Tour de France Femmes 2026 ** SPOILERS **

[phreak]

If a sprinter tries to put another rider off the road like that, they get sent home these days. Why do FDJ get away with it just because it was on the entry to a climb?

It probably made a difference, making Kasia burn a match to catch back up. Would it have let her stay close enough to keep the lead? Probably not. And that's the sad thing: if Demi wins the overall now, it's tainted by this dirty move. And it wasn't necessary.

I must be watching a different clip to you. It looks to me like Gery is on Vollering's wheel and they both take the bend as wide as possible. Kasha is just on the outside so is in a bad position. Gery was leading going into the bend so surely has the right to choose her line?

 

[rich p]

I must be watching a different clip to you. It looks to me like Gery is on Vollering's wheel and they both take the bend as wide as possible. Kasha is just on the outside so is in a bad position. Gery was leading going into the bend so surely has the right to choose her line?

I've watched it a few times from a few different camera angles.
It was nothing imho

 

[Pross]

I've watched it a few times from a few different camera angles.
It was nothing imho

Agree, she definitely gets impeded but it is impossible to tell if it’s a deliberate move or simply the rider on the inside drifting wide due to the speed they take the corner. Hardly the best camera shot either.

 

[misforturob]

From the overhead it does look like Gery changes her line to push Kasia wider, but impossible to say whether this was deliberate or she had to adjust as she was going into the corner too hot

 

[TakeTheHighRoad]

I was out all day and I've just caught up. Fantastic finish.

As to the Gery move, it didn't look obviously bad to me but I know nothing and my opinion, if I had one, would be worthless. Whatever, I don't believe it made any difference in the long run.

No matter you're opinion, it definitely made a difference. KND had to make an extra effort to get back to Demi's wheel, and cracked about 35m from the top of the climb. If she's on the wheel at the bottom, she will still be on the wheel at the top of the climb and still in yellow now

 

[TakeTheHighRoad]

I think it's vague enough that both opinions are correct. There's an element of her pushing KND into the barriers, but it's also a fair fight going into the bottom of a climb like you would see in Flanders or Liege

 

[geocycle]

KNPs ride on Ventoux was sensational but it never looked decisive for the GC over DV. Vollering is looking likely for the win but does make mistakes. I’ll be cheering on Kasia today!

 

[Webbo2]

I think it's vague enough that both opinions are correct. There's an element of her pushing KND into the barriers, but it's also a fair fight going into the bottom of a climb like you would see in Flanders or Liege

When you have a domestic riding their brains out on the front Shirley you know when they pop they are likely to go anywhere. So should be prepared for this and be in position to get round them which ever way they go. However if you yourself are also on the limit this might be difficult.

 

[Blazing Saddles]

I must be watching a different clip to you. It looks to me like Gery is on Vollering's wheel and they both take the bend as wide as possible. Kasha is just on the outside so is in a bad position. Gery was leading going into the bend so surely has the right to choose her line?

Gery isn’t on Vollering’s wheel, KNP is. Gery is a wheel ahead on the outside, which is how the incident took place. In athletics terms it would be called cutting up another runner.

Anyhow, it still could have been accidental or deliberate. Folks can decide for themselves which.
However, for me, the most telling images are the ones that can been seen as soon as Vollering hits the climb, coming out of the offending bend. Gery immediately sits up and makes the gap.
Make of that what you will.
Here’s LR’s take on things. Reckon that’s about the sum of it.


View: https://youtu.be/eDa68pSXHdE?si=9XWB7FOaFJ_6Uz2A

 

[misforturob]

When you have a domestic riding their brains out on the front Shirley you know when they pop they are likely to go anywhere. So should be prepared for this and be in position to get round them which ever way they go. However if you yourself are also on the limit this might be difficult.

I think the contentious thing is that Gery doesn't just go pop. She's dropping back a bit into the corner then accelerates again to (arguably) cut up Kasia

 

[No Ta Doctor]

The second vid in this article, overhead - from a fan I think, is pretty clear. Not the worst I've seen, but while you can fight for the wheel, if you don't leave the rider you're pretty much neck and neck with some road to ride on then you're in the wrong. Doing it when coming back from a lead out is doubly dodgy, even if it's a climb not a boulevard sprint. There was plenty of road for both, no need at all to push so wide

https://www.domestiquecycling.com/en/news/footage-shows-incident-behind-niewiadomas-anger-with-gery/