Demi Vollering aimed for the yellow jersey and to dethrone Marlen Reusser on Mont Ventoux. She achieved one of those, but remains in the hunt for her first overall win in three years. With plenty attacks, FDJ - Suez DS Lars Boom explained the reasoning behind the European Champion's tactics on the c...

With only nine stages at the Tour de France Femmes, a relegation, time penalty or yellow card can carry consequences far beyond the immediate result. Sprint deviations, sticky bottles, feeding breaches and littering offences can all affect stage placings, jersey battles and the shape of a riders ra...

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon//SRAM) won stage 7 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift on Mont Ventoux on Friday and took the yellow jersey, finishing the 144km from La Voulte-sur-Rhne in 4:22:53. Demi Vollering was second at 1:16 and Elisa Longo Borghini third at 1:42, with Marlen Reusser fourth at 1:46.It is Niewiadoma-Phinneys first stage win at the race, at the fortieth attempt. The 2024 overall winner had six previous stage podiums two seconds and four thirds without ever taking a stage, and becomes the 22nd different rider to win one, with Poland the 11th nation. It is a second Tour de France Femmes stage win for Canyon//SRAM after Ricarda Bauernfeind at Albi in 2023.The Pole takes yellow for the fifth time in her career, behind only Marianne Vos (8) and Lotte Kopecky (6), and leads Vollering by 15 seconds the closest one-two after seven stages in the races history, beating the 26 seconds between Le Court-Pienaar and Ferrand-Prvot in 2025. Reusser is third at 39 seconds. She is the fourth different rider to lead this years race after Lorena Wiebes, Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset and Reusser, which has never happened in a single edition before.Mont Ventoux made its debut in the race, at 1,910m the highest point of this edition and the fourth highest the peloton has reached since 2022. Longo Borghinis third place was her first stage podium at the race and Italys eighth, though the country still waits for a first stage win.Wiebes leads the points classification on 147 and Puck Pieterse the mountains on 55. Antonia Niedermaier holds the young rider jersey and UAE Team LIMAD the teams classification.Charlotte Kool finished outside the time limit, and Anna van der Breggen, Kiara Lylyk and Katrine Aalerud did not start, leaving 127 riders. Stage 8 on Saturday runs 175km from Sisteron to Nice.Our RidersFiona Mangan finished 90th at 30:54 on the Ventoux and Mia Griffin 110th at 34:13. Both climb the standings: Mangan up three to 101st overall at 1:54:17, Griffin up four to 126th at 2:25:59.IRLIrish Riders Stage 7, Mont VentouxStage placing time behind Niewiadoma-Phinney overall after stage 790Fiona MANGAN (205)101st overall, +1:54:17+30:54110Mia GRIFFIN (125)126th overall, +2:25:59+34:13Stage 7 ResultStage 7 Result show all 131STGStage 7 ResultStage 7 Tour de France Femmes 2026 131 riders1Kasia NIEWIADOMA (21)4:22:532Demi VOLLERING (11)1:163Elisa LONGO BORGHINI (35)1:424Marlen REUSSER (51)1:465Paula BLASI (32)1:486Antonia NIEDERMAIER (25)1:487Cdrine KERBAOL (85)2:018Dominika WODARCZYK (31)3:269Kim LE COURT-PIENAAR (71)3:5810Isabella HOLMGREN (65)4:1111Marion BUNEL (2)5:3812Thalita DE JONG (104)6:0313Nina BUIJSMAN (102)8:0014Niamh FISHER-BLACK (64)8:2815milie MORIER (131)9:5916Justine GHEKIERE (76)10:0217Noemi REGG (86)10:4118Pauline FERRAND-PRVOT (1)10:4419Maeva SQUIBAN (37)11:1220Nienke VINKE (46)11:1221Solne MULLER (136)11:4022Quinty SCHOENS (161)11:5423Debora SILVESTRI (157)12:2324Mavi GARCA (34)13:5125Nadia GONTOVA (113)13:5226Urka IGART (77)14:3927Clia GERY (13)15:3328Juliette BERTHET (12)15:3329Femke DE VRIES (3)15:3330Ema COMTE (143)16:2331Magdeleine VALLIERES (81)16:4632Ocane MAH (197)16:4733Karolina PEREKITKO (201)17:5634Sigrid Ytterhus HAUGSET (174)18:4535Anouska KOSTER (175)18:4536Titia RYO (101)19:4137Clmence LATIMIER (191)19:4338Marine ALLIONE (202)20:1139Kristen FAULKNER (84)20:4240Lotte CLAES (93)23:0241Lucinda BRAND (63)24:3042Lieke NOOIJEN (5)24:3043Clia LE MOUL (196)24:3044Amanda SPRATT (67)24:3045Riejanne MARKUS (66)24:3046Sarah VAN DAM (6)24:3047Paula OSTIZ (56)24:3648Mireia BENITO (72)24:3649Laura ASENCIO (193)24:4750Letizia PATERNOSTER (115)24:5951Morgane COSTON (195)25:5752Sandrine TAS (181)29:2953Usoa OSTOLAZA (151)29:3354Gaia MASETTI (126)29:3355Ruby ROSEMAN-GANNON (116)29:3356Ana Vitoria MAGALHAES (54)29:3857Marte Berg EDSETH (173)29:3858Franziska KOCH (14)29:3859Silke SMULDERS (117)29:3860Yuliia BIRIUKOVA (153)29:3861Maud RIJNBEEK (166)29:3862Sara CASASOLA (92)29:4263Puck PIETERSE (91)29:4264Marit RAAIJMAKERS (106)29:4265Daniek HENGEVELD (4)29:4266Victorie GUILMAN (145)29:4267Amalie DIDERIKSEN (144)29:4268Loes ADEGEEST (62)30:0469Lore DE SCHEPPER (75)30:0470Lorena WIEBES (47)30:4471Lucie FITYUS (123)30:4472Silvia PERSICO (36)30:4473Alice TOWERS (87)30:4474Nina BERTON (82)30:4475Alice COUTINHO (203)30:4476Sara MARTN (55)30:4477Liane LIPPERT (53)30:4478Maria Rosa KLSER (24)30:4479Nomie ABGRALL (192)30:4480Agnieszka SKALNIAK-SJKA (27)30:4481Zoe BCKSTEDT (22)30:5182Soraya PALADIN (26)30:5183Carlotta CIPRESSI (103)30:5184Alessia VIGILIA (177)30:5185Romina HINOJOSA (184)30:5486Constance VALENTIN (207)30:5487Francesca BARALE (52)30:5488Arlenis SIERRA (57)30:5489Elisa BALSAMO (61)30:5490Fiona MANGAN (205)30:5491Henrietta CHRISTIE (83)30:5492Jeanne KOREVAAR (114)30:5493Mischa BREDEWOLD (42)30:5494Pfeiffer GEORGI (124)30:5495Arianna FIDANZA (155)30:5496Millie COUZENS (94)30:5497Mackenzie COUPLAND (112)31:0598Valentina CAVALLAR (43)31:0999Malwina MUL (141)31:11100Paula PATIO (156)31:13101Julie BEGO (142)31:13102Marie LE NET (16)31:20103Linda RIEDMANN (186)31:45104Josie NELSON (127)32:00105Idoia ERASO (154)32:00106Nikola NOSKOV (147)33:23107Anneke DIJKSTRA (162)33:34108Marianne VOS (7)33:34109Naia AMONDARAIN (152)33:34110Mia GRIFFIN (125)34:13111Elena CECCHINI (44)35:15112Malou EISEN (163)35:15113Robyn CLAY (122)35:15114Letizia BORGHESI (73)35:15115Shari BOSSUYT (74)35:19116Lily WILLIAMS (107)35:19117Caroline WRESZIN (137)35:19118Alicia GONZLEZ (133)35:19119Chiara CONSONNI (23)35:23120vita MUZIC (17)35:26121Lotte KOPECKY (45)35:27122Amber KRAAK (15)35:43123Eline JANSEN (164)35:43124Sophie VON BERSWORDT (167)37:14125Heidi FRANZ (132)39:57126Natalie QUINN (206)40:08127Alison JACKSON (135)43:21OTLCharlotte KOOL (96)DNSAnna VAN DER BREGGEN (41)DNSKiara LYLYK (204)DNSKatrine AALERUD (171)Classifications After Stage 7General Classification show all 127GCGeneral ClassificationStage 7 Tour de France Femmes 2026 127 riders1 (2)Kasia NIEWIADOMA (21)24:07:342Demi VOLLERING (11)0:153 (2)Marlen REUSSER (51)0:394Elisa LONGO BORGHINI (35)2:595Antonia NIEDERMAIER (25)3:216 (2)Cdrine KERBAOL (85)4:017 (3)Paula BLASI (32)4:328 (2)Dominika WODARCZYK (31)5:139 (2)Isabella HOLMGREN (65)6:0910 (1)Kim LE COURT-PIENAAR (71)6:1711 (1)Thalita DE JONG (104)9:2412 (1)Niamh FISHER-BLACK (64)11:5513 (2)Nienke VINKE (46)13:5914 (1)Pauline FERRAND-PRVOT (1)14:3715 (4)Noemi REGG (86)19:0216 (6)Nina BUIJSMAN (102)19:2517 (1)Femke DE VRIES (3)20:1618Mavi GARCA (34)21:2719 (2)Juliette BERTHET (12)21:5220Clia GERY (13)24:2621 (4)Maeva SQUIBAN (37)24:4822 (1)Magdeleine VALLIERES (81)27:2123 (7)Justine GHEKIERE (76)28:3524 (10)milie MORIER (131)30:0925 (6)Debora SILVESTRI (157)31:0526 (3)Kristen FAULKNER (84)32:1627 (13)Puck PIETERSE (91)33:3428 (7)Nadia GONTOVA (113)35:3329 (5)Riejanne MARKUS (66)37:0130 (3)Sigrid Ytterhus HAUGSET (174)38:3631 (5)Sarah VAN DAM (6)38:4932 (5)Amanda SPRATT (67)39:1333 (12)Marion BUNEL (2)41:0534 (5)Sara CASASOLA (92)47:0235 (1)Laura ASENCIO (193)47:0836 (11)Solne MULLER (136)47:5837 (5)Karolina PEREKITKO (201)52:0538Ana Vitoria MAGALHAES (54)53:2839 (1)Lucinda BRAND (63)55:0340 (1)Maria Rosa KLSER (24)57:1041 (4)Lotte KOPECKY (45)58:5942 (4)Mireia BENITO (72)1:00:0443 (7)Clmence LATIMIER (191)1:00:0744 (3)Gaia MASETTI (126)1:00:1545 (13)Titia RYO (101)1:03:3946 (2)Franziska KOCH (14)1:04:5147 (4)Mischa BREDEWOLD (42)1:05:4748 (7)Paula OSTIZ (56)1:08:1149 (1)Zoe BCKSTEDT (22)1:09:3550 (15)Ocane MAH (197)1:09:3651 (1)Valentina CAVALLAR (43)1:13:0652 (1)Agnieszka SKALNIAK-SJKA (27)1:13:3353 (1)Silvia PERSICO (36)1:13:4154 (19)Ema COMTE (143)1:13:5055 (1)Lore DE SCHEPPER (75)1:13:5456 (5)Marianne VOS (7)1:14:0757 (8)vita MUZIC (17)1:14:2658 (1)Paula PATIO (156)1:15:0659Silke SMULDERS (117)1:15:1260Loes ADEGEEST (62)1:15:5161 (16)Urka IGART (77)1:16:1162 (1)Alice TOWERS (87)1:16:4963 (4)Lieke NOOIJEN (5)1:18:1364 (2)Jeanne KOREVAAR (114)1:20:1365 (1)Elisa BALSAMO (61)1:21:1166Usoa OSTOLAZA (151)1:22:4067 (23)Quinty SCHOENS (161)1:23:3368Marte Berg EDSETH (173)1:23:5569 (6)Clia LE MOUL (196)1:24:1070 (7)Amber KRAAK (15)1:25:4371 (1)Lorena WIEBES (47)1:26:5872 (8)Lotte CLAES (93)1:26:5973 (2)Julie BEGO (142)1:27:4274 (2)Malwina MUL (141)1:27:5975 (1)Liane LIPPERT (53)1:29:4376 (7)Lily WILLIAMS (107)1:30:2177 (1)Soraya PALADIN (26)1:32:4478 (1)Pfeiffer GEORGI (124)1:33:2079 (3)Nikola NOSKOV (147)1:33:2880 (1)Nina BERTON (82)1:35:1081 (1)Sara MARTN (55)1:36:5082 (1)Francesca BARALE (52)1:37:0383 (2)Millie COUZENS (94)1:38:5684 (12)Letizia PATERNOSTER (115)1:39:2685 (17)Anouska KOSTER (175)1:39:2686Henrietta CHRISTIE (83)1:39:4487 (1)Daniek HENGEVELD (4)1:40:5588 (1)Alice COUTINHO (203)1:42:1189 (2)Linda RIEDMANN (186)1:42:2390 (6)Shari BOSSUYT (74)1:42:5091 (3)Ruby ROSEMAN-GANNON (116)1:42:5792 (1)Carlotta CIPRESSI (103)1:43:1893 (1)Josie NELSON (127)1:45:0394 (1)Mackenzie COUPLAND (112)1:45:2295 (2)Marit RAAIJMAKERS (106)1:45:3696 (3)Eline JANSEN (164)1:48:5697 (2)Sandrine TAS (181)1:49:0098 (10)Marine ALLIONE (202)1:51:0699 (1)Letizia BORGHESI (73)1:51:10100 (1)Marie LE NET (16)1:51:49101 (3)Fiona MANGAN (205)1:54:17102 (1)Malou EISEN (163)1:57:07103 (3)Natalie QUINN (206)1:59:54104 (3)Arlenis SIERRA (57)2:00:19105 (4)Yuliia BIRIUKOVA (153)2:01:17106 (4)Amalie DIDERIKSEN (144)2:02:22107 (10)Morgane COSTON (195)2:02:43108 (3)Chiara CONSONNI (23)2:02:51109 (3)Elena CECCHINI (44)2:04:33110 (2)Constance VALENTIN (207)2:04:43111 (5)Alessia VIGILIA (177)2:06:58112 (6)Victorie GUILMAN (145)2:07:32113 (2)Idoia ERASO (154)2:07:43114 (5)Maud RIJNBEEK (166)2:08:47115 (2)Naia AMONDARAIN (152)2:09:02116 (2)Anneke DIJKSTRA (162)2:09:02117 (3)Nomie ABGRALL (192)2:10:19118 (7)Sophie VON BERSWORDT (167)2:10:22119 (3)Arianna FIDANZA (155)2:11:21120 (8)Lucie FITYUS (123)2:16:43121 (4)Caroline WRESZIN (137)2:16:54122 (5)Robyn CLAY (122)2:18:53123 (2)Heidi FRANZ (132)2:20:22124 (5)Alicia GONZLEZ (133)2:22:20125 (1)Alison JACKSON (135)2:25:39126 (4)Mia GRIFFIN (125)2:25:59127 (4)Romina HINOJOSA (184)2:26:29Points Classification show all 79PTSPoints ClassificationStage 7 Tour de France Femmes 2026 79 riders1Lorena WIEBES (47)147 pts2 (2)Kim LE COURT-PIENAAR (71)89 pts3 (1)Lotte KOPECKY (45)85 pts4 (1)Noemi REGG (86)84 pts5Demi VOLLERING (11)82 pts6 (1)Cdrine KERBAOL (85)69 pts7 (2)Marlen REUSSER (51)67 pts8 (2)Puck PIETERSE (91)62 pts9 (5)Kasia NIEWIADOMA (21)57 pts10 (2)Elisa LONGO BORGHINI (35)57 pts11 (1)Dominika WODARCZYK (31)57 pts12 (4)Sigrid Ytterhus HAUGSET (174)55 pts13Marianne VOS (7)47 pts14 (2)Paula BLASI (32)45 pts15 (4)Carlotta CIPRESSI (103)42 pts16 (9)Idoia ERASO (154)35 pts17 (2)Loes ADEGEEST (62)35 pts18 (1)Clia GERY (13)33 pts19 (1)Ana Vitoria MAGALHAES (54)32 pts20 (1)Nikola NOSKOV (147)32 pts21 (1)Riejanne MARKUS (66)31 pts22 (10)Antonia NIEDERMAIER (25)30 pts23 (2)Elisa BALSAMO (61)30 pts24 (28)Marte Berg EDSETH (173)30 pts25 (32)Marit RAAIJMAKERS (106)27 pts26 (7)Isabella HOLMGREN (65)26 pts27 (2)Thalita DE JONG (104)26 pts28 (6)Eline JANSEN (164)26 pts29 (5)Yuliia BIRIUKOVA (153)25 pts30Amalie DIDERIKSEN (144)25 pts31 (5)Zoe BCKSTEDT (22)25 pts32 (5)Millie COUZENS (94)25 pts33 (5)Lieke NOOIJEN (5)23 pts34Niamh FISHER-BLACK (64)22 pts35 (5)Sarah VAN DAM (6)21 pts36Mischa BREDEWOLD (42)21 pts37 (6)Silvia PERSICO (36)21 pts38 (3)Maud RIJNBEEK (166)20 pts39Romina HINOJOSA (184)20 pts40 (3)Usoa OSTOLAZA (151)19 pts41 (3)Magdeleine VALLIERES (81)18 pts42 (3)Agnieszka SKALNIAK-SJKA (27)18 pts43 (3)Lotte CLAES (93)18 pts44 (3)Shari BOSSUYT (74)18 pts45 (3)Nienke VINKE (46)17 pts46 (3)Ocane MAH (197)17 pts47 (3)Malwina MUL (141)17 pts48 (3)Letizia PATERNOSTER (115)16 pts49 (3)Maeva SQUIBAN (37)15 pts50 (3)Ema COMTE (143)15 pts51 (2)Josie NELSON (127)14 pts52 (2)Mavi GARCA (34)13 pts53Clmence LATIMIER (191)13 pts54 (3)Amber KRAAK (15)13 pts55 (2)Anouska KOSTER (175)13 pts56 (1)Femke DE VRIES (3)12 pts57 (1)Sara CASASOLA (92)12 pts58Mia GRIFFIN (125)11 pts59 (1)Pauline FERRAND-PRVOT (1)10 pts60 (1)Kristen FAULKNER (84)10 pts61 (2)Nina BUIJSMAN (102)9 pts62Ruby ROSEMAN-GANNON (116)9 pts63 (3)Henrietta CHRISTIE (83)8 pts64Fiona MANGAN (205)8 pts65 (4)Lore DE SCHEPPER (75)7 pts66Paula PATIO (156)7 pts67 (5)Linda RIEDMANN (186)7 pts68Sandrine TAS (181)6 pts69Marion BUNEL (2)5 pts70 (6)Lily WILLIAMS (107)5 pts71 (6)Soraya PALADIN (26)5 pts72 (6)Juliette BERTHET (12)4 pts73 (6)Justine GHEKIERE (76)4 pts74 (6)Mireia BENITO (72)4 pts75 (6)Valentina CAVALLAR (43)4 pts76Sophie VON BERSWORDT (167)4 pts77 (7)Sara MARTN (55)3 pts78 (7)Arlenis SIERRA (57)2 pts79milie MORIER (131)1 ptMountains Classification show all 41KOMMountains ClassificationStage 7 Tour de France Femmes 2026 41 riders1Puck PIETERSE (91)55 pts2Nikola NOSKOV (147)21 pts3 (3)Demi VOLLERING (11)19 pts4 (12)Kasia NIEWIADOMA (21)18 pts5 (15)Elisa LONGO BORGHINI (35)12 pts6 (2)Sara CASASOLA (92)12 pts7 (4)Sigrid Ytterhus HAUGSET (174)11 pts8 (11)Marlen REUSSER (51)10 pts9 (5)Maeva SQUIBAN (37)9 pts10 (5)Ocane MAH (197)8 pts11 (4)Anouska KOSTER (175)7 pts12 (3)Ana Vitoria MAGALHAES (54)7 pts13 (3)Ema COMTE (143)6 pts14 (7)Antonia NIEDERMAIER (25)6 pts15Paula BLASI (32)6 pts16Ruby ROSEMAN-GANNON (116)5 pts17 (6)Idoia ERASO (154)5 pts18 (5)Loes ADEGEEST (62)5 pts19 (7)Franziska KOCH (14)4 pts20 (6)Niamh FISHER-BLACK (64)3 pts21 (6)Nina BERTON (82)3 pts22 (5)Cdrine KERBAOL (85)3 pts23 (6)Magdeleine VALLIERES (81)3 pts24 (10)Clmence LATIMIER (191)3 pts25Marte Berg EDSETH (173)3 pts26 (8)Lorena WIEBES (47)2 pts27 (5)Thalita DE JONG (104)2 pts28 (5)Femke DE VRIES (3)2 pts29 (5)Solne MULLER (136)2 pts30 (5)Eline JANSEN (164)2 pts31Silvia PERSICO (36)2 pts32Dominika WODARCZYK (31)1 pt33 (7)Isabella HOLMGREN (65)1 pt34 (6)Kim LE COURT-PIENAAR (71)1 pt35 (6)Nienke VINKE (46)1 pt36 (6)Clia GERY (13)1 pt37Soraya PALADIN (26)1 pt38 (5)Mischa BREDEWOLD (42)1 pt39 (7)Lotte KOPECKY (45)1 pt40Marit RAAIJMAKERS (106)1 pt41 (6)Maud RIJNBEEK (166)1 ptYTHYoung Rider ClassificationStage 7 Tour de France Femmes 2026 21 riders1Antonia NIEDERMAIER (25)24:10:552 (1)Paula BLASI (32)1:113 (1)Isabella HOLMGREN (65)2:484Nienke VINKE (46)10:385Clia GERY (13)21:056Marion BUNEL (2)37:447Solne MULLER (136)44:378 (1)Clmence LATIMIER (191)56:469 (3)Titia RYO (101)1:00:1810Paula OSTIZ (56)1:04:5011 (3)Zoe BCKSTEDT (22)1:06:1412 (3)Ema COMTE (143)1:10:2913 (2)Lore DE SCHEPPER (75)1:10:3314 (1)Julie BEGO (142)1:24:2115 (1)Malwina MUL (141)1:24:3816Francesca BARALE (52)1:33:4217Millie COUZENS (94)1:35:3518Linda RIEDMANN (186)1:39:0219Carlotta CIPRESSI (103)1:39:5720Mackenzie COUPLAND (112)1:42:0121 (1)Robyn CLAY (122)2:15:32TEAMTeams ClassificationStage 7 Tour de France Femmes 20261UAE Team LIMAD72:35:072Lidl Trek32:123FDJ United SUEZ32:204Team Visma | Lease a Bike32:265EF Education-Oatly34:356 (1)CANYON//SRAM44:337 (3)AG Insurance Soudal Team1:02:438 (3)Human Powered Health1:09:519 (3)Team SD Worx Protime1:20:2110 (2)Movistar Team1:27:2011 (2)Fenix-Premier Tech1:55:5112Ma Petite Entreprise2:07:2613Liv AlUla Jayco2:27:3614Uno-X Mobility2:28:0015Laboral Kutxa Fundacin Euskadi2:53:1116St Michel Preference Home Auber933:07:0117Cofidis Women Team3:32:3718 (1)Mayenne Monbana My Pie3:44:5519 (1)Team Picnic PostNL4:01:1820VolkerWessels Cycling Team4:40:5821Lotto Intermarch Ladies5:45:27: by ASO [See image gallery at www.irishcyclingnews.com]

Transfer season is officially open. On the 1st of August, transfers could finally begin to be publicly announced by their teams. Whilst not many have, we've got some interesting moves already confirmed; whilst a very interesting rumour has gained momentum throughout the week. You can follow the pre...

As the remainder of the peloton trickled through the finish line on the summit of Mont Ventoux, Marlen Reusser (Movistar) stood barefoot against the Movistar team car, arms crossed, about 500 metres down the other side of the mountain.The race lead and the yellow jersey conceded to Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM). She made no attempt to disguise how much that hurt.Im just very disappointed, Reusser said. I really hoped that I could win the stage or keep the yellow. That's a hard pill to swallow."I think it was not possible. Kasia did really, really good. Congratulations to her, really, chapeau. And, yeah, Im sad. Im just sad."The iconic Ventoux ascent came down to a battle of the three GC favourites. Starting the stage, Reusser was in yellow with a mere 12-second lead over Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) and 1:17 on Niewiadoma-Phinney. Vollering tried to test her rivals early with small accelerations on the bends through the forest but the others were quick to respond. Taking advantage of the caginess between Vollering and Reusser, Niewiadoma-Phinney Next attacked with 9.7 kilometres to go.Neitehr Reusser nor Vollering responded. They had a little time gap to play with but a sthey looked at one another Niewiadoma-Phinney powered off. Soon the gap was 20 seconds, then 45, then 1:15. She had ridden herself into the vritual yellow jersey and still, the others continued to look at each other."Honestly, I didnt understand fully," Reusser said. "I think the problem was that Demi and me, we were marking each other too much. Really stupid for both of us."Demi kept attacking super hard, and I kept telling her, Dont do this. Lets just ride. Because we had Kasia well in sight. We could for sure close it."The constant marking and attacking did little more than increase the lactic acid in their legs, Reusser pointed out. But Reusser had little choice but to follow Vollerings accelerations. Letting the Dutchwoman ride away could have been just as damaging to her Tour ambitions. But every attack and counterattack also played into the hands of Niewiadoma, already alone up the road and able to ride her own pace."It was not too good from us and very good from Kasia," Reusser admitted. "Neither of us wanted to ride crazy with the other in the wheel, knowing there are following attacks, Reusser explained.Movistar had gone into the stage expecting Vollering to be the principal threat. The teams plan, according to Reussers sports director Kelvin Dekker, had been straightforward: keep their leader out of trouble for as long as possible, deliver her into the decisive section and then "follow, follow, follow," with particular attention paid to Vollering.The difficulty came when Niewiadoma went instead."Then a game start[ed] where Demi attacks a few times more, and I think Marlen realised quite quickly that what Kasia was doing was quite strong. But she also couldnt drop from Demi, so you have to follow those attacks. And that smoked her a bit," Dekker said. Eventually, the tactical game turned into mere survival. The matches had been burned and all the while Niewiadoma-Phinney was growing her lead. "All those tactical stories, you can throw them out of the window in the moment that someone else is just quite a bit stronger," Dekker said. "Then its just riding full gas to the finish and hoping youre still close enough."Dekker admitted Niewiadoma-Phinney winning both the physical and tactical battle had not been the scenario Movistar considered most likely, even if they had discussed the possibility of her attacking."I think for sure shes underestimated," he said. "Kasia is an incredible rider. Shes been on every Tour podium. Shes won one."But "if you would have asked me about this scenario, I would have said this was the less likely scenario to happen. But it did happen."Niewiadoma-Phinney reached the summit solo with a comfortable margin. Vollering tried to minimise the damage at the end with one more attack on Reusser and finished in second place, 1:16 after Niewiadoma-Phinney. When asked what had gone through her mind when Vollering attacked that final time, Reusser had a simple, explicit comment: "F*** it."Reusser, completely spent, got passed by Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) and had the settle for fourth place on the stage, 1:42 down from Niewiadoma-Phinney. For Reusser, the only consolation lay in knowing she had given it her all."I was really smoked," she said. "I am not so happy but I gave everything."But the race is far from over. There are two more stages left in the 2026 Tour de France avec Zwift and the current GC top-three is as follows:Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney in yellowDemi Vollering +15 secondsMarlen Reusser +39 seconds

Across nine stages from Lausanne to Nice, the Tour de France Femmes can change quickly through crashes, illness and the accumulated strain of a compact route. With little recovery time between sprint finales, hilly stages, the Dijon time trial and the decisive mountain tests, one incident can remove...

At Sea Otter, Giro had several new road and mountain bike shoes on display. Among them was the all-new Chamber Trail. Based on the Chamber III, it shares the same outsole, sole stiffness, and general fit with its gravity-oriented sibling. But with its trail-oriented intended use, the Trail version is a bit lighter with a thinner, more ventilated upper, BOA Fit System closure, and a stretch ankle cuff.When I saw Giros new Chamber Trail back in April, I knew right then that I wanted to try them out. I got my hands on a pair back in June, and Ive been riding in them off and on ever since. So far, Ive found them to be a well-balanced mountain bike shoe that has been serving me well on everything from my mid-travel trail bike to long-travel e-enduro bikes. I wouldnt go so far as to call them perfect, but theyre a great all-around option that Im happy to slip on for most rides.Giro Chamber TrailCheck Price at REISpecificationsMSRP: $220Intended use: Trail, all-mountain, enduroWeight: 437 g/shoe, 874 g/pair (size 43.5)Uppers: MicrofiberOutsole: Sensor rubberSizes: Whole; 36 48 EU, half: 42.5 45.5Colors: Black, dark sage, whiteProsGood-lookingBalanced sole stiffnessVersatile on-bike performanceStretch ankle cuff helps keep debris outConsLow toe box heightPotential durability issue with stretch ankle cuffJeremy BensonBefore jumping into my review, heres a quick rundown of the new Chamber Trail Shoes. According to Giro, the Trail is built on the same tri-molded DH platform as the World Cup-winning Chamber. In fact, the outsole, midsole, cleat box, and stiffness are identical to that of the Chamber III. That includes the custom DH shank with +10mm of cleat setback, and the full-coverage Sensor rubber outsole with the Gamma tread pattern.With the Chamber Trail, however, Giro says it has been engineered to deliver a lighter feel and enhanced ventilation. This includes the thinner microfiber upper with large mesh ventilation panels on both sides of the midfoot. The closure consists of a single BOA Fit System Li2 dial with a stretchy, knit ankle cuff to keep debris out of your shoes. The heel pocket is lightly reinforced, as is the front of the toe box.Fit and ComfortIve ridden in many pairs of Giro mountain bike shoes in the past decade or two, and Ive pretty much always gotten along with the fit. Thats especially true of the brands XC and gravel shoes, like the Empire XC and Stylus XC, which seem to fit my foot shape like a glove. The Chamber Trail has a bit more of a relaxed and slightly roomier fit than those shoes, comparatively speaking.The size 43.5 Chamber Trail fit true to size in length, but slipping them on for the first time, I immediately noticed one of this shoes quirks. The toe box is fairly shallow in height, and I could feel it against the top of my toes, especially my big toes. I didnt and still dont find it uncomfortable necessarily, although it is noticeable pretty much all of the time.The width of the Chamber Trail feels about average to me, although the overall volume is a bit greater than my relatively low-volume feet. The stock footbed is quite thin and basic, and after the first few rides, I switched it out for something with a little more support and volume to get a snugger fit. Im happy I did, too, because that enabled me to feel more secure in the shoes without having to crank down on the BOA closure as much.On that note, Ive found the BOA Fit System does a good job of evenly tensioning the whole shoe, which is not always the case with single-dial closures. Before adding the aftermarket footbed, I was cranking the BOA down, which resulted in the upper wire digging into my tendons a bit. Since adding the footbed, however, that hasnt been an issue.A few popped stitches heres, but the other three seams are holding up just fine.The stretch ankle cuff does a great job of keeping debris out of the shoes, and it hasnt caused me any discomfort whatsoever. That said, I think the ankle cuff poses a potential minor durability issue. The cuff itself is very stretchy, and it is stitched directly onto the backside of the not-stretchy microfiber uppers. Given that one material wants to stretch and the other is static, Ive already popped a couple of those stitches (only one of the four stitched spots) just putting them on and taking them off. To be clear, this doesnt impact the shoes comfort or performance in any way, but it seems like a minor design flaw.On the Trail with the Chamber TrailIve ridden quite a bit in the Chamber III as well as the Chamber II that came before it, so I had some expectations for their performance. Underfoot, the Chamber sole delivers that familiar balanced sole stiffness that feels plenty efficient for any length of pedaling mission, putting your effort into the drivetrain while providing great fore/aft and lateral support. At the same time, they avoid being too stiff, so theyve got a bit of forgiveness on long, rough descents, and when youre just walking around.Like the Chamber III, the Trail has more than enough cleat adjustability for my needs and presumably enough setback for gravity riders who like to really slam their cleats. Ive found the sole to interface well with the platforms on the Wolf Tooth Shift and OneUp Clip pedals that Ive been testing them with. That positive pedal/sole interface adds to their lateral stability and locked-in feel.I wouldnt call the uppers the most supportive, but they dont exactly feel floppy either. Since upgrading the footbed, Ive noticed a significant improvement in foot security and stability, simply from taking up some volume and getting a more precise fit.With large mesh panels on both sides of the foot, I had high hopes that these shoes would be well-vented, especially since it has been 90+ degrees for the past month and a half straight. Ive found the ventilation to be decent, but not quite as airy as I expected. This could be partly due to the fact that Ive been comparing them to the new Crankbrothers Trail Vent shoes, which are super breezy, so that might be a bit of an unfair assessment.In the weight department, my size 43.5 test shoes weighed in at 436g and 438g, for a total of 874g for the pair. Thats about 90g lighter than the Chamber III in the same size, and much more competitive with similar trail-oriented shoes like the Crankbrothers Mallet Trail BOA and the Fox Union BOA, for example. They certainly dont feel heavy on the feet.Style-wise, I think the new Chamber Trail look pretty good, too. They dont hide the fact that theyre bike shoes, but they dont stick out like a sore thumb, either. Ive been testing a black pair, but the dark sage would definitely be my first choice if I were getting another set. In my opinion, the dark green upper and gum sole offer a cool style you dont find too often in clipless mountain bike shoes.Dark SageWhite(photos/Giro)My TakeawayGiros Chamber Trail shoes fill an important gap in the Giro mountain bike shoe lineup, and finally give the trail-riding crowd an option to consider (other than the Chamber III). Ive found them to provide a well-balanced on-trail performance, making them a solid option for any ride on any bike with more than 120mm of rear wheel travel.While Ive been enjoying riding in them, they do have a couple of minor quirks. Given the shallow height of the toe box, Id suggest that folks try them on before purchasing if possible to ensure theyll work for you. If youve got an average width but low-volume foot like me, you might need to invest in an aftermarket footbed to dial them in. And Ill be keeping an eye on those ankle cuff stitches and report back with an update if it becomes problematic.Otherwise, if they fit your feet, I think Giros Chamber Trail is a solid new option that will meet the demands of the vast majority of mountain bikers out there. Its a versatile all-arounder thats certainly worth considering; just try them on first.giro.com

The route of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes has been announced this morning in Paris, and it features a very difficult route that differs quite a lot from this year's. Taking place from Saturday, 1 August to Sunday, 9 August 2026, the time trials are back at this year's edition, and we will have a m...

The Tour de Pologne is having a very tight battle for the overall classification and today it was Jan Christen who stood out for the most positive reasons. The UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider crashed the previous day - which saw three of his teammates withdraw from the race - but has struck back with...

The 2026 Tour de Pologne takes place between the 3rd and 9th of August and gives continuation to the WorldTour calendar. Between the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espaa, it often sees a few riders who participate in both, whilst providing opportunities for many different kinds of riders. We take...