Key events
The 3rd and final climb the riders will face today is Grand Ballon which tops out at 1336m 🏔️
It’s the longest climb of the race at 13.5km and has an average gradient of 6.7%. The current @Strava time to beat is 47’29” but we could see that topple today #TDFF #TDFFdata pic.twitter.com/S85vRfiiH6— letourdata (@letourdata) July 30, 2022
There are 3 mountains🏔️ that need to be climbed on today’s stage, the first of which is Petit Ballon.
The 9.3km ascent has an average gradient of 8.1%⚡️ and will greet the riders after 39km of racing. Steep and narrow at the bottom, the @Strava QOM is up for grabs #TDFF #TDFFdata pic.twitter.com/IfWrFXPfby— letourdata (@letourdata) July 30, 2022
They’re away and racing on stage seven: The riders cross kilometre zero after a slightly elongated roll-out during which a couple of them were given time to change their bikes after suffering mechanicals.
Two withdrawals: Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) and Rachele Barbieri (Liv Racing Xstra) have not lined up at the start today, leaving the peloton 122-womon strong.
The top 10 on GC after stage six
- Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) 19hr 30min 14sec
- Silvia Persico (Valcar-Travel & Service) +30sec
- Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) +30sec
- Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) +35sec
- Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (SD Worx) +1min 05sec
- Demi Vollering (SD Worx) +1min 11sec
- Juliette Labous (DSM) +1min 19sec
- Aneemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) +1min 28
- Cecile Ludwig (FDJ-Suez-Futurscope) +2min 02sec
- Elise Chabbey (Canyon/SRAM Racing) +2min 34sec
They’ve been waiting patiently for the past 6 days and now it’s time for the climbers to come to the fore in the high mountains 💥🏔️
They have over 160 wins between them, including numerous GCs and mountains classifications. Here are 5 to watch this weekend! #TDFF #TDFFdata pic.twitter.com/gOweEUixMs— letourdata (@letourdata) July 30, 2022
Lorena Wiebes cleared to continue racing …
The sprint queen and dual stage winner from Team DSM crashed heavily on a descent yesterday, finishing the stage dripping blood from a lacerated elbow and with torn shorts and visible road-rash on her thigh and backside. Despite looking in tremendous pain, the Dutch rider had her wounds stitched and has turned up for the start this morning. Here’s hoping she’s not in too much discomfort.
Vos consoilidates lead with stage six success
The Tour de France Femmes leader, Marianne Vos, of the Jumbo-Visma team, won stage six of the race, from Saint-Dié-des-Vosges to Rosheim, in the Alsace, taking her second stage victory after Monday’s success in Provins. Jeremy Whittle was there to see her do it …
Stage seven: Sélestat to Le Markstein Fellering (127.1km)
It’s the penultimate stage of this year’s Tour and is a fairly brutal one one that should separate the women from the girls. On their first mountain stage, the riders must tackle no fewer than three Category 1 climbs in the wooded Vosges, located in eastern France near the border with Germany.
With a combined total of over 30 kilometres to climb today, with the first test coming 36 kilometres into the stage. Despite suffering a debilitating stomach bug earlier this week, the pre-race favourite Annemiek van Vleuten has declared herself fit and is the white-hot favourite to win today’s stage and take the yellow jersey from Marianne Vos. Her main rivals for the stage win today include Elisa Longo Borghini, Mavi Garcia and Kasia Niewiadoma.
