A TOUR TO REMEMBER: KASIA 2ND ON GC, ANTONIA IN WHITE

At 18:54 on Sunday evening, along Nice’s Promenade des Anglais on the stunning Côte d’Azur, the ultimate dream had just passed the team by. But, there was still immense happiness and joy as a remarkable Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift came to an end.

Across the final three days, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney came within touching distance of once again claiming the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift title, ultimately settling for second overall after a highly attritional final stage.

Just one day after her scarcely believable victory atop Mont Ventoux on stage 7, which saw her claim the cherished yellow jersey, her tilt at the title was dented on stage 8 when she conceded precious seconds to Vollering (TFS) and slipped to second on the general classification (GC).

Although immensely disappointing, Kasia returned to the eye-catching WeFemmes team kit for the final stage, the setback quickly replaced by a fierce determination to throw everything into the one shot she had at overturning the eight-second deficit.

The course designers showed no mercy on stage 9, with a short but brutal four-lap, 99km course based out of Nice. Just 5km in, only 40 riders remained in the peloton, the famous Col d’Eze already biting. It was tackled three times from the ‘easier’ side (7.8km at 5.9%) before the final lap presented a shorter but sharper ascent, with gradients exceeding 15%.

With 75km to go, Soraya Paladin led the team into the second ascent before handing the reins to Zoe Bäckstedt, who activated pure beast mode and detonated the group with an insane, seemingly endless pull. Despite an earlier crash, she showed no signs of damage, setting a new best-ever 20-minute power number and even taking the QOM points atop the climb before finally emptying the tank, with white jersey wearer Antonia Niedermaier and Kasia safely tucked in behind.

A solo attacker dictated the racing for the next 35km, leaving 10 riders in the first group to face the fourth and most feared ascent, beginning with 21km remaining.

Onto the lower slopes, Antonia moved to the front and began turning the screws, setting a fierce tempo and putting pressure on the big names who remained.

With 19km to go, Kasia made her move on the steepest slopes, bringing only Vollering with her. The pair traded attacks all the way up the climb, neither willing to give an inch, until the yellow jersey finally broke clear inside the final kilometre. Kasia dug deep to limit the damage, but the gap steadily grew, exceeding 20 seconds at the summit.

Kasia was reeled back in by four other riders, including Antonia, during the largely downhill 15km run into Nice – the minor stage places still to be decided. Burning her final match, Kasia sprinted to 3rd, crossing the line 1:04 minutes behind Vollering.

Despite the defeat, there was nothing but joy and acceptance in the post-finish-line celebrations. Kasia may have fallen short of another overall Tour victory, but she leaves this year’s Tour with a maiden stage win on her palmare.

“I’m definitely happy, satisfied with how the week went, and ready to party. The highlight of the Tour, and of my career I would say, was of course winning on Mont Ventoux. It was something that I dreamed of, but to actually make it happen is so special.”

Including the pinnacle of winning yellow in 2024, Kasia maintained her remarkable record of finishing on the overall podium in all five editions of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

“It seems like I know how to prepare for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift because I’m quite consistent with that! I got second this year, but I’m definitely ready to come back here again and fight for the yellow jersey.”

She attributes much of her success to motivation and passion that burns brighter than ever, despite a storied 14-year-plus career and already glittering credentials.

“I think that maybe, I’m lucky in the way that I love riding my bike. So, training never feels like something that I have to do – it’s something that I choose to do because it gives me so much pleasure.”

Also, along with my coach and husband, we have found perfect balance where I feel like there are days for training, but most of the time I’m just riding a bike with pleasure.”

There was another reason for celebration in Nice, too. Antonia combined impressive strength with remarkable composure both in the final stage and throughout her debut Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, sewing up the Best Young Rider classification and bringing home the white jersey.

Starting the final day in fifth on GC, the 23-year-old was even able to move up one position while riding in support of Kasia, finishing in an extraordinary fourth place overall.

She was characteristically modest in her post-race assessment, having already claimed the white jersey and finished second overall at the Giro d’Italia Women in 2025 and 2026 respectively, before now adding Tour success to her impressive stage-racing record.

“It’s super nice! For sure, we are a bit disappointed that Kasia couldn’t win yellow because she did super well, but I think as a team we did a nice race together for the whole week,” Antonia reflected.

“I definitely took a step up this year, but I could already really feel it this year at the Giro. Although, the level at the Tour is still so much higher.”

The yellow jersey may have been a 24-hour flash for CANYON//SRAM this time, but there was no shortage of silverware, memories or reasons to be proud. And, what a debut for the new kit and WeFemmes era.