Demi Vollering triumphed on the eighth stage of the Tour de France Femmes, earning the yellow jersey just before the final day of the competition. This shift in the standings occurred for the second consecutive day, as Vollering overtook Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, who had previously claimed the top spot after winning on Mont Ventoux.
Entering Saturday’s 171.9km stage from Sisteron to Nice, Niewiadoma-Phinney held a 15-second advantage. Although the route was anticipated to favor sprinters, the climb up the Cote de la Ginestiere roughly 8km from the finish line disrupted the peloton. Vollering executed an aggressive move near the summit, pulling away from Niewiadoma-Phinney and Elisa Longo Borghini.
The 29-year-old Dutch rider utilized her momentum on the descent to build a lead that her rivals could not overcome. Crossing the line with a 17-second gap over the chasing duo, Vollering secured an eight-second lead in the general classification ahead of the final 99.2km mountain stage. Marlen Reusser currently holds third place, trailing by 72 seconds.
Reflecting on the victory, Vollering noted the mental challenge of bouncing back from disappointment, emphasizing that she had to push through significant physical pain to succeed. Meanwhile, defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot withdrew from the race due to illness. Puck Pieterse is positioned to win the mountains classification, while Lorena Wiebes remains the frontrunner in the points race.
