Harshita Jakhar, a 19-year-old cyclist from Rajasthan, has become the first Indian woman to feature at the Tour de France Femmes, the world’s most prestigious women’s cycling race. She was selected by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the international governing body of cycling, as one of only eight riders worldwide for the UCI World Cycling Talent Programme. Riding in the ceremonial start of Stage 2 of the 2026 edition, she helped India mark its presence on the biggest stage in women’s road cycling.
First Indian Woman at the Tour de France Femmes
Harshita led a select group of eight young riders during the ceremonial start of Stage 2 of the Tour de France Femmes 2026 in Aigle, Switzerland, on 2 August 2026. The group, drawn from countries such as Afghanistan, Algeria, Chile, Ethiopia, Namibia and Uganda, completed a 4.5-kilometre neutralised ride ahead of the elite professional peloton before the competitive stage began.
The ceremonial start is a significant recognition from the UCI, which invited these emerging talents to experience the atmosphere and standards of the world’s premier women’s stage race. UCI President David Lappartient welcomed the young riders at the start line and publicly praised Harshita, expressing confidence that she would one day return to compete in the actual race rather than merely its ceremonial lead-out.
While Harshita did not ride in the competitive field, her participation still carries historic weight. No Indian woman, and indeed no Indian rider, has ever featured at the Tour de France Femmes since the race was revived in its current form in 2022. The 2026 edition, which ran from 1 to 9 August, began in Lausanne, Switzerland, and concluded in Nice, France, covering nine stages and roughly 1,175 kilometres across two countries.
The UCI World Cycling Talent Programme
The UCI World Cycling Talent (UCI WCT) Programme is a global initiative launched in 2026 by the UCI and its training arm, the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC), headquartered in Aigle, Switzerland. Its aim is to identify, develop and support promising young cyclists from emerging cycling nations across Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas. The premise is simple: talent exists everywhere, but the conditions to develop it, such as world-class coaching, a competitive racing calendar and infrastructure, are not always available in smaller cycling nations.
The first phase of the programme began on 20 April 2026, with twelve athletes from eleven countries training and racing together in Brittany, France, based in the town of Josselin. Riders were drawn from Afghanistan, Belize, Bolivia, Ecuador, Eritrea, India, Namibia, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates, all brought together under the colours of the UCI WCC with shared access to coaching and structured race programmes.
The first year is organised in two phases and combines an intensive road racing season in France with individual development support from UCI coaches. It builds on the earlier success of the Africa 2025 programme, under which Ethiopian rider Tsige Kyros secured a top-10 finish in the Women Junior road race at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships.
Analogy · Everyone Gets the Same Tools Expand analogy
Think of the programme as a shared training academy where young riders from nations that struggle to fund elite development train side by side. Just as a talented student from a small town is given the same textbooks and classrooms as one from a big city, these riders gain access to the same coaching, tracks and competitions that cyclists from wealthy nations have enjoyed for decades.
From Patiala’s Roads to the World Stage
Harshita’s entry into the UCI WCT Programme came through a joint initiative between the Cycling Federation of India (CFI), the national governing body for the sport, and the UCI, and led to a six-month training stint at the UCI World Cycling Centre in France. For a teenager who started riding on ordinary road bicycles during the COVID-19 lockdown, standing at the centre of world cycling was a journey that came together remarkably quickly.
Born in Sriganganagar, Rajasthan, Harshita grew up in a family where cycling ran deep. She began riding seriously in 2020, when the pandemic closed schools and competitive sport, and her early promise was soon evident. After topping trials in Bikaner in 2021 in the Under-14 category, she entered the national setup and went on to win gold at successive National Championships in Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Her track record across age categories has been exceptional. She has claimed three gold medals at the 2025 Khelo India Youth Games, winning the 500-metre time trial, the 7.5-kilometre scratch race and the 2-kilometre individual pursuit at the velodrome in New Delhi. On the international stage, she won a silver and two bronze medals at the 2024 Asian Junior Cycling Championships. She holds national records in the Under-16 and Under-18 track categories and is part of the Target Asian Games Group.
Harshita trains at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence in Patiala, guided by her father and coach, Rakesh Jakhar, a former cyclist who represented India at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. Her stated long-term goals are a top-10 finish at the 2026 Asian Games and a medal at the 2030 edition, along with strong performances at the World Championships.
The Tour de France Femmes: A Brief Background
The Tour de France Femmes, officially known as the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, is the women’s equivalent of the famous Tour de France. It is organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), the same body that runs the men’s event, and is a flagship race of the UCI Women’s World Tour, the highest tier of international women’s road cycling.
The modern race was launched in 2022, after years of activism and campaigning for a women’s Tour of comparable prestige to the men’s. Its revival follows several earlier attempts at a women’s stage race in France, which had come and gone since a first edition around the mid-1950s.
| Period | Women’s Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | First women’s Tour | A short stage race organised by a French journalist, a one-off event |
| 1984 to 1989 | Tour de France Féminin | Held alongside the men’s race, won in its first year by an American rider |
| 1992 to 2003 | Tour of the EEC Women | Continued under several organisers and name changes |
| 2005 to 2009 | Grande Boucle Féminine | A later incarnation of the women’s Tour |
| 2014 to 2021 | La Course | A one-day race staged alongside the final stage of the men’s Tour |
| 2022 onwards | Tour de France Femmes | The current multi-stage event, revived as a standalone race |
In its current form, the Tour de France Femmes quickly became the biggest event on the women’s calendar.
Globally, the race has grown steadily since its 2022 debut. The 2026 edition marked the fifth running, covering nine stages and roughly 1,175 kilometres, the longest distance of any edition to date. It began in Lausanne and, after three stages in Switzerland, moved into France, passing through the Jura mountains to a climb of the iconic Mont Ventoux and finishing with laps around the Col d’Èze near Nice. The route was unveiled by the race’s director, former professional cyclist Marion Rousse.
Significance for Indian Cycling
Harshita’s appearance is a milestone for Indian cycling, a sport that has rarely found a global platform beyond the Commonwealth Games and Asian Championships. No Indian has featured in the Tour de France Femmes before, and her selection signals that the international governing body now sees genuine potential in riders from India.
Her rise also reflects the growing institutional backing for cycling at home. The Cycling Federation of India, which works with the Sports Authority of India and selection groups such as the Target Asian Games Group, has been pushing to give young riders exposure to the highest levels of the sport. Combined with the training facilities at Patiala and the international pathway offered by the UCI, this support has produced a generation of riders capable of competing with the world.
For the young cyclist from Rajasthan, the ceremonial ride is best viewed as the prologue to a longer journey. She is already firm about her priorities, aiming for a top-10 finish at the 2026 Asian Games and a medal at the 2030 edition, while also chasing strong results at the World Championships. Her presence at the Tour de France Femmes, however short, shows an athlete ready to take the next step onto the world’s biggest racing stages.
Key Takeaways
- Harshita Jakhar, a 19-year-old cyclist from Rajasthan, became the first Indian woman to feature at the Tour de France Femmes.
- She was selected by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) as one of only eight riders worldwide for the UCI World Cycling Talent Programme.
- She rode in the ceremonial start of Stage 2 of the 2026 edition in Aigle, Switzerland, covering a 4.5-kilometre neutralised section ahead of the professional peloton.
- The UCI World Cycling Talent Programme, launched in 2026, is run by the UCI and its World Cycling Centre (WCC) in Aigle, Switzerland, to develop talent from emerging cycling nations.
- Harshita won three gold medals at the 2025 Khelo India Youth Games and a silver and two bronze medals at the 2024 Asian Junior Championships.
- The Tour de France Femmes, revived in its current form in 2022, is organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) and is part of the UCI Women’s World Tour.
