Vollering crowns Tour Femmes triumph with spectacular solo win in Nice

Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) is the Tour de France Femmes champion for the second time after she dropped Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) near the top of the Col d’Èze to win stage 9 into Nice.

The two outstanding riders in the five-year history of this iteration of the women’s Tour de France were again the best on show here, and they produced a gripping duel on the last of four ascents of the Col d’Èze, with Vollering eventually soloing 15.5km to stage victory.

Vollering began the final stage with an eight-second buffer over Niewiadoma after taking the yellow jersey from the Pole with victory on Saturday. The grand finale in Nice saw the peloton take in four laps over the Col d’Èze, and that winnowing process saw just 11 riders left in the front group come the final ascent.

Niewiadoma’s Canyon-SRAM team had been active throughout the day in a bid to isolate Vollering, and the final ascent came down to a duel between the top two. 

The endgame began a little under 4km from the summit, when Niewiadoma launched the first of her accelerations. Vollering was immediately on her wheel, with the rest of the yellow jersey group fragmenting behind them.

Niewiadoma made repeated attempts to distance Vollering, but the yellow jersey always looked in command, and she responded with an attack of her own. After Niewiadoma failed to drop Vollering on the steepest part of the climb with 2.5km to go, the Dutchwoman looked the likely Tour winner.

She confirmed it with a long, searing surge 500m from the top that distanced Niewiadoma. At the top, Vollering had 15.5km to go and 18 seconds in hand, and she extended that buffer on the descent into Nice. Niewiadoma dropped back to the chasing group in the finale, with the gap extending to over a minute by the finish.

Vollering had time to savour her second Tour Femmes victory after her 2023 triumph. Like the 2024 winner Niewiadoma, she has finished on the podium in each of the five editions of the race. 

After disappointment in 2024 and 2025, Vollering regained the crown in emphatic fashion here. Paula Blasi (UAE L'IMAD) won the sprint for second place at 1:14, just ahead of Niewiadoma.

Vollering seals overall victory from Niewiadoma by 1:28, while Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE) moves up to third overall after Marlen Reusser (Movistar), already dropped, crashed on the second descent of the Col d’Èze.

The final stage of the Tour Femmes was brutal in its simplicity and simple in its brutality. The stage took in four laps over the Col d’Èze, and the climb would force a selection from the very first lap.

Dominika Wlodarczyk (UAE L’IMAD) was a persistent aggressor on the first ascent of the Col d’Èze but while the Pole couldn’t forge clear, the brisk pace saw the peloton rapidly whittled down in size, with some of Vollering’s teammates notably among those struggling.

Malwina Mul (Cofidis) escaped after the descent, and she claimed the intermediate sprint ahead of Paula Ostiz (Movistar), but they would be swept up ahead of the second climb of the Col d’Èze.

Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-SRAM) had been a faller on the first descent, but she dusted herself off and then hit the front of the yellow jersey group for a towering stint of pace-making on the second time up the Col d’Èze, with Kim Le Court (AG Insurance Soudal) among those burnt off on the lower slopes.

Marlen Reusser (Movistar), third overall ahead of the stage, was distanced a little over a mile from the top of the Col d’Èze, and she would crest the summit a minute down on the leaders.

Reusser would definitively lose her grip on a podium spot when she crashed on the descent with 60km to go. Although she remounted and fought on, it was clear that she would not be able to prevent Elisa Longo Borghini from dislodging her from third overall.

Out in front, Bäckstedt had finished her stint, leaving 11 riders in front: Vollering, Juliette Berthet (FDJ United-Suez), Niewiadoma, Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM), Longo Borghini, Wlodarczyk, Paula Blasi (UAE), Niamh Fisher-Black, Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) and Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-EasyPost).

Niedermaier took up the reins at the front for Niewiadoma on the penultimate ascent of the Col d’Èze, but the pace was steady rather than intense. Holmgren sensed an opening and went on the offensive alone 6km from the top, and the Canadian would reach the summit with a lead of a minute on the yellow jersey group.

Behind, Berthet was now setting the tempo for Vollering in a bid to discourage attacks ahead of the final climb, and the yellow jersey group crossed the finish line for the penultimate time 43 seconds down on Holmgren.

The final lap saw the race approach the Col d’Èze by way of the Col des Quatre Chemins. Once again, Niedermaier led the yellow jersey group on behalf of Niewiadoma, who had Vollering locked onto her rear wheel. Holmgren was brought back 4km from the summit, and that was the trigger for the race for yellow to begin in earnest.

Niewiadoma launched her first acceleration with 3.8km of the climb still to go. Vollering was immediately on her wheel, while the rest of the front group splintered into pieces.

After resisting Niewiadoma’s initial surge, Vollering came through with two testing efforts of her own, but the Pole absorbed the change of pace without undue distress.

Niewiadoma tried again on the steepest section, 2.5km from the top, but she was unable to shake off Vollering. Although Niewiadoma took up the pace-making again on the upper portion of the climb, it seemed as though the moment to strike had already come and gone.

The confirmation arrived 500m from the top, when Vollering launched a searing acceleration that burnt Niewiadoma off her wheel. Vollering crested the summit with an 18-second lead over Niewiadoma. There were still 15.5km to go, but the Tour Femmes was decided.