Demi Vollering captured the overall lead in the Tour de France Femmes from Kasia Niewiadoma with a decisive attack in the hills near Nice. Vollering now holds an eight-second advantage over Niewiadoma, heading into the final stage, marking her fifth stage victory and her fifth yellow jersey in this year’s competition.

Vollering’s pivotal moment came on the final climb of the Cote de la Ginestière, where she managed to pull ahead. After a rapid descent, she further extended her lead on the straight road leading to the finish at the Promenade des Anglais.

Niewiadoma voiced her frustration over the tactics employed by Vollering’s FDJ United-Suez team, particularly criticizing teammate Celia Gery for blocking her on the climb. "If they want to compete they should compete fair play and not look to block me... I lost all the respect for them for that," Niewiadoma stated.

The stage featured notable action from a two-rider breakaway, Maeve Squiban and Loes Adegeest, although Squiban crashed during the descent, leading to her capture by the peloton. Adegeest's escape was ultimately thwarted just nine kilometers from the finish.

The rivalry between Vollering and Niewiadoma has historical roots, dating back to the 2024 Tour, where Vollering lost to Niewiadoma by a mere four seconds.

In contrast, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot’s title defense ended abruptly due to health issues, as she withdrew from the race before stage eight. Her struggles throughout the competition highlighted a stark decline from her previous year's performance, with trainer Rutger Tijssen acknowledging her inability to compete effectively.

As the competition heads into its final stage, the intense battle for the yellow jersey continues to captivate fans.