Vollering takes Tour de France Femmes lead with dominant stage win

Demi Vollering has seized the yellow jersey in the Tour de France Femmes after a powerful performance in the penultimate stage. The Dutch rider, winner of the 2023 edition, claimed her second stage victory of the week by launching a fierce attack on the final climb of the 172-kilometer route from Sisteron to Nice.

Vollering's decisive move came with six kilometers remaining, just as Poland's Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, who had taken the overall lead after Friday's stage, seemed poised to extend her advantage. Niewiadoma-Phinney managed to follow Vollering for much of the ascent but ultimately couldn't match the pace in the final meters, losing about 15 seconds.

Crossing the finish line in Nice with a 17-second gap, Vollering secured enough time to reclaim the overall lead. Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini finished second on the stage, with Niewiadoma-Phinney in third.

Heading into the final 100-kilometer stage, a challenging circuit race in Nice featuring four 7-kilometer climbs, Vollering holds a slender eight-second lead over Niewiadoma-Phinney. Switzerland's Marlen Reusser is in third place, 1 minute and 12 seconds behind the leader.

This year's race has evoked memories of the 2021 Tour, where Niewiadoma-Phinney and Vollering were also locked in a tight battle for victory, ultimately decided by just four seconds in the final stage.