Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot withdrew from the Women's Tour de France ahead of the eighth and penultimate stage on Saturday, August 8, 2026, after feeling unwell. The decision was made following consultation with the medical staff of her team, Visma-Lease a Bike.

“Unfortunately, Pauline was not feeling well this morning,” the team said on X (formerly Twitter). “It has been decided that she will not start today.”

Ferrand-Prévot, who won the Women's Tour de France in her debut last year, is also an Olympic champion in mountain biking from the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the time of her withdrawal, she was placed 14th overall.

The eighth stage was a flat 172-kilometre route from Sisteron to Nice, favoring sprinters. Meanwhile, Polish rider Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney took the overall lead after a solo victory on Mont Ventoux the previous day, taking the yellow jersey from Marlen Reusser.

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