Tour De France Femmes: Squiban’s Perfect Attack Earns Home Favourite Stage Six Win

Maëva Squiban from Brittany won shape six of nan Tour de France Femmes aft a 32km lone breakaway done nan forested climbs of nan Livradois-Forez nationalist parkland to Ambert. The 23-year-old from Brest held disconnected nan pursuing peloton of favourites connected nan last climb to declare nan biggest triumph of her profession and besides nan 2nd shape triumph for a French rider since nan women’s title was rebooted arsenic nan Tour de France Femmes successful 2022.

Squiban, riding for UAE Team ADQ, attacked alone, 3 kilometres from nan apical of nan Col du Chansert, and maintained her lead connected nan accelerated descent, done nan prize sprint and into nan finishing consecutive connected nan Boulevard Henri IV.

“When they told maine I had a infinitesimal and a half (lead) I couldn’t judge it,” she said aft nan stage. “I chiefly wanted to get a caput commencement earlier nan climb to nan prize sprint. Then I was hoping to beryllium portion of a mini group from nan prize sprint to nan finish.”

Behind her, overnight title leader, Kim Le Court, was arsenic bully arsenic her connection astatine nan prize sprints, and made each 2nd count. The Mauritian took different 4 seconds, conscionable up of defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma, to widen her wide lead.

“The extremity was to power nan race, and past spot if nan legs were there,” Le Court said. “After that, it was to return nan remaining prize seconds, arsenic location was already a rider up ahead.”

“We tried to adjacent nan spread to Squiban to effort and get nan stage, but it wasn’t going to hap truthful tried to get a spot much clip astatine nan finish. I couldn’t wish for it to beryllium better, isolated from possibly winning nan stage.”

The 29-year-old now leads wide by 26 seconds from Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and by 30 seconds from Niewiadoma, who leap-frogged pre-race favourite Demi Vollering into 3rd place.

The first upland shape of nan 2025 version included 2,475 metres of altitude summation complete 4 categorised climbs, including nan first class Col du Beal, and provoked important clip gaps done nan peloton. Marianne Vos tumbled down nan yellowish jersey rankings, dropping from sixth position to 29th aft shape six

Although nan remainder of nan favourites stayed together complete nan apical of nan 10km climb, Cédrine Kerbaol and defending champion Niewiadoma tried their manus connected nan descent, but were recaptured astatine nan ft of nan Col du Chansert, nan level for Squiban’s solo attack.

Demi Vollering’s FDJ-Suez squad mate, Juliette Labous, group disconnected successful pursuit successful nan closing kilometres, but it was not capable to tie retired immoderate initiatives from nan main challengers for last victory.

Ferrand-Prévot, golden medallist successful Olympic upland biking, has been a discreet beingness truthful far, aft showing an explosive acceleration connected shape one. Her stealthy capacity is fuelling French hopes that she whitethorn break nan big nation’s 40-year Tour de France drought.

FDJ-Suez squad head Stephen Delcourt’s evident anxieties complete Vollering’s chances whitethorn beryllium heightened by nan imaginable of a French rider being guided to wide triumph by his nemesis, Visma–Lease a Bike’s Jos Van Emden, though nan brace now look to person ended their nationalist feud.

Friday’s shape from Bourg-en-Bresse to Chambéry whitethorn person lesser altitude gain, but is expected to inflict yet much pain, arsenic it crosses nan acme of nan 1,134m Col du Granier, conscionable 17km from nan finish. With 3 upland stages still to come, only 132 of 154 starters stay successful nan race.