Niewiadoma leads going into Tour de France Femmes finale

1 month ago

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Katarzyna Niewiadoma retained nan wide lead successful nan Tour de France Femmes arsenic Justine Ghekiere won nan penultimate stage.

Niewiadoma vanished 4th successful nan 166.4km seventh shape from Champagnole to a acme astatine Le Grand-Bornand to support clasp of nan yellowish jersey.

The Polish rider has a 27-second advantage complete second-placed Belgium's Puck Pieterse, who came location seventh connected Saturday, heading into Sunday's last stage.

"It was a very bully time for us. We rode a cleanable race. I was getting a batch of support from my squad which allowed maine to prevention power for nan final," said Canyon-SRAM rider Niewiadoma.

"Of people it was ace agelong and very challenging from nan commencement truthful I'm very happy. We didn't suffer anything, we're still up location pinch 24 hours to go.

"It's going to beryllium a very important time successful my profession and successful my team's existence. We're fresh for it and we're happy to still beryllium successful yellow. I deliberation everyone is very motivated. We're present to prosecute our dreams."

Pieterse's compatriot Ghekiere clinched her 2nd profession triumph arsenic she showed resilience connected nan gruelling mountainous route.

Ghekiere raced distant from a breakaway group successful nan last 2 climbs to transverse nan statement successful 4 hours 26 infinitesimal and 58 seconds which consolidated her position arsenic nan tour's champion climber.

Maeva Squiban of France came location successful second, 1 infinitesimal 15 seconds down Ghekiere and conscionable up of defending champion Demi Vollering successful third.

Dutch rider Vollering had outsprinted Niewiadoma connected nan location consecutive and pipped her connected nan line.

Vollering mislaid nan leader's jersey connected shape 5 aft losing clip successful a clang adjacent nan finish, and is eighth successful nan standings, now 1:15 down Niewiadoma.

France's shape six victor Cedrine Kerbaol mislaid clip successful nan gruelling decorativeness to travel successful 18th and is now 3rd successful nan wide rankings.

The last shape connected Sunday is different for nan climbers: a 149km upland tally from Le Grand-Bornand to Alpe d'Huez.

It features a 13.8km thrust to nan acme astatine a gradient of 8.1 per cent, nan riders besides having to crest nan Col du Glandon complete 19.7km astatine 7.2 per cent.