'All-out' nowhere near enough for defending champion Niewiadoma at Tour de France Femmes as Visma rejoice brutal victory from Ferrand-Prévot - "It feels like I’m on drugs"
Cycling
Stage 8 of the Tour de France Femmes was the most important day of the race and atop the very long and hard Col de la Madeleine the differences were expected to be quite big. However not many expected the advantage to fall for Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, whose teammates were quite shocked to learn about the victory that may have cemented her overall win.
Visma had the women to make the difference on the day as Ferrand-Prévot attacked the final climb and bridged across to Marion Bunel at the right time. At the finish line, it was then a collective celebration, as explained by Femke de Vries: “Don’t even start talking about that yet, there’s still one more day. I can’t believe I get to be part of this, it feels like I’m on drugs,” she shared with In de Leiderstrui.
“I only heard about it through the earpiece, but it’s a fantastic day," Marianne Vos said. "We did a great job as a team, but especially Pauline was incredibly strong. I knew she was in top shape. She was ready, but you still have to go out and do it. And there’s still one hard day to come. But I always knew she was capable of something big [...] What she’s showing now is unbelievable. She should be very proud, but for now, she’s only thinking about Sunday".
SD Worx worked for Anna van der Breggen early in the day but the veteran struggled on the final climb. Team DS Danny Stam bowed down to Ferrand-Prévot's ride. “The fact that she left everyone behind by two or three minutes, except for Gigante, is awe-inspiring, of course. But we also know that Pauline is a very special rider, who has shown her superiority many times in the past. When you see how fit she is. I didn’t expect the difference to be so big, but I had her among the favorites.”
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However besides van der Breggen, the Madeleine was not a happy place for many riders. Amongst those is the woman that one year ago wore the yellow jersey at the final stage, something which Ferrand-Prévot seems set to do with the large lead she carved out in the Alps thus far.
Niewiadoma rode to eighth on the day and fourth in the GC, despite having put in her best-ever effort in this long of a climb. "On such a climb, yes, I had the best 90-minute, and in comparison to the last stage of the Tour de France Femmes last year. This is a lot higher. It's hard to feel good... I was going all-out".
However, the Polish rider's race hasn't finished on the Madeleine, and on the ninth and final day of racing she may be amongst those atracking the podium. "We hope to get a podium spot at the end. I'm thinking more that maybe Gigante can drop; there are technical descents, and not finishing on the tip of a climb".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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