KASIA FINISHES 3RD ON FINAL STAGE & GC AT TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES AVEC ZWIFT!

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney finished the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in sensational style, delivering her team’s first stage podium of the race and climbing onto the third step of the overall general classification podium.

The scenes at the finish line were a complete emotional contrast to the day before. While the penultimate Stage 8 had ended with visible heartbreak, despite Kasia producing career-best numbers and form, stage 9 was pure elation. The eighth-place finish on the Col de la Madeleine summit left her distraught, but she bounced back emphatically with two third-place results. Moments after crossing the line, she described the wave of emotions she was feeling:

“I’m so, so freaking happy. I cannot describe it. It’s not a victory, but hey, I feel like mentally for me it’s a victory. Because it wasn’t easy and I feel like the podium is for all of us, I guess, like a victory. So yeah, so, so, so happy to also have another podium in this race.”

Remarkably, this marks Kasia’s fourth consecutive general classification podium at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift – one for every year the race has been held. It’s an achievement she holds with immense pride.

“Super delighted. Three times third place, maybe third place is like my lucky charm, but super happy.”

Kasia entered the final stage with unwavering determination, fully intent on trading her fourth place on GC for a spot on the podium. In her eyes, there was nothing to lose and everything to gain. Ferrand-Prévot (TVL) looked untouchable in yellow with a +3:40 mins lead over Kasia, but the gaps to the other podium spots were far more enticing: +1:03 mins to Gigante and just +22 seconds to Vollering.

With 90km of the 110km stage still to go, and part way up the first climb of the day (Côte d’Arâches-la-Frasse, 6.3km at 7.1%), the front group had already been drastically reduced to just 15 riders, with one leader already up the road. Ricarda Bauernfeind was there alongside Kasia, bombing down the descent that followed and even opening a gap thanks to her technical prowess. It was all part of a strategy to expose the downhill vulnerabilities of key GC rivals – weaknesses that would become apparent on the descent of the stage’s only Hors Catégorie climb, the Col de Joux Plane (11.6km at 8.5%), which summited with 66.5km still to race.

Kasia had a scare on the approach, crashing in a corner just before the climb when riders ahead slid out. Thankfully, she remounted quickly and was able to match every attack on the punishing slopes.

“To be honest, luckily I had still adrenaline running. And I think that maybe because of the adrenaline I was not feeling so much pain. I definitely had a moment of crisis when Gigante was attacking, but I knew I just can’t not go, like there was no other option. This is the beauty of Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, in some ways you want it so much that you just don’t allow yourself to say no.”

After pushing the pace on the descent from the Col de Joux Plane, Kasia was joined on the valley roads by Labous and Vollering (FDJ), Włodarczyk (UAE), race leader Ferrand-Prévot (TVL), and Fisher-Black (LTK) – most notably without Gigante (AGS). The group stayed intact over the final categorised climb, the Col du Corbier (5.9 km at 8.3%), and worked cohesively to build their advantage. With 10km remaining, the gap to Gigante had stretched to +2.47 mins, putting Kasia comfortably ahead of her on the virtual GC.

With 7km remaining on a steady climb into the resort town of Châtel (1.4km at 7%), Vollering attacked and Kasia was able to follow. Shortly after, Ferrand-Prévot launched her own decisive move that no one could answer. Kasia then found herself in a chasing trio with Vollering and Fisher-Black, and on the final uphill drag to the line (2.2km at 5.5%), she dug deep to sprint to third on the stage. Vollering maintained her advantage over Kasia to claim second overall after Gigante’s downfall, while Kasia captured third place.

It’s a result that means a great deal to Kasia.

“It feels like a victory, it feels great to be honest. It wasn’t easy and it hasn’t been easy so far, so I feel like getting this result and getting a proper result where I can actually show that yes, we are prepared and yes, we are here to also win the race. Today actually went perfectly as we planned. I was happy that my legs were there. I was also happy to have other girls who were eager to ride with us so yeah, beyond happy.”

Two third places on GC, a polka dot jersey, a GC win, and now a fourth podium finish at the event – that’s quite the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift haul!