Live: Stage 8 of Tour de France Femmes Takes Shape on the Challenging Col de Madeleine – Anticipated showdown for General Classification contenders
Today, the 8th stage of the Tour de France Femmes 2025 is the much-anticipated queen stage, with a summit finish on the Col de la Madeleine. The race will reach an altitude of 2000m above sea level at the summit finish.
The stage, which is 18.6km long with an average gradient of 8.1%, starts in Chambéry. The temperature in Chambéry is cooler at 23°c, with a touch of rain in the air.
As the riders prepared for the race, Kasia Niewiadomaa-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM-ZondaCrypto) required mechanical assistance and had to delay the start of stage 8.
The stage profile includes the Col de Plainpalais (13.2km at 6.3%), Côte de Saint-Georges-d'Hurtières (4.8km at 5.9%), and an uncategorized Col du Frêne. The intermediate sprint is located at Châteauneuf, before the Col du Frêne.
The race began with a neutralised start, and the riders are currently just 2km away from the official start.
In a strategic climb and control performance, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) dominated the steep final slopes of the Col de la Madeleine. Her teammate Femke de Vries was dropped early on, and despite an attack by Sarah Gigante with about 11.6 km remaining, Ferrand-Prévot responded calmly and then pulled away decisively to win the stage.
The temperature at the top of the Col de la Madeleine is currently dry and 7°c. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's win not only secures her the overall race lead but also holds the yellow jersey, leading Sarah Gigante by 2 minutes 37 seconds and Demi Vollering by over 3 minutes in the general classification.
The top standings after Stage 8 are as follows: 1. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot – 26:16:11 overall time 2. Sarah Gigante – +2:37 3. Demi Vollering – +3:18 4. Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney – +3:40 5. Célia Kerbaol – +4:11
Meanwhile, Nienke Vinke (Picnic-PostNL) is the current holder of the white best young riders jersey, after Julie Bego (Cofidis) lost it to her. Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) has a chance to win her third stage in a row in the Tour de France Femmes 2025.
The Tour de France Femmes 2025 is breaking the taboo of discussing issues related to low rider weight and disrupted menstrual cycles.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot attracts huge crowds wherever she goes at the Tour de France Femmes 2025. The riders have a neutral zone of 4.8km as it rains in Chambéry, and the official start of stage 8 is scheduled to be given just over 10 minutes from now.
The Tour de France Femmes 2025 is a sports event that attracts huge crowds, and today's much-anticipated queen stage features a steep climb on the Col de la Madeleine. With a summit finish and an average gradient of 8.1%, the stage is hard-fought, as demonstrated by Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's strategic climb and control performance that led to her win.
