'Sometimes jokes become serious' - Squiban stuns with second consecutive Tour stage win
The 2025 Tour de France Femmes is quickly turning into a race that the Bretonne rider will never forget.
Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) claimed her second consecutive solo stage win at the 2025 Tour de France Femmes on Friday in Chambéry, attacking from the very start of stage 7, less than 24 hours after her breakthrough victory on stage 6.
"I can't describe it; it started as a joke," said the 23-year-old in her post-race interview, who has catapulted from relative obscurity to become the sensation of this year's race. "I attacked from the first kilometre, but that was actually a joke. Yesterday, after my victory, I jokingly said I would attack from kilometre zero. But sometimes jokes become serious."
"It is just incredible. In the beginning, it didn't work, but finally it did. It was just an amazing day," Squiban added.
After winning just over 24 hours ago in Ambert, taking the third and biggest victory of her career to date, Squiban backed up her exceptional performance with another victory from a rider who looked to have gained a world of confidence in her ability to win at the highest level. However, Squiban insisted in her post-race interview that she is still shocked that she was able to win consecutive stages.
"I never thought I'd take a second stage win, but once I got out front, I had to give it my all. That was enough for a second victory," she added.
Her aggressive riding style and seemingly fearless approach will have won her plenty of new admirers and, regardless of what happens for the remainder of the race, Squiban will be considered as one of the biggest breakthrough stars of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes and has established herself as one of the sport's exciting new talents. Squiban also becomes the first French rider to win two consecutive stages in the Tour de France since Charly Mottet in 1991.
Courtesy of her performances over the last two stages, the Bretonne rider has moved into 2nd in the mountains classification, 12 points behind Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez), and sits 16th in the general classification, 7:02 behind race leader Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal).
The victories mark not only personal milestones for Squiban but also important successes for UAE Team ADQ, who had never before taken a stage win at the Tour de France Femmes. It was a strong day all around for the team, as Dominika Włodarczyk claimed 5th on the stage, winning the sprint from the main group of GC contenders to move up into 11th in the GC, 1:56 behind Le Court.
