Demi Vollering wins second Tour de France Femmes, first repeat champion since 2022 relaunch

Vollering's second Tour crown

Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) claimed her second Tour de France Femmes title on Sunday 9 August, finishing 1 minute 18 seconds ahead of Poland's Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) in the general classification. The 29-year-old Dutch rider, who won in 2023 and finished second in 2022, 2024, and 2025, became the first woman to win two Tours since the race was relaunched in 2022 under Amaury Sport Organisation. She also became the first rider to win the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in the same season, adding victories at Liège, Flèche Wallonne and the Tour of Flanders earlier in the year. Her previous title in 2023 was followed by two consecutive second-place finishes, including the 2024 edition she lost to Niewiadoma by just four seconds on the Alpe d'Huez. Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot was forced to abandon during Saturday's penultimate stage.

Final stage on the Col d'Èze

The ninth and final stage covered 99.2 kilometres around Nice with four ascents of the Col d'Èze. The first three climbs followed the standard route at 7.7 kilometres and 5.9%, while the final ascent took the steeper Chemin du Vinaigrier and Col des Quatre Chemins, a first-category climb of 6 kilometres at 7.6% with sections exceeding 12%. Vollering started the day with an eight-second lead over Niewiadoma and attacked on that final climb, crossing the line solo. Spain's Paula Blasi (UAE Team L'IMAD) outsprinted the chasing group for second on the stage, 1 minute 4 seconds behind Vollering. Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini completed the final podium in third, 4 minutes 19 seconds behind the winner.

Three days of yellow jersey swings

The yellow jersey changed hands three times in three days. Swiss rider Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team) held it mid-race before Niewiadoma seized it on Friday with a stage win on the Mont Ventoux, the most iconic climb of this edition and her first career Tour stage victory. Vollering retook the lead on Saturday with an attack on the Saint-Isidore wall, a 500-metre section at 13%, winning that stage by 17 seconds and moving eight seconds ahead in the GC. Reusser crashed on the descent of the Col d'Èze on the final day and dropped off the podium.

Saturday's stage ended in controversy. Niewiadoma accused Célia Gery, an FDJ-Suez domestique, of deliberately blocking her against barriers at the moment Vollering launched her decisive move. The race jury did not sanction Gery. Niewiadoma maintained her stance on Sunday.

I'm not making anything up.

Blasi's debut and team dynamics

Paula Blasi, 23, finished fifth overall in her first Tour de France Femmes despite working as a domestique for team leader Elisa Longo Borghini. The Catalan rider had won the Amstel Gold Classic in April ahead of Niewiadoma and Vollering, but at this Tour she was instructed to ride in support. Her only day of full freedom came in the individual time trial, where the UAE team needed three riders scoring for the team classification. Blasi was reportedly told she was too young to be team leader despite having won the Vuelta and other races she entered. Lorena Wiebes mathematically secured the green points jersey during the final stage. Canada's Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) launched a solo attack on the third ascent of the Col d'Èze and gained over a minute before being caught. Tadej Pogacar was spotted roadside cheering his partner, Slovenian cyclist Urska Zigart.