A beaming Canyon-SRAM rider hoists her yellow bike in the air at the summit of the iconic Alpe d’Huez in front of ecstatic fans. It has been an arduous 150km, racing from Le Grand-Bornand to the famous ski resort in the valley of Les Grandes Rousses, via the interminable Col du Glandon. But Canyon-SRAM’s Kasia Niewiadoma is overjoyed and emotional to discover that she is the winner of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift – by just 4 seconds – from her nearest rival, and previous race leader, Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime).
This reversal of fortunes in the Polish rider’s favour had come when Vollering was sadly involved in a pile-up during the latter part of Stage 5, and an error in team tactics left her isolated, subsequently haemorrhaging over a minute in her general classification bid.
