When the peloton rolled out for the ninth and final stage of the Tour de France Femmes, the scoreboard told a story of microscopic separation. Just eight seconds stood between Demi Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma as the race converged on Nice for a punishing circuit featuring four ascents of the Col d'Eze. For eight days, the terrain and tactical chess had compressed the battle for the yellow jersey into a high-stakes duel. By the time the dust settled on the 99-kilometer route, those eight seconds had stretched into a definitive chasm.
With 16 kilometers remaining on the final climb, Vollering made her decisive acceleration. The 2023 champion, carrying the form that also secured her victory at the Giro d'Italia Women earlier in the season, cracked Niewiadoma and launched into a solo flight to the finish. Niewiadoma, who famously held on to win the 2024 edition by a razor-thin four seconds, fought valiantly but could not match the accelerative blow on the upper slopes. Vollering crossed the finish line in Nice alone, clocking a stage-winning time of 2:44:43, with Spain's Paula Blasi and Niewiadoma trailing 1:04 behind.
The final general classification reflected both Vollering's dominance and the resilience of her rivals. Niewiadoma secured second overall, finishing one minute and 18 seconds back, while Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini rounded out the podium at 4:29. Young German climber Antonia Niedermaier, who spent the race acting as a vital lieutenant for Niewiadoma after a breakout second-place finish at the Giro, placed fourth overall at 5:10, capping off a stellar display of support and individual climbing prowess.
Behind the podium fight, the race exacted a brutal physical toll on the peloton. Czech rider Nikola Nosková, racing for Cofidis, endured a dramatic end to her campaign. After capturing the combativity award in the opening stage through a daring long breakaway, Nosková suffered a heavy crash on Saturday. She battled through the pain to finish the stage with a heavily bandaged arm, and though she bravely took the start line for the final stage, the injuries forced her to abandon the race early in the day.
For Vollering, the victory marks her second career triumph at the French Grand Tour, solidifying a masterclass in tactical execution across the punishing vertical meters of the 2026 route. Having seized control through calculated climbs and relentless pressure on the road to Nice, the Dutch champion once again etched her name at the pinnacle of stage racing.
Sources
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- letourfemmes.fr original
- cnn.com original
- sport.ceskatelevize.cz original
- liege-bastogne-liege-femmes.be original