In the final stage of the Women's Tour de France in Nice, Dutch rider Demi Vollering claimed victory and extended her overall lead. She crossed the finish line ahead of Polish rider Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, then raised her bike in celebration. The 2023 champion earned a time bonus for winning the stage, finishing 1 minute 18 seconds ahead of Niewiadoma-Phinney overall.
Knowing she was clear of her rival, Vollering celebrated as the line approached, raising her arm and tapping her head to show her mental strength. She finished the stage 1 minute 4 seconds ahead of Spaniard Paula Blasi Cairol and Niewiadoma-Phinney. The previous day, in the eighth stage, Vollering had attacked and dropped her rival to take the overall lead.
Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini finished third overall, 4 minutes 29 seconds behind the leader. Marlen Reusser lost valuable time after crashing on a descent. Niewiadoma-Phinney could not pressure Vollering on the final climb, as Vollering attacked about 800 meters from the top and dropped her.
Two years ago, Vollering missed out on victory by just four seconds to Niewiadoma-Phinney. This time she took full revenge. The 29-year-old has now won five Grand Tours, including two Spanish Vuelta titles and the Giro d'Italia, joining Annemiek van Vleuten as the only women to win all three Grand Tours.
Each of the first three climbs on Sunday was 7.7 kilometers long with a 5.9% average gradient. The final ascent was shorter at 6 kilometers but steeper, with a 7.6% average gradient and sections up to 12%. It made little difference. After winning Friday's stage with a solo attack on Mont Ventoux, Niewiadoma-Phinney seemed short of energy, and Vollering's lead was never under threat.