"Kim Le Court-Pienaar maintains the yellow jersey despite being obstructed by two cyclists from FDJ team during a precarious downhill stretch at the Tour de France Femmes"
In the seventh stage of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, race leader Kim Le Court-Pienaar faced a challenging incident that disrupted her efforts to defend her yellow jersey. During a descent and subsequent chase to rejoin the General Classification (GC) group, Le Court-Pienaar was blocked by two FDJ-SUEZ riders, Juliette Labous and Evita Muzic, around a roundabout.
The FDJ-SUEZ riders physically blocked the road, preventing Le Court-Pienaar from staying with the main GC contenders. This tactical maneuver, which Le Court described as "really not nice" and a "silly moment" in the race dynamics, potentially affected her race position and yellow jersey defense.
Despite the setback, Le Court managed to hang on to her position in the race overall, maintaining the yellow jersey through the stage. However, her gap to the front of the race fell to more than 30 seconds, and she was dropped on a climb during the stage.
The blocking incident did not result in any formal penalties or disciplinary actions reported in the sources. Nevertheless, it highlighted the tactical games within the peloton and the challenges faced by the race leader in defending her lead against coordinated team tactics by FDJ-SUEZ.
Looking ahead, Le Court is determined to enjoy her time in yellow and plans to fight and light some fireworks in the remaining stages. The eighth stage, set to close at the summit of the near 19km Col de La Madeleine, marks the first instalment of an Alpine double-header and promises to be the race's biggest test yet.
Meanwhile, Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) continued her impressive form by winning back-to-back stages during the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Despite the drama surrounding Le Court, Squiban's victories have kept the race exciting and unpredictable.
As the race enters its final stages, Le Court's resilience and determination will be tested. With two stages remaining, the race for the yellow jersey is far from over.
The FDJ-SUEZ riders' tactical maneuver, blocking the road and disrupting Le Court-Pienaar's chase to rejoin the GC group, could be seen as a strategic game in the race dynamics. Maeva Squiban, on the other hand, continues to bring excitement and unpredictability to the tour with her back-to-back stage victories, keeping the competition fierce among the racers.
