How the race finished
Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance Soudal) won solo, in polka dots, in the first mountaintop finish of the Tour de France Femmes. Maeva Squiban (Arkea B&B Hotels) came in second ahead of the duelling Demi Vollering (SD Worx Protime) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram Racing).
Full results are available below.
How it happened
Stage Seven was the longest day of all, 166 km from Champagnole finishing atop the Montée du Chinaillon above Grand-Bornand. On paper, none of the climbs were excessively hard, but with almost no flat roads throughout the day, the peloton was set for a hard day out.
Leaving the start town of Champagnole, riders were faced with a rolling uphill climb with nearly 400m elevation gain up into the Jura mountains – cruelly uncategorized by the race organisers. Despite sporadic attacks from the bunch, no riders had managed to go clear within the first 25 kilometres. The peloton then began a long descent down off the Jura plateau.
The bunch hit the base of the Col de la Croix de la Serra (12.2km at 5.1%) with 120km to go. With a firm tempo being ridden at the front, the grupetto for the day began to form out the back. Charlotte Kool (dsm firmenich PostNL), who had been in second place in the battle for the green jersey, was forced to abandon part way up the climb. With a maximum 10 QOM points available to the first rider to summit, the battle for points between jersey polka dot jersey wearer Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance Soudal) and her main challenger Puck Pieterse (Fenix Deceuninck) was always going to be heated. Pieterse crossed first, with Ghekiere coming through in second.
With 88 km to go, on a small, uncategorized climb, a group of six riders escaped from the bunch. Amongst them was green jersey rider Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike), who was looking to mop up the maximum sprint points down the road. Joining her was Ghekiere, looking to do the same for the polka dots, along with her teammate Julie Van de Velde. Sara Martín (Movistar Team), Sarah Roy (Cofidis Women Team) and Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) completed the group. With 80km to go, the six riders stretched their lead over the bunch to 45 seconds.
As the break climbed the Côte de Bois d’Arlod (2.5km at 4.6%), they continued to extend their gap. Ghekiere crested the climb first, picking up two QOM points and adding to her narrow lead over Pieterse. Following the descent off the Côte de Bois d’Arlod, the 6 leaders had built their lead out to 2:20. Next up was the sprint point, where Vos maximised her points, accumulating enough to mean that she will win the Green Jersey outright, provided she finishes tomorrow.
With the break approaching the Côte de Cercier (4.5km à 4.4%), the pace had really gone out of the peloton behind, and the gap went out to over 4 min. This put Vos, who was only 1:53 down on the lead of the race, into the virtual yellow jersey. At the top of the climb, Ghekiere once again picked up the maximum QOM points, adding another three to her tally.
With 30km to go, the leaders passed through the outskirts of Annecy. From there, the road began its gradual drag up the valley towards the final two climbs. While the gap was still at around 4:30, Canyon//SRAM Racing, SD Worx Protime, FDJ Suez and Fenix Deceuninck all began working hard to reduce the gap.
With 16km to go, the leaders hit the base of the Col de Saint-Jean-de-Sixt (5.4km à 5.1%). Behind, the charging bunch had brought the gap down to 3:30. As the road tilted upward, Roy and Edwards were soon dropped. After working hard for her teammate all day, Van de Velde was the next rider next to fall away. Ghekiere used this moment to attack out of the group and go solo, leaving Martin and Vos chasing behind. Once again, Ghekiere crested the top of the climb and picked up another 5 QOM points.
The whittled down GC group passed the QOM banner 2 and a half minutes down on Ghekiere. At 7km to go Demi Vollering (SD Worx Protime) attacked, but was followed closely by Kasia Neiwiadoma (Canyon//SRAM Racing). Niamh Fisher Black (SD Worx Protime) countered with Realini in her wheel, and once again Niewiadoma closed the gap.
At the start of the final climb, Maeva Squiban (Arkea B&B Hotels) launched out of the bunch, and, not being a threat on the GC, was allowed to get a gap. By 5 kilometres to go, Ghekiere still held a 1:16 lead over Vos and Martin, 1:47 to Squiban and 2:15 back to the peloton.
The next attack in the GC group came from Evita Muzic (FDJ Suez), but she was marked by Cédrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit WNT Pro Cycling). Niamh Fisher Black was dropped with the increase in pace. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix Deceuninck) attacked next, and, with no one following, worked her way up towards Vos and Martin. Niewiadoma took up the pacing on the front, before Vollering attacked over the top, with Niewiadoma quickly on the wheel.
At 2.5km to go, Niewiadoma found herself on the front of the group again, setting the pace in the reduced group of around seven riders. With no one willing to ride the pace went out, but they still picked up Vos and Martin. Niewiadoma went again, attacking and drawing Vollering clear with her.
At the front, Ghekiere crossed the line solo, resplendent in polka dots and raising her arms in victory. Over a minute later, Squiban crossed in second place. Vollering dropped Niewiadoma just before the line, taking the four bonus seconds and showing her strength before the final showdown tomorrow.
Stage Seven Results
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