Stage 6 of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift on July 31st delivered an exhilarating mountain test that saw young French rider Maeva Squiban of UAE Team ADQ seize her moment in the highlands. Covering a challenging 123.7km route from Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert, the stage featured four categorized climbs and a rollercoaster of tactical moves that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
After a neutralized start of 9.7km, the peloton quickly settled into a frenetic rhythm with multiple breakaway attempts. Notably, Morgane Coston (Roland-Le Devoluy) and Linda Zanetti (Uno-X Mobility) tried their luck early on, with Zanetti later joined by mountains classification leader Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez) and others to form a leading group of 20 riders. This breakaway maintained a slim advantage, hovering around 40 seconds ahead of the peloton as they approached the first categorized climbs.
Elise Chabbey was a dominant force throughout the day, clinching the intermediate sprint at Sermentizon and racking up crucial points on the Côte de Courpière (Category 3) and the Col du Béal (Category 1). Her aggressive riding extended her lead in the Queen of the Mountains (QoM) competition, putting 15 points between her and closest rival Silke Smulders (Liv-AlUla-Jayco). Meanwhile, Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ) showcased her climbing prowess by winning the second Category 3 climb, the Côte d'Augerolles.
As the race progressed, the peloton, led by teams like AG Insurance-Soudal and FDJ-Suez, steadily reeled in the breakaway, setting the stage for the dramatic moves on the final climbs. The pivotal moment came on the Category 2 Col du Chansert, a 6.3km ascent averaging 5.5% gradient. With 32km to go and just 3km remaining on the climb, Maeva Squiban launched a perfectly timed solo attack. She quickly distanced herself from the yellow jersey group and crested the summit with a commanding lead of over one minute.
Squiban's strength and determination were on full display as she maintained and even extended her advantage during the descent and the final uncategorized climb to Valcivières, where a bonus sprint offered precious seconds. Not only did she take the 6-second bonus at the sprint, but she also expertly navigated the technical descent to cross the finish line in Ambert in 3 hours, 20 minutes, and 46 seconds, securing the biggest victory of her young career at just 23 years old.
Behind her, Juliette Labous (FDJ-Suez) launched an attack on the descent, holding on tenaciously to claim second place, finishing 1 minute and 9 seconds behind Squiban. Race leader Kim Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal) won the bunch sprint for third place, crossing the line 1 minute and 13 seconds back and securing crucial bonus seconds that extended her overall lead.
Le Court's performance reinforced her grip on the yellow jersey, stretching her advantage over Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) to 26 seconds. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM-ZondaCrypto) remained third overall, 30 seconds behind, with Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) just a second further back. The general classification after Stage 6 thus remains tightly contested, with the top five riders separated by just 35 seconds.
While the general classification battle simmered, the mountains classification saw Elise Chabbey maintain a strong lead, now 15 points clear of Silke Smulders. The green jersey remained with sprinter Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), who, despite finishing 105th and over 22 minutes down on the stage winner, successfully defended her points lead. The white jersey competition for the best young rider stayed close, with Julie Bego (Cofidis) holding a slender 22-second advantage over Nienke Vinke (Picnic-PostNL).
Stage 6 was not without its challenges and setbacks. Several riders withdrew due to illness or injury, including Valentina Cavallar (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Uno-X Mobility), and Kristýna Burlová (Ceratizit). The Norwegian Uno-X Mobility team was particularly hard hit, starting the day with just six riders and finishing with only three, following a crash involving Susanne Andersen.
Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), a former yellow jersey holder, suffered a significant drop in the standings, falling from sixth to 29th place after the mountainous stage. Meanwhile, AG Insurance-Soudal's Sarah Gigante impressed with her climbing but eventually lost contact with the peloton, highlighting the brutal nature of the terrain.
In the post-race interview, an elated Maeva Squiban reflected on her breakthrough victory: "It is an amazing feeling. I didn’t expect to do that … I know we had a strong team and we knew we could do something special today. [It’s] a very special day for us." Her teammate Dominika Włodarczyk expressed astonishment at the performance, saying, "What is going on? Is it April 1 or August 1?" as the Frenchwoman secured her second stage win in the event.
Kim Le Court Pienaar, while happy to retain the yellow jersey, joked about her aspirations: "It could be better for me if I won the stage." Her strong sprint for bonus seconds at the Valcivières climb helped solidify her position atop the general classification, underscoring the importance of every second in this tightly fought race.
The Tour de France Femmes now turns its attention to Stage 7, a 159.7km hilly route from Bourg-en-Bresse to Chambery, featuring three categorized climbs in the final 60 kilometers. The Col du Granier, a Category 2 climb of 8.9km at 5.4%, looms as a potential battleground where the general classification contenders are expected to make their moves.
With the top seven riders within just 48 seconds of each other, including Ferrand-Prévot, Vollering, Niewiadoma-Phinney, and van der Breggen, the coming stages promise to be thrilling. As the mountains continue to shape the race, the blend of tactical acumen, climbing strength, and team support will be crucial in determining who emerges victorious in this prestigious edition of the Tour de France Femmes.
