"We're human too, aren't we?" - Mont Ventoux brings out emotional side to Paula Blasi after difficult week
CyclingSaturday, 08 August 2026 at 12:41
The Tour de France Femmes is proving to be an incredibly exciting race and one of the headliners is Paula Blasi, who stormed up the Géant de Provence to finish fifth on the day and climb to seventh in the overall classification. At the top of the mountain she discussed her feelings, mixed week and evolution managing the pressure that has been put on her.
Paula Blasi takes on Mont Ventoux
"A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I think these first few days I've really struggled with my position, and I really lost a lot of self-confidence," Blasi said at the finale of the stage, as reported by Cyclingnews. "I think today it wasn't the best day, but I think we've managed to pull through".
An ambitious Blasi attempted to follow Demi Vollering's first attack up Mont Ventoux, joining Katarzyna Niewiadoma and Marlen Reusser in pursuit of the Dutchwoman. She couldn't handle the pace but behind, joined teammates Elisa Longo Borghini in the chase of the front riders.
"We've fought hard, and in the end, we've seen that we're always right up there on the big mountains." For UAE Team L'IMAD, a strong day. In the teams' classification they virtually confirmed the victory, whilst Elisa Longo Borghini was third on the day and extended her lead in the race's fourth position.
"Mentally, it might not have been my best day, and cycling is a lot mental too. There are a lot of things off the bike, and sometimes things just build up. We're cyclists, but we're human too, aren't we? And it just became a massive ball of stress, and in the end, that shows, doesn't it? Mentally. In the end, I managed to handle it as best I could, and now I'm much calmer."
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EF put pressure on the field for Kerbaol
On the lower slopes of Ventoux, as the gradients ramped up, it was EF Education - OATLY who picked up the pace with Noemi Rüegg. In eighth place at the start of the day, Cédrine Kerbaol looked to move up, and to have some control of the race up the Tour's hardest climb.
"The goal was not to try to follow because it would have made a big difference of pace. The goal was just to pace it back which is what we nearly managed to do". When the race imploded, Kerbaol found herself with Blasi, Longo Borghini and Antonia Niedermaier.
"It was really nice that I was with the two girls from UAE because they had to work together and the team worked at the start of the climb so I could stay out of the wind and try to keep up as long as possible. The others were simply stronger today. I gave my best. The team gave our best as well."
At the end of the day a strong result that boosted the Frenchwoman from eighth to sixth in the overall classification. "This is the Tour; you have to fight every day. It’s a battle on every stage. Unexpected things happen every day," she concluded.
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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- Certainly one of the best. Hope denialists found something better to watchMistermaumau08-08-2026
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- Bravo RidesHills for your comment That is precisely why Jonas shoud retire. He has nothing to prove but has something to lose. He can't prove he can beat Pogi, but may start losing to Seixas, Del Toro or even Remco. Does he really need this sh**... I don't think so. PS: Jonas can be proud of his cycling career, it was exceptional, winning 4 GT (2X TdF) and most of the prestigious one week stage races.PogiSloFans08-08-2026
- Yeah, his name is Mou, I think. He's a fraud and has been banned over multiple sites. He's on X now, but the disgusting things he writes about Tadej and Urška doesn't make him a Pogi fan... He's disgusting.PogiSloFans08-08-2026
- Awsome! The best women race I've ever watched!averagecyclist08-08-2026
- It's so nice for Matteo Trentin to say these things about Pogačar, although they are not teammates anymore. Most cyclists and other people that know Tadej personally, say he's a nice and honest guy, he just doesn't know how to be a fake. It's something Pogi haters just don't understand.PogiSloFans08-08-2026
- Del Toro inevitably will be the focus for Mexican cycling. It's a given that he will bring out new talent. It happens all the time. Slovenia with Roglic and Pogacar is a good example Another classic example Is the Columbian Louis Herrera. Columbian cycling was nowhere till Herrera won King of the Mountains in the 1985 tour. He won a lot more than that but that was the defining win that brought Columbians into the world tour.Cyclingsbestfan08-08-2026
- Poor Demi. Fined 1000CHF for having a pee. It's not so easy for women as the men to relieve themselves.Cyclingsbestfan08-08-2026
- Good post!Cyclingsbestfan08-08-2026
- You think he is going to be allowed to challenge Pogacar for the gc in the tdf while Pog is still on his game? When Pog fades - yes that might be possible but not before.. Del Toro will improve but will never get to the top step while Pog is dominant.Cyclingsbestfan08-08-2026
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