Paula Blasi (UAE Team L’Imad) is the new leader of the Best Young Rider classification after the opening stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
“This white jersey wasn’t a goal at all today. The team strategy was to deliver Elisa [Longo Borghini] and Domi [Wlodarczyk] safely to the finish line, yet things got a bit hectic and there were some misunderstandings. We didn’t realize Domi had crashed and, when I did, I thought she was safe because she had crashed inside the final three kilometres… but the three-kilometre rule doesn’t apply today! As for myself, I was not in the best position coming into the final climb. I was not thinking of the white jersey, but rather frustrated about my positioning.”
“I didn’t realize I was in the white jersey until they told me to come to the podium when I was already cooling down. On a personal level, this is a small reward. It’s always beautiful to stand on the podium and wear a distinctive jersey.”
“I need to wait for the team’s instructions before knowing whether we will defend this white jersey. The Yellow Jersey is our biggest goal in this race, so we will sacrifice the white if it’s necessary. It’s not a priority for the team.”
