Tour de France Femmes stage 7 LIVE: Mont Ventoux finish to inspire Reusser-Vollering-Niewiadoma GC battle

Riders are dropping back to their team cars to load up on drinks and ice.

it is currently 34c out on the road.

The peloton has eased to feed, with the gap to the attackers up to 2:10.

Marianne Vos has wisely dropped back to the peloton after failng to get across to the attack.

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The Mistral tailwind is pushing the riders along and so making it difficult for attacks to get away.

The peloton appears to be easing ands is 1:00 down on the attacks. This could be the late-early break of the day.

Vos is struggling to get across and is at 45 seconds with Sophie von Berswordt (VolkerWessels).

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The racing has been steady but fast, with an average speed for the second hour of 40.2 km/h.

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Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) is trying to join the breakaway with Sophie Von Berswordt (Volkerwessels) and Fiona Magnan (Mayenne Monbana My Pie).

They need to get across quickly because the gap is going up. It’s now or never.

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There are 10 riders on the attack, with other chasing them. But the peloton is not letting them go for now.

Attackers: Marit Raaijmakers (Human Powered Health), Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv-AlUla-Jayco), Mia Griffin (Picnic-PostNL), Amelie Dideriksen (Cofidis), Idoia Eraso, Paula Patiño (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi), Marte Berg Edseth (Uno-X Mobility), Sandrine Tas, Romina Hinojosa (Lotto Intermarché Ladies) and Clémence Latimier (Ma Petite Entreprise).

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The long and winding road to Mont Ventoux.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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There are some strong riders in the attack, including Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco).

Here we go!

We have a new attack by seven riders.

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This shot captures the tension in the race.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Our photographers are out along the road. Capturing the quiet before the storm of today’s stage.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-08-07T12:38:13.252Z

More QOM points for Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech).

She has been first at the top of 13 of the 29 categorised climbs in this Tour de France Femmes.

She has 55 points after being first to the top of the Col du Colombier and so has a 34-point lead on her nearest rival in the QOM competition, with a maximum of 53 left to score.

By the ned of today’s stage, Puck Pieterse could be close to sealing ivctory in the QOM competition.

1. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech), 55
2. Nikola Nosková (Cofidis), 21
3. Sara Casasola (Fenix-Premier Tech), 12

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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The pace has been high at points but tactical in others so far. But it is hurting riders and Cofidis’ Nikola Nosková and Picnic-PostNL’s Mia Griffin have been dropped.

Alison Jackson (St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93) and Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech) are also struggling. Lets hope they can form a gruppetto and finish inside the time limit.

2026-08-07T12:21:20.202Z

Matilda Price has asked all the right questions about team leadership at UAE and wrote this special feature.

Riders have hit back at media speculation as they want to let the road speak, and so far that means three UAE riders in the top 10, but how will they approach Ventoux?

We will soon see how Elisa Longo Borghini (fourth on GC), Dominika Włodarczyk (sixth) and Paula Blasi (10th) perform and who will emerge as team leader.

It’s time for the 3.2km long, 6.4% gradient Col du Colombier climb, after a fast 40km of racing.

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Jeanne Korevaar ( Liv-AlUla-Jayco), Millie Couzens (Fenix-Premier Tech), Lily Williams (Human Powered Health), Silke Smulders (Liv-AlUla-Jayco), Gaia Masetti (Picnic-PostNL), Ema Comte (Cofidis), Sophie Von Berswordt (Volkerwessels), Romina Hinojosa (Lotto Intermarché Ladies) and Noémie Abgrall (Ma Petite Entreprise) went on the attack.

But Lorena Wiebes tried to jump across, as she chase green jersey points, but that inspired a chase.

Gruppo compatto, at least for now.

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And the attacks begin over the top of the climb.

Jeanne Korevaar (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) surged from the peloton after 22.5km and now other riders are joining her.

There is an 8-rider chase group, with the peloton at 20 seconds.

Race on!

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Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) was the first to the top of the Col de la Grande Limite to take 5 more QOM points.

Polka-dot Puck now has 52 points and is the first rider in history of the TDFF to surpass the 50-point mark in the mountains classification.

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What is so special about Mont Ventoux?

This feature by Pete Trifunovic reveals the statistics and stories behind the mythical mountain in Provence.

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Dani spoke several other riders who have raced up Ventoux in the past.

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Matlida Price and Dani Ostanek are in France for Cyclingnews and currently heading to the Mont Ventoux summit finish.

They have written some special stories in the countdown to today’s stage, including this one on rider’s experiences on Ventoux.

We love that Justine Ghekiere proposing to her girlfriend at the top of the climb a few weeks ago.

The Col de la Grande Limite (Cat 2, km 13.6) will surely insprie the aearly attacka. It is 6.6km long at an average of 5%.

The Col du Colombier comes after 41km and then the Col de Suzette comes after 105.3).

There are also many other unclassified climbs on the tough roads of Provence, incliuding from Bédoin, just 20 kilometres from the finish. The 4.8 km at 4.3% road climbs between Bédoin and Saint-Estève to reach the foot of the Mont Ventoux.

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This years TDFF is a battle between Marlen Reusser and Demi Vollering but nobody shjould forget about Kasia Niewiadoma.

She won the Tour in 2024, is third overall at 1:17 and entering her preferred terrain: the mountains.

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Anna Van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) is confirmed as a DNS.

Uno-X Mobility’s Katrine Aalerud and Kiara Lylyk of Mayenne-Monbana-My Pie also did not start the stage.

There are 128 riders in the 2026 Tour de France Femmes.

The stage officially started at 1:12CET.

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Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is no longer in the GC battle but that could make her dangerous in the fight for the stage win.

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The countdown is done and the speaker shouts out again “C’est Parti!”

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All the Tour riders and teams are studying the weather and especially the wind for today’s stage.

The hot summer Mistral wind is a blowing from the north, north-west.

That means there will be a tailwind for much of the stage as the riders race south, and so a fast race to go on the attack.

However everything will change for the climb of mont Ventoux.

The riders will be protected in the trees on the lower-slopes but they will race into the headwind on the exposed, rocky high-slopes of Ventoux.

The road switches across the white, barren slopes of Ventoux and so the wind will be a cross wind at points. However the wind could slow the riders and attacks, as riders fear suffering alone in the wind.

It could help Marlen Reusser ride defensively but if Vollering any on else get a gap, they may never been caught again.

The climb to the Mont Ventoux summit finish is going to be very, very special.

Allez les Femmes!

2026-08-07T10:41:58.579Z

SD Worx sign on and Anna van der Breggen is not on stage, confirming she will not start.

SD Worx are down to six riders.

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Who will triumph on Mont Ventoux?

Take part in our daily poll at the top of our live coverage and cast your vote.

I voted for ‘It will be Demi Vollering’s day!’

I think that she can attack into the expected headwind on the top of Ventoux and open a decisive gap on Marlen Reusser.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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We can see that race leader Marlen Reusser (Movistar) is again wearing an ice-vest to try to stay cool.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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We’re 20 minutes from the roll out of the stage and team continue to sign under a hot sun.

It is currently 32c, with a high of 35C expected later this afternoon.

2026-08-07T10:22:21.867Z

We have some breaking news.

Anna van der Breggen will not take the start of Stage 7 of the Tour de France Femmes after struggling throughout the Tour.

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This is full stage 7 preview.

The legendary “Giant of the Provence”, the Mont Ventoux, crowns stage 7, with a summit finish after 146.8km and 3,500 metres of climbing. The Queen stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes will deliver GC fireworks.

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As the Cyclingnews blimp takes height, we can see the riders signing on in La Voulte-sur-Rhône.

The finish is 146.8km south oat the very summit of Mont Ventoux.

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As always, Cyclingnews will have the best, most detailed updates on all the action.

We start our live coverage an hour before the stage start and include rider reaction, photos, results and analysis after the finish.

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Today is the day, the big day, possibly the biggest day of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, as the rider finish atop Mont Ventoux in the heart of Provence.

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Bonjour and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 7 of the Tour de France Femmes.