Katarzyna Niewiadoma claimed the overall lead at the 2026 Tour de France Femmes after winning the race's queen stage atop Mont Ventoux on Thursday. The Polish rider launched a decisive attack with eight kilometres remaining on stage seven and was never caught, crossing the line 1:16 ahead of Demi Vollering and 1:46 clear of Marlen Reusser.
Niewiadoma now holds a 15-second advantage over Vollering in the general classification, with Reusser a further 24 seconds back. Spain's Paula Blasi finished fifth on the stage and sits seventh overall, while Germany's Antonia Niedermaier placed sixth and retained the white jersey as best young rider.
The day was also marked by a notable withdrawal, as former world champion Anna van der Breggen did not start stage seven, having announced her departure from the race beforehand.