Demi Vollering wins Tour de France Femmes, takes yellow jersey

Demi Vollering seized the yellow jersey on Thursday by dominating stage 8 of the Tour de France Femmes, sprinting away from Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma with less than 24 hours until the finish in Pau.

Vollering, 27, took the lead on the Col du Tourmalet, the fabled climb where Andy Schleck once cracked and where women’s cycling history is still being written. She attacked with 35 kilometers to go, dropping Niewiadoma and soloing to victory in Luz-Saint-Sauveur. The Dutch rider from SD Worx now leads the race by 1 minute and 5 seconds over her closest rival.

This is a turning point for women’s cycling. The Tour de France Femmes is only in its third year, but Vollering’s win cements her status as the sport’s newest superstar. She has already won Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Giro Donne this season, and now she’s poised to claim the biggest prize in women’s road racing. Niewiadoma, a consistent podium finisher, has been the closest challenger but couldn’t match Vollering’s explosive climb.

What happens next? The final stage is a short, flat circuit in Pau, where sprinters usually decide the outcome. But Vollering’s lead means she only needs to stay upright and out of trouble. If she survives, she’ll become the first Dutch winner of the Tour de France Femmes, joining a legacy that includes Marianne Vos and Annemiek van Vleuten. For women’s cycling, this win isn’t just about one race—it’s proof that the sport is growing, that stars are rising, and that the next generation has arrived.