Demi Vollering won the Tour de France Femmes, finishing ahead of Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, who took third place on the final stage on Sunday evening to secure the runner-up spot overall.
Niewiadoma-Phinney said she gave everything, knowing the final stage offered her best chance, and rode all in, but said she had no chance against a Vollering who was simply too strong.
Vollering addresses blocking incident
Vollering, quoted by cyclingnews.com, said she had to attack and wanted to ride alone to make clear she had not won because of an incident that happened on Saturday, saying she wanted to show her team deserved the victory with humility and pride.
The incident followed stage eight, when Niewiadoma-Phinney accused Vollering's teammate Celia Grey of deliberately blocking her to help Vollering, calling it far from fair play. She said Grey blocked her near the barriers at the start of the last climb, forcing her to stop pedalling, and said that if riders wanted to race they should do it fairly, calling the behaviour childish and saying she had lost all respect for them.
Vollering reflects on stage win
Vollering said she had been confident in her level but had taken on a bit too much risk, adding that is sport, since sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, and sometimes decisions are right and sometimes they are mistakes. She said Niewiadoma-Phinney had taken the easiest route by attacking, as she did to win a stage on Mont Ventoux, and that she had done the same. She said she had never before won a stage while wearing the yellow jersey, and that she thought of her team, including Grey, who had had a very hard night, as well as everyone who had supported her work. She said she had fulfilled a dream not just of winning a stage in yellow or a second overall Tour title, but of living life through hard work alongside passionate people.
It was Vollering's fifth Tour de France Femmes podium finish, having placed second in 2022, 2024 and 2025 and won in 2023. Niewiadoma-Phinney has also reached the podium five times, finishing third in 2022, 2023 and 2025, second this year, and winning in 2024.
