Key events
86km to go: The riders have started off at very fast pace. As soon as the flag dropped, Julie De Wilde (Fenix-Deceuninck) attacked and was followed by Alice Barnes (Human Powered Health) before being swiftly brought back by the bunch. Marta Lach (Ceratizit-WNT) has also had a go but no one is getting away at the moment.
Racing has begun on stage seven
89km to go: Both Kopecky and Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) had mechanicals during the neutralised start but were sorted out by their mechanics and got back in the bunch. The flag has dropped and the riders are off…
Stage seven is underway!
The riders are rolling out and will have a 5km neutralised start.
Marion Rousse on stage seven: “This is the queen stage of this second edition,” says the race director in a Tour video briefing. “We’ll start in Lannemezan and finish at the summit of the Col du Tourmalet. Before that, though, there’s the Col d’Aspin. It’s a really tough stage, very short, 90km, very intense. At the top of the Col du Tourmalet, we’ll pass through La Mongie … Obviously, this long 17km at an average gradient of 7.5% is going to do some damage. This will really be the decisive stage for the overall ranking, with all the big female climbers looking forward to battling it out on the slopes of the famous Col du Tourmalet.”
Who’s in what jersey?
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Yellow: Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) 21hr 54min 30sec
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Green: Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) 201pts
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Polka-dot: Yara Kastelijn (Fenix–Deceuninck) 23pts
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White: Cedrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT)
The top 10 on General Classification
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Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) 21hr 54min 30sec
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Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Soudal-Quickstep) +53sec
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Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) +55sec
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Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) +55sec
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Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) +55sec
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Yara Kastelijn (Fenix–Deceuninck) +1min 04sec
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Demi Vollering (SD Worx) +1min 07sec
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Liane Lippert (Movistar) +1min 29sec
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Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon-SRAM) +1min 42sec
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Juliette Labous (DSM–Firmenich) +1min 52sec
Emma Norsgaard holds off pack to win stage six of Tour de France Femmes
Stage six report: Emma Norsgaard won stage six of the Tour de France Femmes after a three rider breakaway, also containing Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka and Sandra Alonso, held off the pursuing peloton in what was the final chance for the sprinters in this year’s race.
Stage seven: Lannemezan to Tourmalet Bagnères-de-Bigorre (89.8km)
As my friend put it this morning: happy Tourmalet day! Today is the big one, the climb we’ve all been waiting to see the riders tackle … it’s the savage Col du Tourmalet. A favourite since it was introduced in the Tour de France in 1910, today marks the first time it’s been included in the Tour de France Femmes (yes, I know it’s only the second edition but don’t spoil the fun). Saturday’s stage may only be 89.8km, but it’s set to split the peloton apart.
The penultimate stage will be a decisive day for the maillot jaune and a day the for the climbers. SD Worx’s Lotte Kopecky has been in the yellow jersey every day since her stage one victory, but will today mark the end of that? Although, stage seven will begin with a relatively gentle and rolling terrain, the riders will then face the Col d’Aspin before the 17km haul to the 2,110 metre summit of the legendary Tourmalet.
Speaking about the inclusion of the high mountains in this year’s Tour de France Femmes, race director, Marion Rousse, said that it was in a bid to make the event “a little bit more historical.” She added: “The Tourmalet is a mythical climb and all the champions want to write their names into the record books by winning there.” It’s going to be a big day, so settle in and join me as we follow the riders on their ride in the Pyrenees.
Stage start time: 3.15pm UK time
