Demi Vollering clinched her second Tour de France Femmes title, executing a decisive attack on the final climbs near Nice to finish 1 minute and 18 seconds ahead of Kasia Niewiadoma. The Dutch cyclist made her winning move on the Col d’Èze, breaking away from Niewiadoma with about 600 meters left on the last ascent. Despite Niewiadoma’s repeated attacks during the climbs, she was unable to overcome Vollering’s strong performance.
The victory for Vollering came amidst a backdrop of tension between her and Niewiadoma, stemming from disagreements over tactics in Saturday’s stage. Niewiadoma accused Célia Gery, a member of Vollering’s team, of obstructing her during a critical section of the race, sparking ongoing discussions and criticism ahead of the final stage.
Nevertheless, Niewiadoma acknowledged Vollering’s strength, expressing her desire to compete fairly and recognizing the Dutch rider’s impressive efforts. Vollering, on her part, emphasized that her win was a testament to her team’s sporting prowess. This outcome secured Niewiadoma the second spot overall, further cementing her consistent record of podium finishes in recent editions of the Tour.
The final stage posed additional challenges, particularly for Marlen Reusser, who suffered a crash while descending the Col d’Èze. Starting the day in third place overall, the Swiss rider’s unfortunate accident resulted in her dropping to 14th in the general classification by the stage’s end.