Results Tour de France Femmes 2026 stage 7 - Katarzyna Niewiadoma takes yellow jersey with staggering Mont Ventoux attack

Stage 7 of the Tour de France Femmes was expected to be the key day of the race, and it might have changed the entire outcome of the battle for the yellow jersey. Whilst Demi Vollering and Marlen Reusser were touted to fight for the race lead on Mont Ventoux, they had to settle for minor places as Katarzyna Niewiadoma stormed away on the Tour's hardest climb, taking the stage win and taking over the race lead.

The 146-kilometer long stage began without Anna van der Breggen, as the Dutchwoman struggled with form and physical issues over the past few days. From La Voulte-sur-Rhône to Mont Ventoux, the riders found some climbing and then a brutal summit finish that defined the route.

Marlen Reusser entered the day with 12 seconds to Demi Vollering and 1:17 minutes to Katarzyna Niewiadoma. The breakaway of the day consisted of Idoia Eraso, Clémence Latimier, Marit Raaijmakers, Ruby Roseman-Ganon, Mia Griffin, Amalie Dideriksen, Paula Patiño, Marte Berg Edseth, Sandrine Tas, Romina Hinojosa and Fiona Mangan.

The group was caught at the 21-kilometer long Mont Ventoux began. The pace in the climb's early kilometers was very high, still far away from the steep gradients. Movistar led the way into the bend with 15 kilometers to go that defined the start of the hardest part of the climb, where immediately the likes of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Kim Le Court began dropping from the peloton.

FDJ - Suez first paced up the climb, and then EF Education - OATLY picked it up for Cédrine Kerbaol. Magdeleine Vallières and Niamh Fisher-Black had short-lived attacks, whilst the group of around a dozens settled under the pace of Noemi Rüegg.

With 11 kilometers to go, Demi Vollering - who had until then stayed at the back of the group - attacked, followed by the yellow jersey Reusser and Niewiadoma. Paula Blasi did so shortly, but fell back to a group containing Elisa Longo Borghini, Cédrine Kerbaol and Antonia Niedermaier.

Vollering stayed in the head of the group for some minutes and when the pace slowed down, Niewiadoma acceleration immediately with just under 10 kilometers to go. Vollering looked in control, and on several occasions accelerated behind to try and close the gap - unsuccessfully.

After a few kilometers, the gap began to truly grow, giving the Polish rider a solid lead. Reusser and Vollering had no chance but to start working together at that point, but the unrelenting gradients of Ventoux favoured the 2024 winner.

Niewiadoma stormed to a brilliant stage win which also made her way for her to move into the yellow jersey. Demi Vollering behind attacked Marlen Reusser in the final 500 meters, still dropping the yellow jersey and creating a meaningful gap that saw her maintain her second place, and overtake the Movistar rider. Reusser cracked in the final meters and still saw Elisa Longo Borghini go through her in the final meters.