GC Analysis of Tour de France Femmes Stage 8 - Queen Stage at Col de la Madeleine Reveals Tour's Dominant Rider
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot Takes Command at Tour de France Femmes
In the world of women's cycling, a new star is shining brightly. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, a versatile mega-talent across various cycling disciplines, has taken the lead at the 2025 Tour de France Femmes after an impressive performance at the Col de la Madeleine stage.
The Col de la Madeleine, a challenging 18.9km climb, proved to be the decisive hour of the race. Ferrand-Prévot delivered a dominant solo victory on this queen stage (stage 8), pulling away strongly and finishing 1:45 ahead of Sarah Gigante, who moved up to second overall. Niamh Fisher-Black completed the podium for the stage.
Gigante, a new star of the sport, has already podiumed both the Giro d'Italia and Tour Femmes in the same season. She put in the first big GC attack of the stage, 11.7km from the top, and never relinquished the lead. Her performance on the Col de la Madeleine catapulted her to another level, ascending her to a strong second place in the general classification.
Niewiadoma-Phinney, another top contender, had a relatively quiet week but gave a strong effort on the Madeleine, finishing with the best result of her life. Despite this, she is now 22 seconds off Vollering and 1:03 off Gigante, signalling there could be more GC action on the final day. Niewiadoma-Phinney, who has already won the race, questioned what more can be done to win races, as simple improvement is no longer enough.
Demi Vollering, another race winner, had a disappointing performance on the Col de la Madeleine, losing three minutes to Gigante and Ferrand-Prevot. She expressed disappointment, stating that her legs were finished and she couldn't keep up. Cédrine Kerbaol is within striking distance of the podium, 1:34 away from Gigante.
The gaps at the top of the standings are now measured in minutes rather than seconds, a testament to the gruelling nature of the Col de la Madeleine ascent. If there are no disasters on the final challenge, France will have its first Tour de France winner since the 1980s.
The 2025 Tour de France Femmes is far from over, and there's plenty left to play for on the final day. Subscription to Cyclingnews provides unlimited access to Tour de France Femmes coverage, ensuring you don't miss a moment of the action.
In the world of sports, cycling continues to showcase its vibrant talent pool, with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Sarah Gigante dominating the 2025 Tour de France Femmes. On the challenging Col de la Madeleine stage, Ferrand-Prévot claimed a solo victory and took the lead, while Gigante's impressive performance secured her a strong second place position in the general classification.
