Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM) has received the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift after a titanic combat with Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) on the well-known Alpe d’Huez.
Vollering received the stage in a two-up dash with Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix Deceuninck), however the hole to Niewiadoma, who was fourth, was not sufficient to overtake the Pole within the total standings.
SD Worx-Protime’s reigning champion had attacked on the penultimate climb of the Col du Glandon, opening up a bonus of greater than a minute over the yellow jersey.
It was the primary time since 1992 {that a} skilled ladies’s peloton had taken to the Alpe d’Huez. Because the riders made their manner up the well-known 21 hairpins, the hole swung between being sufficient for Vollering to take yellow after which not. In the long run, Niewiadoma crossed the road 1:01 behind Vollering to win the Tour de France Femmes by simply 4 seconds.
Solely ten seconds separated the ultimate total podium, with Rooijakkers claiming third. Evita Muzic (FDJ-SUEZ) was third on the stage and completed the race fourth total.
“It is so thoughts blowing,” a jubilant Niewiadoma stated after the stage. “There are such a lot of individuals I am actually grateful and grateful for; beginning with my husband, my household, my complete workforce, my coach Nate who put plenty of work to organize me for that and very often he is probably not talked about so an enormous thanks for him particularly now.”
“This victory goes to so many individuals that contributed.”
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At factors all through the day, it seemed as if Vollering would open up sufficient of a spot to tear the yellow jersey from Niewiadoma’s grasp. The Pole could not reply to the reigning champion’s acceleration on the Glandon, however fought admirably over the next nearly 60 kilometres.
“It is so loopy to be sincere as a result of the entire stage was such a loopy rollercoaster. I had a extremely unhealthy second on Glandon after which unexpectedly I used to be in a position to form of rebuild myself, refresh,” Niewiadoma stated.
“I knew that I simply needed to tempo myself sensible and provides my finest within the final five-Ks simply to love minimise the hole as a lot as potential. And to be sincere, as soon as once more I misplaced the religion that I may nonetheless do it.”
“Then within the radio they have been screaming a lot within the final two-Ks. To be sincere I’ve gone by means of such a horrible time on this climb. I hated all the things to then arriving to the end line and studying that I received the Tour de France which is insane.”
(Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
the way it occurred
The battle to take residence the yellow jersey of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes could not have taken place on extra storied grounds. Though Alpe d’Huez is known for a lot of historic moments males’s biking, the ladies’s peloton have seldom navigated the hallowed hairpins.
The ultimate stage the place all was to be received was not all concerning the Alpe. This was by far the toughest stage of the 2024 Tour and one of many hardest the ladies’s peloton has confronted lately. A lumpy starting preceded the Col du Glandon, a hair off 20 kilometres in size at 7.2%, the Glandon would play its personal half in at present’s remaining showdown.
The stress was on Canyon//SRAM coming into the stage as they seemed to defend Kasia Niewiadoma’s yellow jersey. That stress multiplied as a 22-strong break wen up the street simply earlier than the primary categorised take a look at of the day, the Col de Tamié.
That group included 4 from SD Worx-Protime as they hoped to set Demi Vollering up for an assault to shut her 1:15 deficit and snatch the jersey away on the ultimate day. Additionally there have been 4 riders inside three minutes of the lead: Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance coverage-Soudal), Liane Lippert (Movistar), Lucinda Model (Lidl-Trek) and Erica Magnaldi (UAE Crew ADQ). In the meantime Niewiadoma’s team-mates caught alongside their chief, engaged on the entrance.
Stage 7 winner Ghekiere, who had a lead of 16 factors within the mountain classification coming into the day, took most factors on the Tamié and in addition sat within the digital lead with 100km to go and the breakaway’s lead round 2:30.
That hole got here down to simply 90 seconds on the backside of the Glandon as Liv AlUla Jayco started to assist Canyon//SRAM with the work on the entrance of the peloton. The hole continued to tumble as riders dropped out of the main group.
The eye of the riders lay forward on Alpe d’Huez, however the Glandon deserves its personal respect and will create alternatives. Mavi Garcia (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) attacked with 10km of the Glandon to go as FDJ-SUEZ took accountability for the chasing behind. Garcia was quickly caught and handed by the fast-moving Valentina Cavallar (Arkéa-B&B Inns), who bridged throughout to the entrance and moved forward solo.
The tempo was on within the peloton, although. Niamh Fisher-Black (SD WOrx-Protime) took on the pacing with Vollering in her wheel. Niewiadoma and Pieterse have been proper behind because the group shrank to round 15. The yellow jersey was remoted within the favourites’ group with 5km left of the Glandon. The likes of Juliette Labous, Thalita de Jong and Shirin van Anrooij, all sitting excessive on GC, have been distanced earlier than the very steepest sections of the mountain.
The anticipated transfer from Vollering got here with 2.5km of the Glandon to go. The yellow jersey was instantly dropped. Solely Pauliena Rooijakkers may go along with Vollering.
Niewiadoma hung in with Lucinda Model, Evita Muzic and Sarah Gigante. Gaia Realini was initially caught between the 2 teams however was reeled in by Gigante as she labored on the entrance of the yellow jersey group. Puck Pieterse, sitting second total coming into the stage, light badly after a sensational week of racing for the multi-discipline star. Third place Cedrine Kerbaol was round ten seconds down on the chasing group at this level however made her manner again.
Vollering rapidly bridged to Cavallar with Rooijakkers glued to her wheel. The hole ballooned out to simply below a minute by the highest of the climb with 51 kilometres of the stage nonetheless to go and droplets of rain starting to fall onto the tarmac.
Forward of the riders was a 20km descent earlier than 15km of valley street. Vollering pushed on down the quick Glandon descent, distancing Cavallar and lengthening her benefit to the yellow jersey to round 90 seconds on the backside.
Rooijakkers, who got here into the stage two seconds forward of Vollering on GC, labored with the reigning champion on the strategy to the Alpe d’Huez. The chasing yellow jersey group was seven robust and edged their manner nearer to the leaders. Lucinda Model, working for Realini, drove them on. The yellow jersey’s deficit was simply 45 seconds on the foot of the ultimate climb.
Niewiadoma continued the chase on the backside of the ultimate climb of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes. Simply Muzic and Realini went along with her because the hole to the entrance stayed regular within the opening kilometre. Nonetheless, because the kilometres ticked on, the hole slowly grew and was quickly again as much as a minute with 10km left, however the pair wanted extra to contend for the maillot jaune.
Niewiadoma fought on and held the hole to Vollering. With 5km to go, the benefit started to dip under the minute-mark once more. It was clear that Vollering’s power was slipping away because the yellow jersey started to reel her in. The hole stalled at 50 seconds as Rooijakkers started to contribute extra to the efforts in entrance, however Niewiadoma fought on.
Vollering got here round Rooijakkers within the remaining few hundred metres to take her second stage win of the race, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to take her second yellow jersey. Niewiadoma drove on proper to the road to take the narrowest victory within the quick historical past of the Tour de France Femmes.
Outcomes
Tour de France Femmes 2024 stage eight: Le Grand-Bornard > Alpe d’Huez (150km)
1. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime in 4:34:14
2. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +4s
3. Evita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ, +1:01
4. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM, similar time
5. Gaia Realini (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +1:31
6. Cédrine Kerbaol (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT, +3:15
7. Valentina Cavallar (Austria) Arkéa-B&B Inns, +3:34
8. Sarah Gigante (Aus) AG Insurance coverage – Soudal, +5:10
9. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) SD Worx-Protime, +5:14
10. Lucinda Model (Ned) Lidl-Trek, +7:06
Common Classification after stage eight
1. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM in 24:36:07
2. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +4s
3. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +10s
4. Evita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ, _1:21
5. Gaia Realini (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +2:19
6. Cédrine Kerbaol (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT, +2:51
7. Sarah Gigante (Aus) AG Insurance coverage – Soudal, +7:09
8. Lucinda Model (Ned) Lidl-Trek, +8:06
9. Juliette Labous (Fra) dsm-firmenich-PostNL, +8:07
10. Thalita de Jong (Ned) Lotto Dstny Girls, +8:12
