2 months ago
With 16km to go on the final stage of the Tour de France Femmes, Demi Vollering took off. The Dutchwoman timed her moment to perfection, attacking with 600m to go on the final of four ascents of the Col d'Eze, with Kasia Niewiadoma unable to cling on to her wheel. As she barrelled up the remnants of the climb and then down the descent towards Nice Vollering converted her minuscule eight-second advantage over the Pole to a minute and 18 seconds, with time to slow down before the line, soak in the moment, and lift her bike triumphantly overhead.
After nine days of agonisingly close racing, with momentum swinging this way and that, this was a tour de force by the sport's premier stage racer, the deserving first winner of a landmark second Tour de France Femmes **** le. "Impériale," was the verdict on L'Equipe's front page.
Vollering celebrated with her teammates after winning three stages and the overall (Reuters)
It was a fitting end to a resounding success of a Tour – dramatic, cathartic, and magnified by moments of individual virtuosity. This year's Tour de France Femmes has been an enormous coup for race director Marion Rousse, and for the sport generally. The Classics-style parcours, where nearly every day has resembled the most intense one-day races, coupled with the dynamics of the peloton and the fact that there are multiple evenly-matched teams rather than one all-conquering super-team, has made for an unpredictable and volatile race.
The fact that no singular team can entirely control proceedings has made for genuine jeopardy over whether breakaways will be brought back or able to seize their moment of glory – best emphasised by the heroics of Sigrid Haugset on stage three. The attacking, all-out nature of the racing, from Niewiadoma's raid on Mont Ventoux to her team's attempts to dislodge Vollering on stage nine, with Vollering responding with a devastating attack of her own, has made for thrilling viewing.
#vollering #tour #france #made
After nine days of agonisingly close racing, with momentum swinging this way and that, this was a tour de force by the sport's premier stage racer, the deserving first winner of a landmark second Tour de France Femmes **** le. "Impériale," was the verdict on L'Equipe's front page.
Vollering celebrated with her teammates after winning three stages and the overall (Reuters)
It was a fitting end to a resounding success of a Tour – dramatic, cathartic, and magnified by moments of individual virtuosity. This year's Tour de France Femmes has been an enormous coup for race director Marion Rousse, and for the sport generally. The Classics-style parcours, where nearly every day has resembled the most intense one-day races, coupled with the dynamics of the peloton and the fact that there are multiple evenly-matched teams rather than one all-conquering super-team, has made for an unpredictable and volatile race.
The fact that no singular team can entirely control proceedings has made for genuine jeopardy over whether breakaways will be brought back or able to seize their moment of glory – best emphasised by the heroics of Sigrid Haugset on stage three. The attacking, all-out nature of the racing, from Niewiadoma's raid on Mont Ventoux to her team's attempts to dislodge Vollering on stage nine, with Vollering responding with a devastating attack of her own, has made for thrilling viewing.
#vollering #tour #france #made
2 months ago
Dutch rider Demi Vollering took the Tour de France Femmes overall ****** le in style on Sunday, winning the hilly final stage to extend her lead on nearest rival Kasia Niewiadoma, who finished second overall after a tense struggle.
The 29-year-old also won the 2023 ****** le and earned her second one by timing the nine-day slog to perfection, carving out solo wins on the final two stages, which both ended in Nice.
"It's a dream to live this life," Vollering said after hoisting her bike above her head at the finish line.
"I knew my level and even when Kasia won on Mont Ventoux I was still confident," added Vollering, who has also finished second on this race three times in its five editions since being relaunched in 2022.
Vollering's FDJ-United Suez are the first French team to win the race, earning her high praise from team boss Stephen Delcourt.
#kasia #race #team
The 29-year-old also won the 2023 ****** le and earned her second one by timing the nine-day slog to perfection, carving out solo wins on the final two stages, which both ended in Nice.
"It's a dream to live this life," Vollering said after hoisting her bike above her head at the finish line.
"I knew my level and even when Kasia won on Mont Ventoux I was still confident," added Vollering, who has also finished second on this race three times in its five editions since being relaunched in 2022.
Vollering's FDJ-United Suez are the first French team to win the race, earning her high praise from team boss Stephen Delcourt.
#kasia #race #team
2 months ago
Dutch rider Demi Vollering has won the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, also claiming victory on the ninth and final stage on Sunday, which started and finished in Nice.
Vollering became the first woman to win the race for a second time.
"It's not only the dream to win in yellow here, to win a second Tour de France, but it's the dream to live this life, to work hard together with people with a lot of passion," Vollering said after the race.
She raised her bike in the air after crossing the finish line, completing the race comfortably ahead of 2024 champion Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney.
Vollering nullified all of Niewiadoma-Phinney's attacks before opening up more than a minute on the 15-kilometre run-in to the finish.
#tour #niewiadoma #finish #demi
Vollering became the first woman to win the race for a second time.
"It's not only the dream to win in yellow here, to win a second Tour de France, but it's the dream to live this life, to work hard together with people with a lot of passion," Vollering said after the race.
She raised her bike in the air after crossing the finish line, completing the race comfortably ahead of 2024 champion Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney.
Vollering nullified all of Niewiadoma-Phinney's attacks before opening up more than a minute on the 15-kilometre run-in to the finish.
#tour #niewiadoma #finish #demi
2 months ago
Demi Vollering showed her prowess on the final stage of the Tour de France Femmes to become the race's first two-time winner.
The Dutch FDJ-Suez rider won the penultimate stage to ******* the leader's yellow jersey from Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney and carry an eight-second lead into Sunday's finale.
The fifth edition of the race culminated with a 99.2km mountain stage, beginning and ending in Nice, which featured four ascents of the Col d'Eze and totalled 2,100m of climbing.
Niewiadoma-Phinney's British team-mate Zoe Backstedt pushed the pace in the early stages before former race leader Marlen Reusser crashed on the second descent of the Col d'Eze.
Reusser was third in general classification, 72 seconds behind Vollering, and although the Swiss rider could finish, she was unable to get back in contention.
#vollering #reusser #race #d 'eze
The Dutch FDJ-Suez rider won the penultimate stage to ******* the leader's yellow jersey from Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney and carry an eight-second lead into Sunday's finale.
The fifth edition of the race culminated with a 99.2km mountain stage, beginning and ending in Nice, which featured four ascents of the Col d'Eze and totalled 2,100m of climbing.
Niewiadoma-Phinney's British team-mate Zoe Backstedt pushed the pace in the early stages before former race leader Marlen Reusser crashed on the second descent of the Col d'Eze.
Reusser was third in general classification, 72 seconds behind Vollering, and although the Swiss rider could finish, she was unable to get back in contention.
#vollering #reusser #race #d 'eze
2 months ago
NICE, France (AP) — Dutchwoman Demi Vollering is defending the race leader's yellow jersey as the final stage of the Tour de France got underway on Sunday.
The 2023 champion is looking to win the race for the second time but only has a slender lead of 8 seconds over Polish rider Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, the 2024 champion, and 1 minute, 12 seconds over Marlen Reusser in third overall.
Two years ago, Niewiadoma-Phinney claimed her first Tour **** le in dramatic manner on a final day mountain stage, beating Vollering by just four seconds overall in a thrilling finish.
The 29-year-old Vollering has won all three Grand Tours, including two Spanish Vueltas and the Giro d'Italia in June.
Stage 9 is just under 100 kilometers (62 miles) long and features four loops around the southeast city of Nice and four sharp climbs of Col d'Èze, nestled in the hills overlooking the tiny Principality of Monaco.
#seconds #nice #race
The 2023 champion is looking to win the race for the second time but only has a slender lead of 8 seconds over Polish rider Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, the 2024 champion, and 1 minute, 12 seconds over Marlen Reusser in third overall.
Two years ago, Niewiadoma-Phinney claimed her first Tour **** le in dramatic manner on a final day mountain stage, beating Vollering by just four seconds overall in a thrilling finish.
The 29-year-old Vollering has won all three Grand Tours, including two Spanish Vueltas and the Giro d'Italia in June.
Stage 9 is just under 100 kilometers (62 miles) long and features four loops around the southeast city of Nice and four sharp climbs of Col d'Èze, nestled in the hills overlooking the tiny Principality of Monaco.
#seconds #nice #race
2 months ago
Demi Vollering raced clear to win stage eight of the Tour de France Femmes and ***** the leader's yellow jersey with just one stage remaining.
The race lead has changed hands for the second day running, with Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney having won on Mont Ventoux to replace Marlen Reusser at the top of the general classification.
That gave the Polish Canyon-SRAM rider a 15-second lead over Vollering heading into Saturday's penultimate stage, a mostly flat 171.9km ride from Sisteron to Nice.
It was the longest stage of this year's race and looked set to suit the sprinters, but they were dropped on the Cote de la Ginestiere - the final climb of the day - about 8km from the finish.
Dutch FDJ-Suez rider Vollering then attacked in a bid to drop Niewiadoma-Phinney and Elisa Longo Borghini, and went clear right before she crested the final climb, with 6km to the finish.
#vollering #phinney #lead #rider
The race lead has changed hands for the second day running, with Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney having won on Mont Ventoux to replace Marlen Reusser at the top of the general classification.
That gave the Polish Canyon-SRAM rider a 15-second lead over Vollering heading into Saturday's penultimate stage, a mostly flat 171.9km ride from Sisteron to Nice.
It was the longest stage of this year's race and looked set to suit the sprinters, but they were dropped on the Cote de la Ginestiere - the final climb of the day - about 8km from the finish.
Dutch FDJ-Suez rider Vollering then attacked in a bid to drop Niewiadoma-Phinney and Elisa Longo Borghini, and went clear right before she crested the final climb, with 6km to the finish.
#vollering #phinney #lead #rider
2 months ago
TOURNON-SUR-RHONE, France (AP) — Mauritian rider Kim Le Court-Pienaar won the sixth stage of the Women's Tour de France in a sprint to the line on Thursday, while Marlen Reusser kept the race leader's yellow jersey.
Le Court-Pienaar attacked from 300 meters out and held off Frenchwoman Cedrine Kerbaol and Dutchwoman Puck Pieterse, who was third. Le Court-Pienaar lay on her back in a mixture of exhaustion and elation as she savored her victory after winning in about four hours.
The Swiss rider Reusser maintained her overall lead of 12 seconds from Dutchwoman Demi Vollering, with Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, 1 minute and 17 seconds behind in third.
Two-time Giro d'Italia winner Elisa Longo Borghini jumped up a couple of places to fourth overall to move into outside contention for the ******* le at 2:28 back. Le Court-Pienaar was ninth at 3:26 behind while defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot of France was 15th.
Stage six took riders on a 153-kilometer (95-mile) route featuring five modest climbs and one tricky category 2-level climb — the third-hardest category in the race — before a downhill dash to Tournon-sur-Rhône in the Ardèche region of south-central France.
#court #tournon #dutchwoman #rider
Le Court-Pienaar attacked from 300 meters out and held off Frenchwoman Cedrine Kerbaol and Dutchwoman Puck Pieterse, who was third. Le Court-Pienaar lay on her back in a mixture of exhaustion and elation as she savored her victory after winning in about four hours.
The Swiss rider Reusser maintained her overall lead of 12 seconds from Dutchwoman Demi Vollering, with Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, 1 minute and 17 seconds behind in third.
Two-time Giro d'Italia winner Elisa Longo Borghini jumped up a couple of places to fourth overall to move into outside contention for the ******* le at 2:28 back. Le Court-Pienaar was ninth at 3:26 behind while defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot of France was 15th.
Stage six took riders on a 153-kilometer (95-mile) route featuring five modest climbs and one tricky category 2-level climb — the third-hardest category in the race — before a downhill dash to Tournon-sur-Rhône in the Ardèche region of south-central France.
#court #tournon #dutchwoman #rider
2 months ago
The Tour de France Femmes begins on Saturday with possibly the most difficult route yet for women's cycling's flagship race.
This year the peloton will tackle the infamous Mont Ventoux on a gruelling stage seven, the queen stage of the nine-day race, but the battle for the general classification could go right down to the wire with four summits of the Col d'Eze, outside Nice, crammed into less than 100km in an explosive final stage.
Dutchwoman and 2023 champion Demi Vollering is arguably the favourite to regain her crown but will face fierce competition from reigning champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, who has had a mixed season but with everything building towards her **** le defence, and 2024 winner Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, who has finished on the podium in every edition.
Elsewhere Britain's Zoe Backstedt is one of the favourites to take a maiden stage win on stage four's individual time trial, as the 21-year-old makes her Tour de France debut.
Here's everything you need to know to watch the race.
#race #france #femmes
This year the peloton will tackle the infamous Mont Ventoux on a gruelling stage seven, the queen stage of the nine-day race, but the battle for the general classification could go right down to the wire with four summits of the Col d'Eze, outside Nice, crammed into less than 100km in an explosive final stage.
Dutchwoman and 2023 champion Demi Vollering is arguably the favourite to regain her crown but will face fierce competition from reigning champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, who has had a mixed season but with everything building towards her **** le defence, and 2024 winner Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, who has finished on the podium in every edition.
Elsewhere Britain's Zoe Backstedt is one of the favourites to take a maiden stage win on stage four's individual time trial, as the 21-year-old makes her Tour de France debut.
Here's everything you need to know to watch the race.
#race #france #femmes
