Katarzyna Niewiadoma of Poland won her first women’s Tour de France title by just four seconds, one of the closest margins in the history of the event, whether men’s or women’s. Niewiadoma, who rides for Canyon-SRAM Racing, beat reigning champion Demi Vollering of the Netherlands. On the final stage, which finished on the grueling Alpe d’Huez, Vollering secured a stage win and was able to close in on Niewiadoma’s lead, but she narrowly missed overtaking her.

“Four seconds seems like magic now,” said Niewiadoma. “I’ve missed out on victories so many times throughout my career. I think this week was perfect for me and my team. To be able to win big races, you have to have everything on your side.”

Niewiadoma’s victory was particularly notable given the dramatic events of the race. On stage five, Vollering was involved in a serious crash, losing valuable time and seemingly jeopardising her chances of defending her title. However, she made an impressive comeback and reduced the time gap to just over a minute going into the final stage. On the final 150km stretch, Vollering made a strong push and briefly overtook Niewiadoma as she climbed the Col du Glandon.

“I just ate everything I had in my bags, drank a lot and then I thought, ‘Okay, I’m ready to go again,'” Niewiadoma told CyclingNews.

Although Niewiadoma struggled on the climb, she managed to get back on her feet in the final 5km and make up enough time to maintain her overall lead. The result was a thrilling and emotional finish, with both riders impatiently awaiting confirmation of the final times. Niewiadoma’s victory was a remarkable achievement, having finished third in each of the previous two editions of the race and suffering a disappointing eighth place in the 2024 Olympic road race.

“This is one of the greatest achievements of Polish sport. Bad luck at the Olympics, now a bit of luck, but above all skill,” wrote Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on X.

Niewiadoma finished the eight-stage Tour with a total time of 24 hours, 36 minutes and 7 seconds, just ahead of Vollering. Pauliena Rooijakkers, another Dutch rider, finished just six seconds behind Vollering to secure third place.

“I had such a horrible time on that climb. I hated everything, and then to reach the finish line and realise I had won the Tour de France was just crazy! It’s overwhelming,” she said.

With her victory, Niewiadoma becomes the third different winner in as many editions of the women’s Tour de France.

“It’s crazy, to be honest. The whole stage was a wild rollercoaster ride,” said Niewiadoma. “I feel like all the stars aligned for my team and me this week.”