Dutch rider Demi Vollering took the Vollering Tour lead on Saturday after winning a dramatic eighth stage of the Tour de France Femmes.
Vollering made a late attack on the final climb and held her lead all the way to Nice. Her win also put her back in the yellow jersey with only one stage left.
The 171.9-kilometre stage ran from Sisteron to Nice. It was a hard mountain test, with several tough climbs on the route. The race also lost its defending champion before the start.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, who won the 2025 Tour de France Femmes, pulled out of the race because of illness. Her withdrawal was a major change before the riders began the long stage.
Vollering then made the biggest move of the day with six kilometres left. She attacked on the steep Chemin de l’Arieta climb. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Elisa Longo Borghini could not stay with her.
The Dutch rider quickly opened a gap. She then pushed hard on the descent toward Nice and kept enough time to take the stage win.
The result was a major comeback for Vollering. She had lost one minute and 16 seconds to Niewiadoma-Phinney during the previous day’s stage on Mont Ventoux.
That loss had left Vollering facing a large gap in the overall race. But she did not give up. She worked with her team and waited for another chance.
“In a stage race, you live day by day,” Vollering said after the win. She said a rider can be upset after a bad day but must return the next morning ready to try again.
Vollering also knows the race is not over. Sunday’s final stage will decide the overall winner. She said the last day will be very hard and that anything can still happen.
Still, she will start the final stage in yellow. She called that a dream come true.
The stage win also marked Vollering’s fifth time wearing the yellow jersey in the Tour. She became the fifth rider to lead the 2026 race.
Longo Borghini finished second after beating Niewiadoma-Phinney in a sprint for the line. Niewiadoma-Phinney took third place.
The result ended Niewiadoma-Phinney’s latest run as race leader. She had taken the yellow jersey after Vollering lost time on Mont Ventoux.
Niewiadoma-Phinney was also unhappy with an incident during the final climb. She accused FDJ United-Suez rider Celia Gery of blocking her near the barriers.
Niewiadoma-Phinney said she had to stop pedalling after being forced toward the barriers. She said the move cost her time and called it unfair.
She also said the incident made her lose respect for the team. Her comments added more tension to an already close race.
Vollering now leads Niewiadoma-Phinney by eight seconds in the general classification. Bonus seconds from the stage win also helped her move into first place.
The gap is small, so the final stage could still change the standings. Vollering will need to defend her lead through another demanding day around Nice.
Niewiadoma-Phinney remains close behind, while Longo Borghini is also part of the fight for the top places.
With just one stage left, the battle for the Tour de France Femmes title is wide open. Vollering has the yellow jersey, but her eight-second lead gives her little room for error.
The final stage will decide whether she can hold on and claim the overall victory.
