Dutch cyclist Demi Vollering triumphed in the Women’s Tour de France for the second time, securing a decisive win in the ninth and final stage held in Nice, France. Vollering clinched the stage victory, extending her overall lead.
Upon crossing the finish line, Vollering celebrated by lifting her bike and gesturing triumphantly, having comfortably outpaced Polish cyclist Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, who was the champion in 2024. Niewiadoma-Phinney had begun the day eight seconds behind Vollering, who benefited from a time bonus for her stage win.
Vollering confidently demonstrated her mental fortitude by tapping her head as the finish line neared. She completed the stage 1 minute and 4 seconds ahead of Spaniard Paula Blasi Cairol and Niewiadoma-Phinney. After including the time bonus, she was 1:18 ahead of Niewiadoma-Phinney overall.
Former Giro d’Italia winner Elisa Longo Borghini from Italy finished third in the overall standings, trailing by 4:29. This was partly due to Marlen Reusser of Switzerland losing significant time following a crash during one of the day’s four climbs.
Niewiadoma-Phinney faced a challenging final ascent, especially with Vollering closely tracking her, leaving her unable to mount a considerable challenge. Vollering initiated an attack 800 meters from the summit, distancing herself from Niewiadoma-Phinney. This mirrored her strategy on Saturday’s eighth stage, where she overtook Niewiadoma-Phinney to seize the overall lead.
In 2024, Vollering narrowly missed the Tour victory, finishing a mere four seconds behind Niewiadoma-Phinney on the final stage. She redeemed herself comprehensively in this year’s competition.