Pole wins and takes yellow on mythical Mont Ventoux

Katarzyna Niewiadoma of Poland claimed a dramatic victory on the queen stage of the Tour de France Femmes, conquering the iconic Mont Ventoux and seizing the overall leader's yellow jersey. The decisive moment came with nine kilometers left on the legendary climb when Niewiadoma launched a powerful attack.

She managed to break away from Dutch favorite Demi Vollering and Marlen Reusser of Switzerland, who had started the stage in the yellow jersey. Niewiadoma crossed the finish line alone, securing not only the stage win but also the coveted yellow jersey in the general classification. Vollering finished second, gaining time on Reusser, who faded in the final kilometers.

The stage was made challenging by three categorized climbs before the final ascent. Danish rider Amalie Dideriksen was part of the day's breakaway and showed her sprinting ability by winning an intermediate sprint point. However, the breakaway was caught before the final climb, setting the stage for the anticipated battle among the main contenders.

Vollering attacked early on the brutal climb, with only Niewiadoma and Reusser able to follow. A kilometer later, Niewiadoma capitalized on Vollering and Reusser watching each other, launching a surprise attack that proved decisive. Vollering eventually attacked Reusser in the closing kilometers, leaving her to finish fourth behind Elisa Longo Borghini. Niewiadoma now leads Vollering by 15 seconds in the overall standings, with Reusser a further 24 seconds behind.