Demi Vollering clinched her second Tour de France Femmes championship with a commanding performance on the final climbs near Nice. The Dutch cyclist surged ahead on the Col d’Èze, leaving Kasia Niewiadoma behind by 1 minute and 18 seconds in the decisive moments of the race. Despite Niewiadoma’s status as the 2024 champion and her persistent efforts to lead during the climbs, she was unable to overtake Vollering’s strong finish.
The race was marked by a tactical dispute between Vollering and Niewiadoma during Saturday’s stage. Tensions arose when Niewiadoma accused Célia Gery, a teammate of Vollering, of intentionally hindering her progress in a critical section. The incident sparked a debate and continued to be a point of contention between the two competitors in the lead-up to the final stage. Nonetheless, Niewiadoma ultimately recognized Vollering’s impressive strength and emphasized her desire for a fair competition.
After the race, Vollering expressed her desire for the victory to highlight her team’s deserving win based on their athletic performance. Niewiadoma’s second-place finish added to her impressive streak of podium appearances in recent years at the Tour de France Femmes.
The concluding stage also brought challenges for Marlen Reusser, who suffered a crash while descending the Col d’Èze. The Swiss cyclist had started the day in third place overall but slipped to 14th in the general classification due to the mishap.