Demi Vollering turned the Tour de France Femmes on its head with a late stage 8 attack into Nice.
The FDJ United-SUEZ rider won the penultimate stage after attacking on a steep uncategorised rise with 6km remaining. She cracked race leader Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Elisa Longo Borghini in the closing kilometres.
Vollering began the day 15 seconds behind Niewiadoma-Phinney after losing ground on Mont Ventoux on Friday. By the finish on the coast, she had moved into yellow by eight seconds.
Longo Borghini, riding for UAE Team l’Imad, outsprinted Niewiadoma-Phinney for second place on the stage. Kim Le Court-Pienaar led the next group home 38 seconds down for AG Insurance-Soudal.
Tour de France Femmes lead changes late in Nice
The decisive move came after the final classified climb, the Côte de la Ginestière. Franziska Koch drove the pace for FDJ United-SUEZ, thinning the front group before the last steep ramp.
Vollering attacked as soon as the road kicked up again. Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma-Phinney initially closed her down, but Vollering accelerated a second time.
On ramps reaching 17%, the Dutch rider opened the gap she needed. She crested the rise with only five seconds, then extended her advantage on the twisting descent into Nice.
Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma-Phinney worked together on the run-in, but they could not bring Vollering back. Vollering won by 17 seconds, with bonus seconds helping put her into the race lead.
After the stage, Vollering said she had kept believing despite the disappointment of Ventoux. She described stage racing as a daily reset and credited her teammates for helping make the plan work.
She also stressed that the race remains open. The final stage around Nice includes four ascents of the Col d’Eze, leaving little room for comfort.
Vollering said the last day would be “super hard” and that starting it in yellow was already “a dream” coming true. She added that her team would try everything to defend the jersey.
Breakaway caught before final attacks
The stage began in Sisteron with major news already confirmed. Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot of Visma-Lease a Bike withdrew from the race due to illness.
On the road, Loes Adegeest of Lidl-Trek and Maeva Squiban of UAE Team l’Imad formed the main breakaway. Their lead grew to 6:30 while teams behind judged the chase.
Canyon-SRAM had reason to let the move gain time, with Vollering close to Niewiadoma-Phinney on general classification. FDJ United-SUEZ and other teams worked behind to keep the stage within reach.
The gap fell steadily in the final third of the stage. With 20km left, the route still included two category four climbs and the late uncategorised rise.
On the Côte de Colomars, the peloton increased the pressure. Zoë Backstedt led the bunch onto the climb as Canyon-SRAM tried to control the race for Niewiadoma-Phinney.
Squiban then crashed out of the break on the descent, leaving Adegeest alone at the front. The Lidl-Trek rider still held 40 seconds entering the final 10km.
Koch’s pace on the Côte de la Ginestière ended Adegeest’s move by the top. Only around 20 riders remained in touch as the main contenders prepared for the finale.
Green jersey Lorena Wiebes of SD Worx-ProTime dropped in the final kilometre of the climb. Marianne Vos of Visma-Lease a Bike had already lost contact earlier.
Those selections left the overall contenders exposed before the last kicker. Vollering used that moment to transform the Tour de France Femmes standings before the final day.
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