Cycling Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift

Demi Vollering confident of Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift title as final showdown with Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney awaits - 'We're sure ready for it'

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New yellow jersey Demi Vollering said she is betting on herself and her FDJ United-Suez team as she prepares to defend her slender Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift lead from Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and the rest of the chasing pack on the final stage.

'So much pain I cannot describe' - Vollering reacts after sublime Stage 8 win

Video credit: TNT Sports

After Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM) appeared to have stamped her authority on the race by winning on Mont Ventoux, Vollering hit back on the penultimate stage in Nice with a daring solo attack with six kilometres to go.

Neither Niewiadoma-Phinney nor fourth-placed Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team L'Imad) could follow the Dutchwoman, who won the Tour in 2023, and she flowed down the descent to take the stage win, and the race lead.

However, the job is only half complete as Vollering needs to defend that lead on a savage final stage that follows eight brutal days of racing. Stage 9 starts and ends in Nice but features three ascents of the Col d’Eze before the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift champion is crowned, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift

Niewiadoma-Phinney accuses FDJ of 'childish' tactics as she loses lead to Vollering

14 hours ago

”In a stage race you live day-by-day, so you can be disappointed every night, but then the next morning you need to put on a new mask and you go again,” Vollering said afterwards. ”You try again, you make a plan with the team.

”And the funny thing was that this morning I suddenly realised, I had a kind of deja vu that, I don’t remember when exactly, I somehow saw this flashback in front of my eyes that I would take yellow here [in Nice]. Then this morning this deja vu came kind of back and I was like, ‘Maybe it’s true.’

”I tried to remember during the race that I can do it, we can do it and that we at least have to try and dig so deep, go through so much pain I cannot describe, somehow we made it happen.

”Tomorrow’s going to be super hard, of course - it’s what I said since the beginning of the Tour. Still everything can happen on the last day but at least I start in yellow tomorrow. Already that’s a dream come true.

”I won two stages and I have yellow on my shoulders for these moments. That’s already super special and we’re going to try everything to keep yellow tomorrow. I bet me and my team, we’re sure ready for it.”

Vollering now holds a lead of eight seconds over Niewiadoma-Phinney, with Marlen Reusser (Movistar) third at 1’12” and Longo-Borghini still targeting a place on the podium despite sitting three minutes behind the yellow jersey.

Rowe: Niewiadoma-Phinney will be 'all in' on Stage 9

Niewiadoma-Phinney, the 2024 champion, was less than impressed with Vollering’s FDJ United-Suez team, calling them ”childish” for allegedly blocking her on Stage 8. The pair's rivalry stems from the Canyon rider's title win two years ago, when she finished four seconds clear of Vollering - the smallest margin of victory in the Tour Femmes' history.

However, the Pole must quickly turn her attention to the last chance to reclaim the yellow jersey, with the final Stage 9 climb averaging 7.7% for six kilometres. And TNT Sports’ Dani Rowe believes Niewiadoma-Phinney will throw everything at Vollering on Sunday, even if it costs her a podium place.

”It’s really interesting because I think if you’re Kasia, she’s won this race before and she’s won a stage on Mont Ventoux so I don’t think there’s any sort of protection of second place. I think it’s all in to try and win this bike race, which is great for us because it means super exciting bike racing,” Rowe said.

'Lost all respect for them' - Niewiadoma-Phinney accuses FDJ United-Suez of blocking

Video credit: TNT Sports

”Marlen, I’m not so sure. Would a podium finish be enough for her? If not, obviously then she’ll try and race aggressively. But it definitely suits Kasia, the attributes of Kasia over Marlen.

”And I also think it suits Longo-Borghini more than Marlen too. Again, I just can’t wait to see how it plays out on the road. There’s also teams who haven’t had anything from this race yet so it’s going to go from the gun.”

”I think, with the power of the yellow jersey, Vollering. But on paper this parcour suits Kasia. I’ll go Demi, she’s going to take yellow.”

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Watch and stream the 2026 cycling season, including the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift finale and La Vuelta a Espana, on TNT Sports and HBO Max

Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift