Tour de France Femmes Stage 7: Niewiadoma Rips Yellow from Vollering and Reusser with Incredible Ventoux Raid

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney turned the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift on its head with a sensational solo attack on the relentless slopes of Mont Ventoux.

The Canyon-SRAM star kicked 9km from the summit of the mythical “bald mountain” on stage 7 on Friday to leave her rivals Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Seuz) and Marlen Reusser (Movistar) bickering over the pursuit.

Niewiadoma roared to the iconic weather station at the summit of Ventoux 1:16 ahead of Vollering after the Dutchwoman rallied with a huge late chase that blew Reusser off her wheel.

Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE l’Imad) was third at 1:42 after she clawed her way back on the rocky moonscape at the top of Ventoux.

Reusser saved her place on the GC podium by finishing fourth in what was a brutal race of attrition on the notorious summit.

Niewiadoma-Phinney takes the win … finally

This was an incredible climbing raid from Niewiadoma.

The fan-favorite reversed her deficit to Reusser and Vollering with an improbable attack that tore the yellow jersey from the pre-stage favorites.

After starting the stage back in third and being talked out of contention, the 2024 Tour de France Femmes champion is back in jaune.

She’s now 15 seconds ahead of Vollering, with overnight race leader Reusser in third at 39 seconds.

The race for yellow in ON as the Tour de France Femmes tips into its final weekend.

“It’s hard to describe my feelings. I’m still speechless,” Niewiadoma said in her winner’s interview. “I feel so much gratitude.

“This victory goes to so many people who were with me along this very long road without proper big wins. Honestly, I am just so tired and so blown away with what just happened,” she said.

It wasn’t only the top-3 that took a huge reshuffle Friday.

The top-10 took a huge shake on Mont Ventoux. Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) and Paula Blasi (UAE l’Imad) romped into the top-7. Kim Le Court Pineaar (AG Insurance-Soudal), Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek), and Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE l’Imad) lost ground.

‘I knew they would try to stay on the wheel’

Niewiadoma’s win on Friday was a long time coming.

The Polish star is consistently hitting top-5s through the calendar but rarely gets the “W”.

The 31-year-old played it smart Friday to win on the biggest stage possible. Her attack capitalized on both the rivalry between Vollering and Reusser, and a fierce headwind into the final.

“My idea was I need to just make it to Chalet Reynard [6km from the summit],” Niewiadoma said at the finish. “I knew that with the wind that if somebody is chasing behind they will try to stay on the wheel as much as possible.

“Once I made it to Chalet it wasn’t nice for me because there was a lot of headwind, but I knew that in the bunch they would just play the game,” she said.

Mont Ventoux makes its presence felt on race debut

This stage had been hanging over the Tour de France Femmes since the course was revealed last autumn.

After marquee summit finishes on the Col du Tourmalet, Alpe d’Huez, and the Col du Madeleine, it was time for Mont Ventoux to debut at the rebooted women’s Tour de France.

At 15.7km in length and 8.8 percent gradient, the Géant of Provence is possibly the hardest climb in France – and that’s without counting the 4km uphill appetizer from Bédoin.

A 34-degree C sun baked the southern-facing climb, just to add to the suffering.

A break of 11 got away mid-way through the stage, but it was an inevitable sideshow. The GC racers weren’t letting this historic stage go.

Last attacker standing Ruby Roseman Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco) was mopped up at the base of the Ventoux.

Movistar and then EF Education-Oatly shredded the bunch through the unforgivingly steep wooded section in the lower half of the climb.

Le Court Pienaar and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) were some of the early casualties. Vollering’s top FDJ domestiques Juliette Berthet and Celia Gery were next to pop after they helped pile on the pace in the diminishing GC group.

Vollering hits first but Niewiadoma-Phinney lands the haymaker

Vollering opened the aggression early.

Like, 11km early.

Only Reusser and Niewiadoma could hang with the Dutchwoman’s attack through a rare hairpin in the relentless wooded section of Ventoux.

But having started the stage in third a 1:17 from yellow, Niewiadoma knew she could play smart. She attacked at 9km to go to leave Vollering and Reusser arguing over the chase.

Neither the Dutch nor the Swiss dared commit to the pursuit and risk dragging their rival to the line.

Niewadoma’s tactic worked.

She committed fully to her solo attack while Reusser and Vollering bickered it out behind. She emerged from the woods and hit the mythical “moonscape” upper slopes of Ventoux with a 1-minute gap.

Vollering looked like she was suffering through the most wind-swept upper kilometers, and the pace fizzled out of her and Reusser’s pursuit.

Meanwhile, not far behind them, Longo Borghini led a strong four-rider group that rapidly closed the gap to the two chasers.

But Vollering wasn’t waiting to be caught.

Vollering rallied in the final kilometer with a fierce acceleration that left Reusser reeling and kept the Dutchwoman well within range of the yellow jersey ahead of the final weekend.

Tour de France Femmes stage 7 results