Demi Vollering clinched her second Tour de France Femmes title with a powerful performance on the final climbs around Nice, distancing herself from Kasia Niewiadoma by 1 minute and 18 seconds. The decisive move came on the Col d’Èze, where Vollering broke away from Niewiadoma with roughly 600 meters left to ascend. Niewiadoma, who was the champion in 2024, had launched multiple attacks during the climb but was unable to counter Vollering’s strength.
The victory for the Dutch cyclist unfolded amidst some controversy involving the two competitors over tactics from the previous stage. Niewiadoma alleged that Célia Gery, part of Vollering’s team, obstructed her during a pivotal part of the race. This accusation led to ongoing discussions and criticism between the riders leading up to the concluding stage of the event.
Despite the tensions, Niewiadoma recognized Vollering’s exceptional performance, acknowledging that her rival was incredibly strong and expressed her desire for fair competition. Vollering, on her part, emphasized that her win should reflect her team’s merit based on their sporting capabilities. Niewiadoma’s second-place finish adds to her impressive streak of podium appearances in recent Tour editions.
The final stage also presented challenges for Marlen Reusser, who experienced a setback after crashing on the descent from the Col d’Èze. The Swiss cyclist started the day in third place overall but fell to 14th in the general classification due to the incident.