Perfect descent earns Maeva Squiban breakout win at Tour de France Femmes

French climber Maeva Squiban won her first WorldTour race at the Tour de France Femmes on Thursday. The UAE Team ADQ rider attacked close to the top of the final classified climb, 32km from the line, almost instantly building a lead of one minute. 

A brilliant descent saw her extend that lead, but it increased on the 5km climb to the bonus second sprint 12km from the line. Despite some attacks from the GC group behind Squiban led onto the final descent, again increasing her advantage and soloing to a memorable victory.

Juliette Labous (FDJ-SUEZ) made it a French one-two, crossing the line 1:10 behind, with yellow jersey Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) third. 

Le Court retains the overall lead, bonus seconds extending it to 26 seconds from Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma | Lease a Bike) in second place. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon//SRAM-zondacrypoto) is third at 30 seconds.

Not only was Squiban’s result the first home win of this year’s race it was also redemption for the UAE Team ADQ team who have lost three of their seven riders already in the Tour. Their leader, Elisa Longo Borghini was ill and failed to start stage three, Eleonora Gasparrini and Karlijn Swinkels dropped out on days four and five respectively. 

Stage six was a first foray into the mountains for the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the race travelling into the Massif Centrale, starting in Clermont Ferrand and finishing in Ambert after 123.7km, four classified climbs and 2,474m elevation. 

The first half of the stage was relatively flat, an intermediate sprint after 30km and two third category climbs merely the hors d’oeuvres for what was to be a tough main course. The first category Col du Béal was followed by the second cat Col du Chansert, with spice added by a bonus second sprint coming just 12.1km from the line.

As has been the pattern so far this week, there were attacks the moment the peloton was released, with green jersey Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) one of those getting an early gap, that intermediate sprint in the front of her mind. 

Just ahead of that uphill intermediate sprint, two riders got away, though only polkadot jersey Elise Chabbey (FDJ-SUEZ) lasted over the top. She was joined by a group of 19 others onto the the day’s first climb, the Côte de Courpière where Chabbey extended her lead in the mountains classification.

On the next climb the breakaway was trimmed down, only 12 getting over the top of the Côte d’Augerolles, Chabbey cresting it in second place, but further extending her lead for the polkadot jersey. The peloton weren’t too happy with the group, especially with Chabbey starting the day 1:19 off the overall lead, so they were kept close at hand, the lead sitting around one minute.

Along with Chabbey, re-race favourite Demi Vollering had another FDJ-SUEZ team mate in the leading group, Amber Kraak up there and driving the front onto the Col du Béal, their lead below 50 seconds. When she was done, Chabbey took over, holding the AG Insurance-Soudal-led peloton at bay, leading by only 20 seconds when they reached the top.

On the descent the break was gently whittled away until only Chabbey remained, and she was caught by the peloton as the next climb, the Col du Chansert, ramped up. With 3km of the climb left, Squiban made her move, the bunch happy to let the French woman go and build a lead of 1:05 when she reached the top, with 29km to go.

Squiban rode the descent brilliantly, extending her lead slightly, but it seemed she may be doomed when FDJ-SUEZ came to the front. There was more uncertainty when Le Court attacked for the bonus seconds on the uphill sprint. However, Squiban’s advantage remained. 

A Late move from Labous saw her gain a tiny advantage on the final, 7km descent to the line, but there was no catching Squiban at the front.