Vollering Conquers the Col d'Èze to Win Her Second Tour de France Femmes
Demi Vollering won the 2026 Tour de France Femmes on 9 August, sealing her second overall title with a final-stage victory around Nice that was as dramatic off the bike as on it.
The Dutch rider, racing for FDJ United-Suez, finished the nine-stage race one minute and 18 seconds ahead of runner-up Kasia Niewiadoma, with Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini third. Vollering covered the final 90-kilometre stage — a loop from Nice to Nice over the Col d'Èze — in two hours, 44 minutes and 43 seconds, winning from a select group on the last climb. Her total race time was 30 hours, 54 minutes and 51 seconds. (Tour de France Femmes)
The decisive move came on the Chemin du Vinaigrier section of the Col d'Èze, where breakaway rider Isabella Holmgren was overhauled. Vollering then broke clear of Niewiadoma 600 metres from the summit of the final ascent, the gap that decided the race. (The Guardian)
Nothing about the build-up was calm. Vollering had taken the yellow jersey — worn by the overall race leader — by winning Saturday's Stage 8 from Sisteron to Nice, overturning an eight-second deficit to Niewiadoma and a 1:12 gap to Marlen Reusser, who had held the lead since the race's middle stages. (Reuters; Tour de France Femmes)
But Saturday's finish on the Promenade des Anglais ended in a confrontation. Niewiadoma accused Vollering's teammate Célia Gery of blocking her path on the final climb, branding the riding "dirty." Vollering's manager Stephen Delcourt demanded an apology before the start of the final stage. Sports director Lars Boom revealed that Gery was receiving death threats online. (The Guardian)
On the first ascent of the Col d'Èze during the final stage, Vollering and Niewiadoma rode side by side in visible discussion before Vollering wagged her finger at the Pole. The gesture spoke to a rivalry that dates to the 2024 race, when Vollering crashed while wearing the yellow jersey on stage five and Niewiadoma won overall by four seconds. (The Guardian)
This time the margin was decisive. Antonia Niedermaier of Canyon//SRAM finished fourth overall at 5:10, with Paula Blasi Cairol of UAE Team L'IMAD fifth at 6:13. Lorena Wiebes of Team SD Worx-Protime took the points classification — the sprinter's jersey — with 181 points, and Puck Pieterse of Fenix-Premier Tech won the mountains classification with 55. Niedermaier also claimed the young rider's white jersey, while UAE Team L'IMAD won the team prize. (Tour de France Femmes)
The 2026 edition began in Switzerland and will head to Great Britain for its Grand Départ in 2027.
For a race still building its audience, the sight of two of the sport's best riders trading words and watts on a climb above the Côte d'Azur was everything the organisers could have wanted. Vollering, who later said she "wanted to make clear that we deserve to win this Tour," left no room for argument on the road. (Tour de France Femmes)
