Demi Vollering captured her second overall victory at the Tour de France Femmes following a high-drama finale in Nice, securing her status as the race’s first two-time winner according to reporting by BBC. Racing for the FDJ United-Suez team, the 29-year-old Dutch rider carried an eight-second lead into the final stage after snatching the yellow jersey from Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney on the penultimate day.
Demi Vollering Claims Historic Second Tour de France Femmes Victory in Nice
The fifth edition of the race concluded with a 99.2km mountain stage starting and ending in Nice, featuring four ascents of the Col d’Eze and a total of 2,100 meters of climbing. During the early stages, Niewiadoma-Phinney’s British teammate Zoe Backstedt pushed the pace, while former race leader Marlen Reusser crashed on the second descent of the Col d’Eze. Reusser, who sat third in the general classification 72 seconds behind Vollering, was able to finish the stage but could not get back into contention.
The decisive moment occurred on the narrow gradients of the Chemin du Vinaigrier, where Vollering launched a searing acceleration just before cresting the final climb. She pulled clear of her Polish Canyon-SRAM rival, stretching her lead on the descent and finishing more than a minute ahead of her competitors to claim her third stage win from nine days of racing. Vollering finished the overall general classification one minute and 18 seconds ahead of Niewiadoma-Phinney.
Resolving Stage Controversy on the Promenade des Anglais
Sunday’s emphatic solo victory helped clear the air following a heated dispute between contenders after Stage 8. Niewiadoma-Phinney had publicly criticized Vollering’s 20-year-old teammate, Célia Gery, accusing the young French champion of intentionally blocking her and forcing her into the barriers during the sprint finish.
Vollering reacted strongly to the criticism directed at her young teammate, noting that Gery had received nasty messages and experienced a rough time. The two title contenders had a conversation on their bikes during the early kilometers of Sunday’s stage to clear the air. I wanted to have a chat with Kasia because I was a bit disappointed she let all the emotions out like that,
Vollering stated according to Theguardian. It was good that we had a talk together. It was all good in the end.
Vollering further explained that her solo attack on the final stage was intended to prove a point about fair competition. I went alone because I wanted to make it clear that we didn’t win because of an incident yesterday,
she said, as reported by BBC. That’s not what I believe, and I wanted to make it clear that we, as a team, deserve to win a beautiful Tour de France Femmes, with humility and pride.
Niewiadoma-Phinney, who finished in the Tour’s top three for the fifth time, was similarly conciliatory, noting that they had been competing together for years.
Podium Shifts and a Standout Season
Reusser’s crash eliminated the Swiss rider from podium contention, allowing Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini, 34, to claim her first top-three finish in the race. Paula Blasi of UAE Team L’IMAD managed to outsprint Niewiadoma-Phinney for second place on the final stage, trailing only Vollering.
With her latest yellow jersey, Vollering cemented a 2026 campaign that includes victories at the Giro d’Italia Women, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Tour of Flanders, and Flèche Wallonne. Both Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney maintained their record of securing a podium finish in every edition of the race.
Tour de France Femmes Showcase Compelling Racing
The women’s grand tour delivered an unpredictable narrative that remained unresolved until the final kilometers of Stage 9, contrasting with a men’s race heavily shaped by Pogacar’s dominance.
