Demi Vollering clinched her second Tour de France Femmes title after launching a decisive attack on the final climbs near Nice, finishing 1 minute and 18 seconds ahead of her rival Kasia Niewiadoma. The Dutch cyclist made her winning move on the Col d’Èze, pulling away from Niewiadoma with about 600 meters left on the last ascent. Niewiadoma, the champion from 2024, had tried multiple times to gain an advantage during the climbs but was unable to shake off Vollering.
The victory was marked by an ongoing disagreement between Vollering and Niewiadoma over race tactics during Saturday’s stage. Tensions arose when Niewiadoma accused Célia Gery, a member of Vollering’s team, of obstructing her during a critical section of the race. This incident ignited criticism and was a topic of contention between the riders leading up to the final stage.
Despite the controversy, Niewiadoma recognized Vollering’s strength, stating that the Dutch rider performed exceptionally well and expressing her desire to compete in a fair manner. Vollering, on her part, expressed that her victory was a testament to her team’s deserving win based on their sporting performance. Niewiadoma’s second-place finish extended her impressive streak of podium placements in recent editions of the Tour.
The final stage posed challenges for other riders as well. Marlen Reusser, who began the day in third place overall, faced a setback after crashing during her descent of the Col d’Èze. This incident caused the Swiss rider to drop to 14th place in the general classification, altering the standings significantly.