‘Was it part of the plan?’ - Niewiadoma confronts Célia Gery moments after heated finale

Footage from shortly after the finish shows Niewiadoma approaching Gery directly and demanding an explanation for what had happened on the final climb.

“Why did you do that? Why did you close me to the barriers?” Niewiadoma asks her. “Was it part of the plan?”

Before the exchange can develop further, a member of Canyon//SRAM staff intervenes and ushers Niewiadoma away from Gery. The Pole, however, remains intent on getting an explanation.

“No, but like why?” she says as she is taken away. “They can give me the answer.”

The exchange came at the end of a dramatic afternoon in which Niewiadoma lost the yellow jersey to Demi Vollering by just eight seconds.

Vollering launched the decisive attack with 6.5km remaining on the short and steep unclassified climb that followed the Côte de la Ginestière. Niewiadoma and Elisa Longo Borghini initially managed to respond, but Vollering accelerated again close to the summit and opened the gap that would ultimately decide both the stage and the race lead.

She reached the finish in Nice 17 seconds ahead of Niewiadoma and Longo Borghini, enough to move into yellow with one stage remaining.

Niewiadoma had already expressed her frustration with Gery’s riding immediately after the stage, claiming that the French rider had deliberately restricted her space close to the barriers at the beginning of the climb.

“I was super annoyed at the beginning of the climb because Gery on purpose just blocked me to the barriers where I had to stop pedalling,” Niewiadoma said after the finish.

She added that she felt the move had crossed the line between aggressive racing and unfair tactics.

“I feel like if they want to compete, they should compete fairly and not look for me to close me in the barriers, because I feel like it’s so childish. Honestly, I lost all the respect for them for that.”