Demi Vollering clinched her second Tour de France Femmes title with a decisive performance on the final climbs near Nice, pulling ahead of Kasia Niewiadoma by 1 minute and 18 seconds. The Dutch cyclist made her winning move on the Col d’Èze, breaking away from Niewiadoma with about 600 meters to go on the last ascent. Despite being the 2024 champion, Niewiadoma was unable to counter Vollering’s strategy, even after several aggressive attempts to take the lead during the climbs.
The victory was marked by tension between the two competitors over tactics employed in the previous stage. Niewiadoma had accused Célia Gery, a member of Vollering’s team, of blocking her during a critical part of Saturday’s race. This incident fueled ongoing discussions and criticism leading into the final stage. However, Niewiadoma ultimately acknowledged Vollering’s impressive performance, stating her desire to compete fairly and recognizing the strength of her rival.
Vollering expressed that her triumph was a testament to her team’s deserving victory based on their athletic prowess. Meanwhile, Niewiadoma secured a second-place finish, maintaining her impressive streak of podium placements in recent Tours.
The final stage took a toll on Marlen Reusser, who suffered a crash while descending the Col d’Èze. This unfortunate accident caused the Swiss rider, who started the day in third place overall, to drop significantly to 14th in the general classification.