LA VOULTE-SUR-RHÔNE > MONT VENTOUX (August 7, 2026) — Only one bright star could be seen Friday from the observatory at the summit of Mont Ventoux: Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon//SRAM).
The Polish rider produced the boldest ride up the Giant of Provence, winning the climb on its debut in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Niewiadoma-Phinney powered away from Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) and Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team) with 9.5 kilometers remaining to raise her arms in victory for the first time in the race. She had never won a Tour stage before Friday.
The victory also moved Niewiadoma-Phinney into the Yellow Jersey, taking the overall lead from Reusser. She now has a chance to repeat her 2024 overall victory if she can defend her 15-second advantage over Vollering and 39-second lead over Reusser through the weekend.
Stage report:
128 riders took the start of Stage 7 of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift at 13:12 CEST. The 146.8-kilometer stage began in La Voulte-sur-Rhône and finished atop Mont Ventoux, taking the peloton to the summit of one of the most iconic climbs in road cycling.
There were three non-starters: Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime), Katrine Aalerud (Uno-X Mobility) and Kiara Lylyk (Mayenne Monbana My Pie).
The day’s breakaway took time to form
The peloton set off under bright sunshine and crested the Col de la Grande Limite (Category 2, km 13.6) and Col du Colombier (Category 3, km 41.1) without incident. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) claimed maximum points on both climbs to further extend her lead in the Mountains classification. Nine riders attempted to break away between the two climbs, but none succeeded.
The race came to life at kilometer 67 when Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) attacked. She was quickly joined by Marit Raaijmakers (Human Powered Health), Mia Griffin (Picnic-PostNL), Amelie Dideriksen (Cofidis), Idoia Eraso, Paula Patiño (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi), Marte Berg Edseth (Uno-X Mobility), Sandrine Tas, Romina Hinojosa (Lotto Intermarché Ladies) and Clémence Latimier (Ma Petite Entreprise).
Three riders attempted to bridge from the peloton. Fiona Magnan (Mayenne Monbana My Pie) made it across, while Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Sophie von Berswordt (Volkerwessels) were unable to close the gap and were eventually caught at the foot of the Col de Suzette (Category 2, km 105.3).
The breakaway established a maximum advantage of 3:20 on the approach to the intermediate sprint in Beaumes-de-Venise (km 97.9), where Dideriksen was first across as the gap stood at 2:55.
On the Col de Suzette, Griffin and Hinojosa were dropped. Roseman-Gannon was first over the summit, with the peloton 1:35 behind. An intense battle for position prompted the general classification teams to increase the pace.
After a series of attacks, Roseman-Gannon went clear alone but was caught by the peloton with 18 kilometers remaining, with Mont Ventoux already looming ahead.
Exhilarating climb up Mont Ventoux
The opening slopes of Mont Ventoux quickly reduced the front group to 14 riders: Célia Gery, Juliette Berthet, Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez), Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team), Cédrine Kerbaol, Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly), Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//SRAM), Isabella Holmgren, Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek), Elisa Longo Borghini, Dominika Wlodarczyk, Paula Blasi (UAE Team L’Imad) and Marion Bunel (Visma | Lease a Bike).
Bunel’s leader, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, was dropped on the opening ramps of the climb.
Gery, Berthet and Rüegg set the pace until Vollering launched her first acceleration with 11 kilometers remaining. Only Reusser and Niewiadoma-Phinney could match her.
The newly formed trio held a 10-second advantage over a four-rider chasing group containing Longo Borghini, Blasi, Niedermaier and Kerbaol with 10 kilometers remaining.
Niewiadoma-Phinney attacked with 9.5 kilometers to go, triggering a tense tactical battle between Reusser and Vollering. The pair took turns at the front but could not organize an effective chase, allowing Niewiadoma-Phinney to extend her advantage to 1:15 with five kilometers remaining. The chasing group was a further 1:35 behind.
The riders had by then passed Chalet Reynard, 6.2 kilometers from the finish, marking the point where the road leaves the forest and enters Mont Ventoux’s stark, exposed landscape.
From there, the riders faced heavy headwinds, with gusts reaching 50 kph. Niewiadoma-Phinney’s ability to maintain her advantage against the wind further underlined the strength of her ride.
Her lead reached 1:45 before she crossed the finish line 1:16 ahead of Vollering. The Dutch rider accelerated inside the final kilometer to distance Reusser, who finished 1:46 behind the winner and lost the Yellow Jersey.
Longo Borghini finished third, 1:42 behind Niewiadoma-Phinney, moving ahead of Reusser on the stage.
The new leader of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift was Niewiadoma-Phinney, who produced a remarkable solo ride to claim the Yellow Jersey atop Mont Ventoux.
Stage 7 Results:
| 1 | K. NIEWIADOMA-PHINNEY | CANYON//SRAM | 04h 22′ 53” | – | B : 10” | – |
| 2 | D. VOLLERING | FDJ UNITED-SUEZ | 04h 24′ 09” | + 00h 01′ 16” | B : 6” | – |
| 3 | E. LONGO BORGHINI | UAE Team L’IMAD | 04h 24′ 35” | + 00h 01′ 42” | B : 4” | – |
| 4 | M. REUSSER | MOVISTAR TEAM | 04h 24′ 39” | + 00h 01′ 46” | – | – |
| 5 | P. BLASI CAIROL | UAE Team L’IMAD | 04h 24′ 41” | + 00h 01′ 48” | – | – |
| 6 | A. NIEDERMAIER | CANYON//SRAM | 04h 24′ 41” | + 00h 01′ 48” | – | – |
| 7 | C. KERBAOL | EF EDUCATION – OATLY | 04h 24′ 54” | + 00h 02′ 01” | – | – |
| 8 | D. WLODARCZYK | UAE Team L’IMAD | 04h 26′ 19” | + 00h 03′ 26” | – | – |
| 9 | K. LE COURT PIENAAR | AG INSURANCE – SOUDAL TEAM | 04h 26′ 51” | + 00h 03′ 58” | – | – |
| 10 | I. HOLMGREN | LIDL – TREK | 04h 27′ 04” | + 00h 04′ 11” | – | – |
General Classification after Stage 7:
| 1 | K. NIEWIADOMA-PHINNEY | CANYON//SRAM | 24h 07′ 34” | – | B : 14” | – |
| 2 | D. VOLLERING | FDJ UNITED-SUEZ | 24h 07′ 49” | + 00h 00′ 15” | B : 24” | – |
| 3 | M. REUSSER | MOVISTAR TEAM | 24h 08′ 13” | + 00h 00′ 39” | B : 12” | – |
| 4 | E. LONGO BORGHINI | UAE Team L’IMAD | 24h 10′ 33” | + 00h 02′ 59” | B : 8” | – |
| 5 | A. NIEDERMAIER | CANYON//SRAM | 24h 10′ 55” | + 00h 03′ 21” | – | – |
| 6 | C. KERBAOL | EF EDUCATION – OATLY | 24h 11′ 35” | + 00h 04′ 01” | B : 6” | – |
| 7 | P. BLASI CAIROL | UAE Team L’IMAD | 24h 12′ 06” | + 00h 04′ 32” | – | – |
| 8 | D. WLODARCZYK | UAE Team L’IMAD | 24h 12′ 47” | + 00h 05′ 13” | B : 2” | – |
| 9 | I. HOLMGREN | LIDL – TREK | 24h 13′ 43” | + 00h 06′ 09” | – | – |
| 10 | K. LE COURT PIENAAR | AG INSURANCE – SOUDAL TEAM | 24h 13′ 51” | + 00h 06′ 17” | B : 24” | – |
