PARIS: Dutch rider Demi Vollering won the eighth stage of the Tour de France Femmes on Saturday to take the overall lead with one day remaining, overturning a deficit to Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney.
Vollering attacked on the steep Chemin de l’Arieta climb with six kilometres left of the 171.9-km route from Sisteron to Nice, breaking clear of Niewiadoma-Phinney and Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini before extending her advantage on the descent into Nice.
The victory marked a swift response from the FDJ United-Suez rider, who had lost one minute and 16 seconds to Niewiadoma-Phinney on Mont Ventoux on Friday.
“In a stage race, you live day-by-day,” Vollering said. “You can be disappointed tonight, but then the next morning you need to put on a new mask and you go again.”
She added that the final stage could still alter the standings but said starting Sunday’s race in yellow was “already a dream coming true”.
The stage was overshadowed before the start by the withdrawal of defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot of Visma-Lease a Bike due to illness.
Longo Borghini finished second after edging Niewiadoma-Phinney in a sprint, with the Polish rider taking third.
The victory gave Vollering her fifth spell in the yellow jersey and made her the fifth different rider to lead this year’s race.
