'Kim Le Court-Pienaar experiences a complete physiological halt' - Kim Le Court-Pienaar's battle for yellow in the downhill race at the Tour de France Femmes
During the seventh stage of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes, Kim Le Court-Pienaar encountered a significant challenge. Two FDJ riders employed a tactical blocking maneuver on a technical descent, aiming to disrupt her pace and positioning.
Le Court-Pienaar, who was racing to maintain her overall lead, was "completely blocked" by the FDJ riders, forcing her to race "full gas" to avoid losing the yellow jersey. This incident presented a formidable challenge that she had to overcome by pushing hard on the descent.
The blocking tactic was a strategic move by FDJ, aimed at impeding Le Court-Pienaar's momentum and challenging her control of the race lead.
Despite this setback, Le Court-Pienaar demonstrated resilience during the Col du Granier climb. She was dropped by the group of GC favorites but managed to recover and hold onto the yellow jersey.
In her fourth yellow jersey press conference of the week, Le Court-Pienaar spoke about the incident, stating that her body had shut off during the climb, and she had to focus on her own numbers and pace.
Le Court-Pienaar's team has been fighting hard for her throughout the week, and they plan to "light some fireworks" in Saturday's stage, which has a summit finish at the top of Col de la Madeleine.
Meanwhile, Sarah Gigante has taken the advantage for Saturday's stage, given her contrasting performance to Le Court-Pienaar. Gigante thrives on climbs but falls back on descents, making her a formidable contender for the summit finish.
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Le Court-Pienaar remains 26 seconds ahead of her nearest rival, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, demonstrating her determination to hold onto the yellow jersey.
[1] Tour de France Femmes - Stage 7: Le Court-Pienaar Battles Tactical Blocking and Climbs Back to Yellow Jersey [2] FDJ's Tactical Blocking Disrupts Le Court-Pienaar's Pace and Positioning [4] Le Court-Pienaar Recovers from Col du Granier Drop to Hold onto Yellow Jersey in Stage 7
[1] Road cycling is a challenging sport, as demonstrated by Le Court-Pienaar's battle against a tactical blocking maneuver during the 2025 Tour de France Femmes.[2] This particular incident involved FDJ riders impeding her momentum and positioning, making it a significant sports challenge for Le Court-Pienaar.
