Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney rode alone up one of cycling's most famous mountains and into the yellow jersey. The Polish rider attacked with nine kilometers left on Mont Ventoux — the legendary French climb nicknamed "the Giant of Provence" — and held off all challengers to claim her first stage win at the Tour de France Femmes and take the overall race lead.
Mont Ventoux has haunted and thrilled cyclists for decades with its bare, windswept summit visible for miles around. For the first time, organizers included it in the women's Tour as the race's "queen stage" — the toughest day of the route. Niewiadoma-Phinney, who rides for Canyon-SRAM and won the overall Tour title in 2024, started the 146.8-kilometer stage from La Voulte-sur-Rhone sitting third in the standings, one minute and 17 seconds behind leader Marlen Reusser.
As the road tilted upward and the peloton thinned, Niewiadoma-Phinney made her move. She surged ahead of her rivals on the climb's upper slopes and never looked back. By the time she crossed the summit finish line, she had built a gap of one minute and 16 seconds over Dutch rider Demi Vollering. Reusser, the Swiss time trial specialist, finished 30 seconds behind Vollering and more than 10 minutes back from the winner.
The 31-year-old now leads Vollering by 15 seconds in the general classification with two stages remaining. Reusser sits 39 seconds off the pace in third place.
After crossing the line, Niewiadoma-Phinney wiped away tears during her winner's interview. She revealed that her parents had secretly traveled to Mont Ventoux to watch her ride. "We started to climb and I looked to my right and saw my parents," she said. "They made a surprise visit and I could see my dad crying. I was like 'I just need to make them proud.'"
The victory marked a emotional comeback after what Niewiadoma-Phinney described as a long stretch without a major win. "I'm blown away with what just happened," she said. "This victory goes to so many people that were with me along this very long road without proper big wins."
The race continues Saturday with a mostly flat 171.9-kilometer leg from Sisteron to Nice that should favor sprinters. The final showdown for the yellow jersey comes Sunday on a 99.2-kilometer mountain stage beginning and ending in Nice, where Niewiadoma-Phinney will try to protect her slim advantage over the race's remaining climbs.