Demi Vollering seizes Tour de France Femmes lead with late attack
Demi Vollering has seized the Tour de France Femmes yellow jersey after launching a devastating late attack to win stage eight in Nice on Saturday.
The Dutch rider increased the tempo on the final climb of the day, ultimately breaking the resolve of overnight leader Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney with six kilometres remaining.
As the 2023 champion accelerated towards the famous Promenade des Anglais, neither the Polish rider nor Elisa Longo Borghini could bridge the growing gap.
Setting up a thrilling finale
Crossing the finish line in triumph, the exhausted stage winner dropped to the tarmac to recover her breath.
Longo Borghini secured second place, while Niewiadoma-Phinney crossed the line in third, with both riders finishing 17 seconds adrift of the victor.
The spectacular stage victory gives the recent Giro d’Italia winner a slender eight-second advantage in the general classification ahead of Sunday’s final stage.
Echoes of past battles
The dramatic shift in momentum sets the stage for a tense showdown on stage nine, which features four punishing ascents of the Col d’Èze overlooking Monaco.
Niewiadoma-Phinney had only just claimed the race lead on Friday following a magnificent solo victory on Mont Ventoux.
History adds further tension to the weekend, as the Polish star famously defeated her Dutch rival by a mere four seconds on a mountainous final day two years ago.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot was forced to abandon the prestigious race due to illness.