Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney accused FDJ United-Suez of unfair riding after a Tour de France Femmes incident during stage eight in Nice.
The Canyon-Sram rider said French champion Célia Gery pushed her towards the barriers as Demi Vollering attacked with around 6.5km remaining. Niewiadoma-Phinney had taken yellow on Mont Ventoux on Friday but lost it after failing to close Vollering’s move.
Tour de France Femmes incident sparks dispute
After the seafront finish, Niewiadoma-Phinney confronted Gery and questioned whether the move had formed part of a plan. Footage captured her asking why Gery had closed her towards the barriers.
Television images showed Gery riding at the front of the group before Vollering launched the first of three accelerations. The exact moment of contact, or positioning, did not appear clearly on the broadcast.
Niewiadoma-Phinney said she had expected FDJ United-Suez to try something tactically. She added that Gery had blocked her “on purpose” near the barriers, leaving her unable to pedal.
The Canyon-Sram rider said rivals should compete with fair play. She described the move as “so childish” and said she had lost respect for FDJ United-Suez because of it.
Her frustration continued at the Canyon-Sram team bus. Four staff members gathered around a phone to review footage, with a view to sharing it with race organiser ASO.
Canyon-Sram sports director Rolf Aldag said the jury would act if the move proved unfair. The post-stage jury report later listed no sanctions and made no mention of the incident.
FDJ United-Suez reject blocking claim
FDJ United-Suez said they believed Gery had done nothing wrong. Sports director Lars Boom said he had spoken with Gery and that she had simply moved back onto Vollering’s wheel.
Boom said the team’s plan called for Gery to follow Vollering’s attack and support her leader later in the race. He said blocking had not been discussed.
Team manager Stephen Delcourt also defended Gery. He said Vollering wanted to enter the corner first with speed, while Gery moved to the right without fault.
Delcourt said he understood Niewiadoma-Phinney might look for explanations after losing yellow unexpectedly. He added that his view of her as a champion had not changed.
Vollering, speaking after her stage victory, said the incident happened behind her. She said she could not comment directly because she did not have “eyes on my back.”
The Dutch rider said she was sure Gery had not acted deliberately. She described such moments as an unfortunate and difficult part of racing.
Vollering leads into Nice finale
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift ends on Sunday with a stage starting and finishing in Nice. The route includes four climbs of the Col d’Èze, each measuring 7.7km at 5.9%.
Vollering will start the final day with an eight-second advantage over Niewiadoma-Phinney. Marlen Reusser of Movistar sits third overall, 72 seconds behind Vollering.
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