What's happened
Dutch rider Demi Vollering has seized the yellow jersey on the Tour de France Femmes stage to Mont Ventoux, stretching her overall lead. Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney and Elisa Longo Borghini chased, but Vollering pulled clear on the final climb and finished first, with Longo Borghini second and Niewiadoma-Phinney third. Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot has withdrawn due to illness.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
- Vollering has capitalised on late-stage climbs to take control of the GC, signaling a potential final-day showdown on the Riviera coast.
- Niewiadoma-Phinney’s early-stage leadership has given way to Vollering’s aggressive tactics, highlighting the strategic shift within Canyon-SRAM.
- The withdrawal of Ferrand-Prevot removes a key challenger, increasing Vollering’s likelihood of securing a second Tour de France Femmes title.
- The stage underlines the importance of stage planning and team support in mountain-heavy routes, where one strong decisive climb can redefine overall standings.
How we got here
The Tour de France Femmes finished its mountain stretch with Mont Ventoux looming large over the day’s route. After several days of shifting leadership, Vollering has emerged as the strongest climber and a consistent podium presence across multiple stages.
Our analysis
BBC Sport: Vollering’s mountain-climb victory; Independent: Stage recap; France 24: Stage dynamics; BBC Business: Overall implications for GC and next day strategy.
Go deeper
- Will Vollering retain yellow on the final day?
- Can Niewiadoma-Phinney or Longo Borghini challenge on the Mont Ventoux finale?
- How has Ferrand-Prevot’s withdrawal reshaped the title race?
More on these topics
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Demi Vollering - Dutch cyclist
Demi Vollering is a Dutch professional racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam SD Worx. In 2019 she won the Volta Limburg Classic and the Giro dell'Emilia. In 2021 she won Liège–Bastogne–Liège, her first win in a monument class
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France - Country in Europe
France, officially the French Republic, is a country consisting of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories.
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Mont Ventoux - Mountain in southern France
Mont Ventoux (French: [mɔ̃ vɑ̃tu]; Provençal: Ventor [venˈtu]) is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km (12 miles) northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the department of Drôme
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Marlen Reusser - Swiss cyclist
Marlen Reusser is a Swiss racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Alé BTC Ljubljana. She rode in the women's time trial event at the 2017 UCI Road World Championships.
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Tour de France Femmes - Women's cycling stage race
The Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale, formerly known as the Tour Cycliste Féminin, was one of the Grand Tours of women's cycle races. Grande Boucle means "big loop" and describes the individual stages which form a circuit around France.
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Nice - City in France
Nice is the seventh most populous urban area in France and the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department. The metropolitan area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of about 1 million on an area of 721 km².
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Elisa Longo Borghini - Italian cyclist
Elisa Longo Borghini is an Italian professional road cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Trek–Segafredo. She won a bronze medal in Road race, at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
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Promenade des Anglais - Route in Nice, France
The Promenade des Anglais is a promenade along the Mediterranean at Nice, France. It extends from the airport on the west to the Quai des États-Unis on the east, a distance of approximately 7 km.