A Travers les Hauts de France 2026: preview and favorites

A challenge in the heart of northern FranceOn Saturday, September 12, 2026, the international women's calendar stops in France with A Travers les Hauts de France, a procontinental race that promises to be hard-fought and spectacular. As is traditional for races held in this region, the course is expected to be nervous, with roads exposed to the wind and technical sectors that could favor attacks and echelons.The race will see 144 riders at the start, including numerous top teams from the international scene. Data on the distance and elevation gain of the route are not available, but the geographical location suggests a day in the style of a northern classic, where tactics and the ability to read the race will make the difference.The expected protagonistsAmong the entrants are several prominent names in international women's cycling. The start list includes teams such as UAE Team L'IMAD, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, Human Powered Health, AG Insurance - Soudal Team, EF Education-Oatly, Uno-X Mobility, Team Picnic PostNL and many others, ready to play their cards on the hills of northern France.Among the most anticipated riders is Lara Gillespie (UAE Team L'IMAD), coming off a season full of satisfaction. Alongside her, teammate Elynor Bäckstedt could be a valuable alternative in the event of a bunch sprint.Also watch out for Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance - Soudal Team), Nienke Veenhoven (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Lily Williams (Human Powered Health), all capable of winning races of this type.This year's results of the main namesLooking at the season results of the riders present, several interesting indications emerge.Lara Gillespie has had a high-level season: in July she won the Argenta Classic - Deurne, while in stage races she achieved notable placings such as second place on stage 5 of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women and second place on stage 2 of the Tour de Pologne Women. This consistency places her among the main candidates for final success.Shari Bossuyt arrives at the race with growing form: fifth at the Konvert Kortrijk Koerse in August, she also collected a fourth place on stage 2 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and a third place on stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse Women. Her habit of racing on northern European courses makes her particularly dangerous.Nienke Veenhoven has shown great explosiveness throughout the year, winning three stages at the Baloise Ladies Tour (stages 1, 3 and 4) and finishing fourth and sixth in two stages of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women. Her sprinting ability makes her a serious threat in the event of a reduced bunch sprint.Lily Williams comes from an excellent second place at the Tout commence en Finistère Ladies Classic, obtained in early September, which testifies to excellent form. Previously she had collected a second place on stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse Women and a second place on stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia Women.Among the possible surprises, Eline Jansen (VolkerWessels) has shown she can handle selective courses with third place at the Muurclassic Geraardsbergen and third place at the Festival Elsy Jacobs à Garnich. Alice Towers (EF Education-Oatly) has instead shown excellent qualities with third place at the Durango Durango Emakumeen Saria and thirteenth place at Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes.Favorites for victoryIn light of the season results and the characteristics of the course, the number one favorite is Lara Gillespie: her ability to win both in reduced sprints and in nervous races makes her the most complete rider in the field.Right behind, Shari Bossuyt appears to be the main antagonist, strong in growing form and great experience in northern classics. Nienke Veenhoven could instead play her chances in the event of a bunch finish, exploiting her explosiveness in sprints.Also keep an eye on Lily Williams, who arrives at the race with high morale after her recent podium, and Pfeiffer Georgi (Team Picnic PostNL), capable of adapting to challenging courses as shown by her fourteenth place at Paris-Roubaix Femmes Hauts-de-France.The presence of deep teams such as UAE Team L'IMAD, Team Visma | Lease a Bike and AG Insurance - Soudal Team could lead to a tactically closed race, with the peloton controlling breaks and deciding everything in the finale. But the roads of Hauts-de-France are often treacherous: whoever wants to win must be ready for anything.Curiosity: among the entrants is also Clara Lundmark, Swedish national road champion 2026, who could play an outsider role — source: entrants' results history