Harshita Jakhar became the first Indian woman to feature at the Tour de France Femmes after leading a group of riders during the ceremonial start of Stage 2 in Aigle, Switzerland, on Sunday.
The 19-year-old Harshita Jakhar from Rajasthan was among eight cyclists selected for the UCI World Cycling Talent Programme, which gives riders from developing cycling nations exposure to elite racing environments.
The group, comprising riders from Afghanistan, Algeria, Chile, Ethiopia, Namibia and Uganda, completed a 4.5km neutralised ride ahead of the professional peloton before Stage 2 of the race.
The Tour de France Femmes is an annual women’s road cycling stage race. It is part of the UCI Women’s World Tour and is one of the biggest and longest events on the women’s calendar.
The Tour de France Femmes 2026 began on August 1 in Lausanne and will end on August 9 in Nice.
UCI president David Lappartient welcomed Harshita’s participation and expressed hope that she would one day return to compete in the Tour de France Femmes.
“We are excited to have India’s very talented Harshita Jakhar in our prestigious UCI World Cycling Talent Programme,” Lappartient said. “I am sure she will love being part of the Tour de France Femmes and will soon return to take part in the actual competition.”
Harshita trains at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence in Patiala under her father and coach, former cyclist Rakesh Jakhar, who competed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.
She announced herself on the national stage with three gold medals at the 2025 Khelo India Youth Games and has also won a silver and two bronze medals at the 2024 Asian Junior Cycling Championships.
READ MORE: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/tour-de-france-femmes-2026-india-harshita-jakhar-history
