Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney secured her first-ever Tour de France Femmes stage win with a dominant solo performance on the legendary Mont Ventoux. This victory also catapulted the 31-year-old Polish Canyon-SRAM rider to the top of the general classification.
Entering the 146.8km stage from La Voulte-sur-Rhone in third place, Niewiadoma-Phinney trailed leader Marlen Reusser by 77 seconds. She initiated her decisive attack with 9km remaining on the climb, eventually crossing the finish line one minute and 16 seconds ahead of Demi Vollering. Reusser finished further back, ending 30 seconds behind Vollering.
Niewiadoma-Phinney expressed surprise at her achievement, noting that she was motivated by the unexpected presence of her parents at the roadside. She now leads the overall standings by 15 seconds over Vollering, while Reusser sits in third, 39 seconds behind. The race continues with a flat stage to Nice on Saturday before the concluding mountain stage on Sunday.
