to watch
Sadly, there will not be live television coverage, but daily video summaries will be available on the TCFIA YouTube and website. Follow #TCFIA on social media and our social channels to stay updated.
Climber Barbara Malcotti heads into the race off the back of a strong summer that saw her place 8th overall at the Giro d’Italia and 13th at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. In the 2023 edition of Ardèche, a daring solo attack on stage 6 saw the Italian capture her first professional victory.
“I will never forget Ardèche in my life,” says the 25-year-old. “It was my first pro win, and I love this race and the area. This year, I aim to have a better result in the GC, but first of all, winning a stage is the thing I am aiming for most.”
2025 has been something of a breakout year for Malcotti. She has scored 12 top ten finishes, with eight of those coming at WorldTour level. Since her last race, she has focused on her mindset and recovery to aid in the final block of racing.
“I took a break just straight after the Tour and went into the mountains,” Malcotti explains. “The last period was hard, and I needed the time for a mental reset. I’m feeling stronger after some days of training and relaxing in Puglia, where I could spend some time also with my family, and particularly fueled with such good food. It was definitely much better to be training in the sunny, warm weather while it was storming at home.”
2026 will be Malcotti’s fifth season on the team. Since joining at the age of 19, she has developed into one of the squad’s core members and GC specialists.
“Before 2026, I will take time to recover and refresh,” she says. “Next year, I am ready to grow to be one of the best GC riders, and I know the team can support me with this desire.”
Ardèche will be Malcotti’s final stage race test of the season before beginning to lay the groundwork for an exciting upcoming season at the Human Powered Health Performance Lab in Wellesley, MA, in October.
Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche Stage by Stage
9/9 Stage 1 | Laudun-l’Ardoise – Laudun-l’Ardoise (127.5 km) Rolling + uphill finish
A circuit stage kicks off the Tour with five laps of Laudun-l’Ardoise and the Côte du Mont Cau climb. 1.4 km at 3.9%, it’s a steady drag that will suit breakaway efforts. The final kick up to the finish line is a greater task. A kilometer in length and at 10.1%, it’s a steep finale to stage 1 and will immediately see the puncheurs and climbers vying for GC victory come to the fore.
9/10 Stage 2 | Saint-Rambert-d’Albon – Saint-Donat-Sur-l’Herbasse (113.7 km) Hilly
Stage 2 is a hilly day in the saddle, which should suit breakaway opportunists. With a total of 1,412 meters of vertical gain and six categorized hills, the ability to repeat a strong effort will be paramount. Not a day to win the GC, but certainly a day where you could lose the chance for a final podium.
9/11 Stage 3 | Avignon – Pernes-les-Fontaines (119 km) Medium Mountains
The first long climbs of the race come on stage 3. First up is the 10.3 km Col de Murs, before a brief descent leads to a 3.4 km at 4.9% climb, then a plateau, and then the final 7.2 km at 3.4% climb up the Col de la Ligne. It’s then a 29-kilometer downward drag to the finish line with a small 500-meter kicker 12 kilometers from the finish that could be used as a springboard to a solo win.
9/12 Stage 4 | Vals-les-Bains – Vals-les-Bains (20.1 km) ITT
A 20.1 km time trial before the final weekend of racing is arguably the crux of the race. Getting aero, being able to climb and having superior handling skills are crucial traits here as the stage begins with a 2.3 km climb at 6.1%. The twisting roads then take the riders back to the start/finish, where they will know how much they will have to do in the coming mountain stages to taste overall victory.
9/13 Stage 5 | Mende – Le Mont Lozère (125.8 km) Mountains
Stage 5 of the race is the longest and packs in the most climbing. At 126 km with 2,806 meters of vertical gain, it’s where the race will be won or lost. The riders will remember the final climb to Mont Lozère from the 2023 edition. After six categorized climbs, including the wall-like Montée Laurent Jalabert early on, it will likely be a small group of elite climbers who take it to the line.
9/14 Stage 6 | Beauchastel – Privas (100 km) Mountains
The 6 km at 8.4% Côte du Baron is the centrepiece of Ardèche’s finale. The climb will whittle down the group before a plateau leads to a 12-kilometer descent into Privas. A 700-meter uphill drag to the finish line will be the final test of the 2025 race.
