Another sensational performance from Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) saw the young French rider secure a second victory in two days as she raised her arms in Chambery on Stage 7 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. After her solo attack to win Stage 6, Squiban did it again, attacking 2km from the summit of Col du Granier at 19km from the finish line, then not looking back as she descended brilliantly alone for another memorable victory in front of the French fans. The crowd also hugely enjoyed the acceleration of Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) to beat Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) for second place, whilst Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl – Trek) and Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ) completed the top five. In the first of the three closing Alpine stages Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) was distanced on the final climb up the Granier and then caught up on the descent, to cross the finish line in the group of leaders and thus save her Yellow Jersey. Le Court-Pienaar continues to lead overall by 26” from Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), with defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto) third at 30” and 2023 Tour winner Vollering fourth at 31”.
132 riders in the peloton, 17 in the break
There were no withdrawals pre-stage, meaning there were 132 riders in the peloton at the start of Stage 7. A large group of 17 riders formed a breakaway early on the stage. Those riders were Chloe Dygert (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto), Marie Le Net (FDJ-Suez), Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ), Mareille Meijering (Movistar), Lucinda Brand, Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek), Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance Soudal-Team), Megan Jastrab (Picnic PostNL), Susanne Andersen (Uno-X Mobility), Célia Le Mouel (Ceratizit), Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health), Alicia Gonzalez (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93), Alice Arzuffi (Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi), Fiona Mangan (Winspace Orange Seal), Eline Jansen and Maud Rijnbeek (Volkerwessels). The group had moved 1'45" ahead at km 23.
The gap fluctuates
The 17 leading riders covered 47.1 km during the first hour and increased their lead at the front to over three minutes, before the bunch accelerated and brought that gap down to 2’30” by km 45. The chasing peloton briefly split into three groups, with gaps of ten seconds separating them, but soon came back together. At the intermediate sprint at Groslée-Saint-Benoit (km 73.2) Mangan took the maximum 25 points crossing the line ahead of Gonzalez Blanco. Within 10 km of the sprint the breakaway had opened the gap at the front to over 4 minutes.
Côte de Saint-Franc climb
Starting the first categorised climb of the day, the Côte de Saint-Franc (Cat. 2, 3.8 km at 6.9%, km 111.8), the gap was 4'20" and the breakaway was losing numbers, including Brand, Gonzalez, Andersen and Mangan. Stage 6 winner Squiban was first over Côte de Saint-Franc and then also led as the break went over the second major climb of the stage, the Côte de Berland (Cat. 4, 1.2km at 7.2%, km 124.5). At the Berland summit, the gap between the escapees and the chasing peloton was 3'40".
Final climb and descent
Before the final climb of the day – the Col du Granier (Cat. 2, 8.9km at 5.4%, km 142.4) – the breakaway began to disintegrate due to a lack of cohesive collaboration. On the climb Rijnbeek, Edwards and Meijering were initially clear in the lead, but an aggressive Squiban made it to the front, riding with Meijering before pulling away 2km from the summit. The 23 year-old from Brest then went flat out on the descent to leave her rivals behind, flying into Chambery for another incredible victory in front of the huge crowds of delighted French fans. In the GC group Le Court-Pienaar was distanced on the climb but she recovered the deficit on the final descent to stay in yellow.
