Niewiadoma-Phinney wins on Ventoux to take Tour lead

Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney delivered a solo effort to the summit of Mont Ventoux, securing her signature Tour de France Femmes victory and taking the overall race lead. The iconic climb featured in the race for the first time this year as part of the designated queen stage. Starting the 146.8‑kilometre route from La Voulte-sur-Rhone in third place overall, she trailed race leader Marlen Reusser by one minute and 17 seconds, with Demi Vollering sitting second. With nine kilometres of the ascent remaining, the Polish Canyon‑SRM rider launched an attack. As she opened a gap on her rivals during stage seven, the battle for the yellow jersey intensified. Niewiadoma-Phinney crested the finish one minute and 16 seconds ahead of Vollering, while Reusser fell 30 seconds further back and defending champion Pauline Ferrand‑Prevot trailed by more than ten minutes. Following the stage, Niewiadoma‑Phinney holds a 15‑second advantage over Vollering with two stages left to race, and Reusser lies 39 seconds behind in third place. “I’m blown distant with what conscionable happened,” said Niewiadoma‑Phinney. “This triumph goes to truthful galore radical that were with maine on this precise agelong roadworthy without due large wins.” “It was truthful funny, arsenic we started to ascent Mont Ventoux I looked to my close and saw my parents. They made a astonishment sojourn and I could spot my dada crying. I was similar ‘I conscionable request to marque them proud’.” The penultimate stage on Saturday will be the longest of the edition, a predominantly flat 171.9‑kilometre ride from Sisteron to Nice suited to sprinters. The general‑classification contenders will then settle the overall outcome on a 99.2‑kilometre mountainous stage that opens and closes in Nice on Sunday.