Vollering wins Stage 8 to take lead at Women’s Tour de France from Niewiadoma-Phinney

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Victoria’s Sarah Van Dam crossed the line in seventh to jump to 27th in the overall rankings, but Isabella Holmgren of Orillia, Ont., remained the top Canadian in 10th just under eight minutes off the lead.

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Montreal’s Magdeleine Vallières Mill ranked 20th and Nadia Gontova of Richmond, B.C., was 31st. Van Dam, 24, finished fourth in the Tour’s sixth stage.

But Saturday belonged to Vollering, who won the Giro d’Italia this year to complete the hat trick of Grands Tour wins.

She was eight seconds ahead of Niewiadoma-Phinney, the 2024 champion, in the overall standings. The Polish rider took the yellow jersey with a brilliant solo win up Mont Ventoux on Friday, and rode a yellow bike to go with it on Stage 8.

The 172-kilometre route from Sisteron to Nice on the southeast coast was mostly flat for sprinters but featured four minor climbs which made it a little more tricky.

With the main title contenders initially saving energy for Sunday’s tough-looking decisive stage in the hills around Nice, the yellow jersey group let Frenchwoman Maeva Squiban and Dutchwoman Loes Adegeest form a long breakaway.

Squiban slid off her bike heading into a turn on a downhill section and landed heavily on her left side. She had cuts and grazes and screamed in agony as a medic on a motorbike tried bandaging her arm while she was riding.

She carried on riding despite the pain while, up ahead, Adegeest was caught inside the last nine kilometres.

Defending champion withdraws

Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt pulled out of the race shortly before the stage after feeling unwell.

The French rider’s Visma-Lease a Bike team said on X that the decision to pull her out of the race was made after consultation with the team’s medical staff.

The 2024 Paris Olympic champion in mountain biking won the Women’s Tour de France on her debut last year. But she struggled this year and was in 14th place overall before withdrawing.

Final day drama

Stage 9 features four sharp climbs of Col d’Èze, which is nestled in the hills overlooking the tiny Principality of Monaco.

Two years ago, Niewiadoma-Phinney beat Vollering on a final day mountain stage to win the race by just four seconds.

Vollering will have to ensure it’s not a case of déjà vu.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

The Associated Press