Tour de France Femmes: Niewiadoma queen of Ventoux

Mont Ventoux has a new queen. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney , who at the end of one of the most anticipated stages of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, pulled off a spectacular feat, soloing to the summit of the Giant of Provence and simultaneously claiming her first stage victory of the Tour and the yellow jersey.

The Polish Canyon//SRAM rider attacked with about ten kilometers to go to the summit, turning an already tough day into an extraordinary solo ride. From then on, Niewiadoma set a deadly pace, gradually increasing her lead over her closest rivals.

Demi Vollering tried to fight back, but was unable to close the gap. At the finish line, the gap was 1 minute and 16 seconds. Elisa Longo Borghini took an excellent third place, catching up in the final seconds and edging out former overall leader Marlen Reusser by just a few seconds.

The Tour de France Femmes now enters its decisive phase with a new protagonist in yellow and a completely reopened general classification. Niewiadoma holds a 15-second lead over Vollering and 39 over Reusser.

Longo Borghini finished fourth, but more than two minutes off the podium. It was a day to forget for defending champion Pauline Ferrand Prevot, who crossed the finish line more than 10 minutes behind.

Tomorrow's stage is for sprinters in Nice, concluding on Sunday in Nice with a very challenging circuit and the climb of the Col d'Eze.

Sprint Cycling Photos