It’s totally uncommon {that a} stage surrounded by such hype not solely lives as much as expectations however truly exceeds them, but the eighth and closing stage of the Tour de France Femmes can undoubtedly rank itself amongst these elite few.
The storyline of the maillot jaune defending their lead in opposition to a bruised however bullish defending champion already had set the stage for a dramatic closing stage, putting this plot throughout the legendary setting of Alpe d’Huez – for the primary time since 1992 – meant we had been set for a finale for the ages.
After Demi Vollering’s crash on stage 5, she fell out of the yellow jersey and was very almost out of the highest 10 too. By the point the mountains arrived this weekend, Kasia Niewiadoma knew she’d should trip out of her pores and skin to maintain the maillot jaune on her shoulders. What adopted on stage 8, will dwell lengthy within the historical past of not simply girls’s biking, however the sport on the whole.
Cyclingnews has curated the very best of the photographs from ASO photographers and Getty Photos, capturing all of the feelings on a historic first trip up the legendary mountain.
(Picture credit score: ASO)
Marion Rousse will get a historic Tour de France Femmes stage underway
(Picture credit score: ASO)
The day’s break heads up the highway, and into the clouds
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Kasia Niewiadoma’s Canyon-SRAM teammates get to work controlling the time hole
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One final day to carry onto the maillot blanc for debutant Puck Pieterse
(Picture credit score: ASO)
The bunch thins out because the slopes of the Col du Glandon stand up
(Picture credit score: ASO)
The eyes say all of it, Cédrine Kerbaol stares up the mountain as she suffers on the steepest sections of the Col du Glandon
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Not wanting again, Demi Vollering assaults on the higher slopes, taking Pauliena Rooijakkers and Valentina Cavallar together with her
(Picture credit score: ASO)
Defending her jersey, the maillot jaune scrapes again time on the descent
(Picture credit score: ASO)
Main from the entrance, Demi Vollering units the tempo because the Dutch duo arrive on the foot of Alpe d’Huez
(Picture credit score: ASO)
(Picture credit score: Future)
‘Which hairpin was that?’ The chasing trio, together with the maillot jaune, energy up the Alpe because the time hole constantly swings forwards and backwards
(Picture credit score: ASO)
There are few higher entrance row seats in sport than Alpe d’Huez
(Picture credit score: ASO)
Towards the clock, the lead duo energy to the road
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
It is ‘you in opposition to you’ as Demi Vollering factors to her head, crossing the road away from Pauliena Rooijakkers. The primary feminine stage winner of Alpe d’Huez since 1992
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
For all of Vollering’s would possibly although, Kasia Niewiadoma arrived on the end line within the nick of time. Her response speaks for itself
(Picture credit score: ASO)
4 seconds. The smallest margin of victory within the girls’s or males’s Tour de France historical past
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
But when somebody wins by a slender margin, somebody loses by an equally slender margin too
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
The feelings pour out between Lidl-Trek’s Lucinda Model and Shirin van Anrooij
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Kasia Niewiadoma embraces her husband and former skilled bike owner Taylor Phinney
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Respect between two champions. What a present they placed on
(Picture credit score: ASO)
There could be only one maillot jaune however there’s an entire staff behind the victory
(Picture credit score: ASO)
4 completely different jersey winners. Some younger, some extra skilled. All writing their names into the historical past books
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Three editions of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, three completely different winners
(Picture credit score: Future)
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