Tour de France Femmes: Demi Vollering takes eight-second lead into final stage

Demi Vollering took the overall lead from Kasia Niewiadoma in the Tour de France Femmes with a vicious attack in the hills behind Nice to lead the race by eight seconds, with one stage remaining. It was Vollering’s fifth stage victory in the Tour de France Femmes and also her fifth yellow jersey and came after she had regretted failing to mount a meaningful pursuit of Niewiadoma on Friday’s summit finish to Mont Ventoux.

Vollering eked out a slim advantage on Niewiadoma on the final climb of the Cote de la Ginestière and after a breakneck descent, extended her lead on the long straight road to the finish on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.

But Niewiadoma was critical of Vollering’s FDJ United-Suez team’s tactics. “I was annoyed at the beginning of the climb because Gery, on purpose, just blocked me to the barriers where I had to stop pedalling,” she said of Celia Gery, Vollering’s teammate. “If they want to compete they should compete fair play and not look to block me on the barriers because it is so childish. I lost all the respect for them for that.”

While the critical attacks came in the suburbs of Nice, the stage was animated by a two-rider breakawayby Maeve Squiban and Loes Adegeest. The duo might have hoped to remain clear to the finish, but Squiban, winner of two stages last year, crashed on a left-hand bend on the descent of the Cote de Colomars, north of Nice, and howling in pain, was swallowed up the peloton.

That left Adegeest alone, but her escape ended nine kilometres from the finish as Vollering’s team attacked the bends leading to the Cote de la Ginestière and its cruel final twist.

It was there that Vollering attacked and while Niewiadoma stuck to the task she lost ground in the final cruel metres of the short steep climb. Now eight seconds separate the pair.

Sunday’s final stage based on Nice, takes in four climbs of the Col d’Eze, overlooking the corniche roads of Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Kasia Niewiadoma (second left) relinquished the yellow jersey in Nice Photograph: Tim de Waele/Getty Images

The rivalry between Vollering and Niewiadoma goes back to the 2024 Tour, when the Dutchwoman lost to the Pole by four seconds, the narrowest margin of any Tour de France, after an epic duel through the Alps to the finish at Alpe d’Huez.

French favourite Pauline Ferrand-Prevot’s title defence came to a predictable end. From her listless performance in the stage four time trial, to her major losses of time on Mont Brouilly and Mont Ventoux, her performance has been a stark contrast to that of a year ago.

The Olympic gold medallist’s exit was sudden and dramatic. Her bike was prepared and readied outside the team bus at the start of stage eight in Sisteron, when she was reported by French TV crews to have told team staff “I can’t do it, I can’t do it”.

An announcement confirming her withdrawal was made on social media soon afterwards stating that Ferrand-Prevot “was not feeling well this morning” and adding “in consultation with medical staff, it has been decided that she will not start.”

She was 14th overall, and more than 14 minutes behind then race leader Niewiadoma. Ferrand-Prevot’s vulnerability was evident as early as stage three, something her trainer, Rutger Tijssen acknowledged. “She didn’t feel good and wasn’t able to ride as she wanted,” he said. “When she couldn’t hold on in the fifth stage, the signals were clearer. We knew than it wasn’t realistic to talk about winning the Tour.”