Kasia Niewiadoma attacked on the barren slopes of Mont Ventoux with more than nine kilometres still to climb, rode solo to the summit, and took both the stage and the yellow jersey of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes. The 31-year-old Polish rider, racing for Canyon-SRAM, crossed the line alone on stage seven — the first Tour stage win of her career. The Guardian

Demi Vollering finished second on the stage, 15 seconds back in the overall standings. Marlen Reusser, who had worn the yellow jersey since winning the stage-four individual time trial on 4 August, came home fourth on the day and dropped to third overall at 39 seconds. The Swiss rider had controlled the race for three stages but could not match Niewiadoma's acceleration on the Giant of Provence. The Guardian

Niewiadoma now leads the general classification — the overall standings that determine the yellow jersey — with a total time of 24 hours, 7 minutes and 34 seconds. Elisa Longo Borghini sits fourth at 2 minutes 59 seconds, with Antonia Niedermaier fifth at 3:21. (letourfemmes.fr)

This is familiar territory for Niewiadoma, who won the Tour de France Femmes in 2024 and has finished on the podium in every edition since the race was relaunched in 2022. Her record on this race is unmatched: four starts, four podiums, now two yellow jerseys.

The Ventoux stage reshaped the race in other ways. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, the defending champion, had already fallen out of contention on stage five when Demi Vollering won a three-way sprint — and she slipped further on the mountain. Anna van der Breggen of SD Worx-Protime, second in the Vuelta and third in the Giro earlier this season, withdrew before the stage, saying she did not feel at her best. The Guardian

Mont Ventoux is one of cycling's most feared climbs — a long, treeless ascent where gradients reach double digits and the wind bites. The organisers scheduled it as the summit finish that would decide the yellow jersey, and that is exactly what happened. (letourfemmes.fr)

The race continues through 9 August. Niewiadoma holds 15 seconds over Vollering — a margin slim enough to be erased by a single bad day or a well-timed attack. Reusser at 39 seconds remains close enough to strike. Two stages remain.