As the much-anticipated queen stage of the Tour de France Femmes drew near, insights from 2024 winner Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney revealed a palpable sense of caution among the peloton, especially regarding strategic moves on the climbs. Despite opportunities for General Classification (GC) contenders to launch decisive attacks, riders appeared to hold back, hinting at a conservative approach ahead of more formidable challenges.

Niewiadoma-Phinney, a prominent figure in women’s cycling, noted that these unexploited chances on early ascents highlighted a broader cycling strategy at play. The defending champion maintained her third overall position, just 30 seconds behind the yellow jersey, indicating a tight race where every second counts and strategic restraint could be a calculated risk.

The day’s stage saw some minor splits among the GC contenders on the Col du Granier, yet the top five overall remained largely unchanged, with a mere 35 seconds separating the leading group. This marginal differentiation further underscored the collective hesitation, as riders seemed to be conserving energy for the ultimate test.

“It was a hard day, also just because it was the first hot day, so it was demanding on the body. It’s been interesting racing so far. I feel like because of the Col de la Madeleine tomorrow, everyone is just still holding themselves back,” Niewiadoma-Phinney candidly remarked after the stage, offering a window into the riders’ mental state and the tactical considerations influencing their performance.

Even an attempt by Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ) to pressure rivals on the 17km descent into Chambéry proved insufficient to break the Polish all-rounder’s composure. Niewiadoma-Phinney calmly maintained her position, explaining that the descent’s gradient made it difficult to truly gain ground, as riders on the wheel could easily free-wheel, negating any significant advantage.

Later in the stage, Niewiadoma-Phinney sought to make her own move, finding a strong ally in Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly), who ultimately secured second place. Kerbaol’s impressive performance saw her climb from ninth to seventh overall, gaining crucial seconds on other GC contenders, including Niewiadoma-Phinney herself, demonstrating the dynamic nature of stage racing.

Looking ahead to the queen stage, culminating atop the iconic Col de la Madeleine, Niewiadoma-Phinney exuded optimism, despite the accumulating fatigue. This formidable climb, reaching 2,000 meters of elevation, is poised to be the decisive battleground for the Tour de France Femmes, where mental fortitude will be as crucial as physical prowess for all the women’s cycling elite.