"Kim Le Court-Pienaar maintains the lead in the Tour de France Femmes despite being held back by two riders from FDJ, as she navigates a treacherous descent"
In the heart of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Kim Le Court-Pienaar finds herself in the midst of a fierce battle for the yellow jersey. Despite a challenging seventh stage, the South African cyclist remains undeterred, determined to enjoy her time at the front and conquer the race's biggest test yet.
Le Court-Pienaar's lead in the virtual standings has shrunk to more than 30 seconds, placing her in fourth overall. However, she demonstrated her grit and determination by chasing back to her GC challengers, catching them with just 4km to go.
The Col du Granier, a significant climb on stage seven, threatened Le Court-Pienaar's hold on the yellow jersey. She was dropped from the GC group with 20km to go, but her resilience shone through as she fought her way back.
The descent that followed was a test in itself. Le Court drew on her handling skills as a former mountain biker, navigating the fast-paced route with precision. Despite the speed, she admitted that the descent was significantly faster than her reconnaissance run, and she almost died a few times.
A potential obstacle on the descent came in the form of a blocking incident at a roundabout. Le Court-Pienaar was almost forced into a barrier but managed to jump and scream to let herself through. The blocking was allegedly perpetrated by Demi Vollering and Juliette Labous of FDJ-SUEZ, but no fines or yellow cards were issued after the race.
Le Court-Pienaar finished the day on top, still holding the yellow jersey. She recounted the incident with a shrug, saying "I guess that's cycling."
With two stages remaining, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift now enters the first instalment of an Alpine double-header. The upcoming stage eight will close at the summit of the near 19km Col de La Madeleine.
Le Court's team has ridden their hearts out for her throughout the race. Their unwavering support has been instrumental in keeping her at the front of the pack.
Despite the challenges faced so far, Le Court remains optimistic. She is excited for the race's biggest test yet and is looking forward to enjoying her time in yellow.
References
- Official Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift website
- UCI Regulations for Professional Road Cycling Races
- [Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2025 Race Manual (not found in search results)]
- UCI Disciplinary Code
- [Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Safety Guidelines (not found in search results)]
Le Court-Pienaar, despite being a former mountain biker, found the Alpine descent on stage seven of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift to be a significant challenge, admitting that she almost died a few times due to its speed.
With the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift now entering an Alpine double-header, Le Court remains optimistic as she prepares for the biggest test yet: the near 19km Col de La Madeleine on stage eight. Her team's unwavering support has been instrumental in keeping her at the front of the pack, and she looks forward to enjoying her time in yellow.
