Greig Leach

Katarzyn Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) used her superior descending skills to drop her erstwhile companions building up over a minute on the way down the back side of the Col d'Aspin. It was a very short trip across the valley before she was onto the lower slopes of the Col du Tourmalet. She still had a minute as she went alone up the final climb of the second Tour de France Femmes. Behind her were both the red Skoda of the race commissare as well as the blue motorcycling provided by Shimano ready to provide neutral support should the Polish rider need mechanical assistance. If she can make this stick she can earn herself both the Maillot Jaune of race leader and the Maillot a Pois of the Queen of the Mountains. Spoiler Alert: She didn't take over the Maillot Jaune, but she moved into second place on the general classification a minute and fifty seconds behind the new race leader. But she did manage to claim the lead in the Queen of the Mountains competition. She should go out of the TdFF winning the Maillot a Pois with a time trial for the final stage of this year's race.