Tour de France Femmes stage 8 LIVE – Large break gets clear over first climb of the day

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2025-08-02T12:41:23.181Z

The break has 30″ on the peloton.

2025-08-02T12:40:48.881Z

Kerbaol is 27″ off the back of the peloton. She will likely close the gap on the descent.

2025-08-02T12:39:43.853Z

Wiebes and Kopecky go to the front of the peloton over the top of the climb for the descent.

2025-08-02T12:38:27.474Z
QoM (Col de Plainpalais)

1. Elise Chabbey (SUI) FDJ-Suez 10pts
2. Maeva Squiban (FRA) UAE Team ADQ 8pts
3. Riejanne Markus (NED) Lidl-Trek 6pts
4. Mareille Meijering (NED) Movistar 4pts
5. Evita Muzic (FRA) FDJ-Suez 2pts
6. Magdeleine Vallieres (CAN) EF Education-Oatly 1pt

2025-08-02T12:35:21.278Z

Lorena Wiebes is still in the peloton. What an exceptional ride by the green jersey who has a big opportunity to take big points in the classification at the intermediate sprint should she stay in the group over the top of the Plainpalais.

2025-08-02T12:33:52.310Z

With 1km to the top of the climb, the breakaway have just 20″ gap on the breakaway.

2025-08-02T12:33:01.083Z

Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) is said to be over a minute down on the peloton as she has a terrible start to the day after jumping up to 7th in GC yesterday.

2025-08-02T12:31:30.837Z

However, Chabbey is in the break as well so she won’t close 10 points. It is likely that Squiban and Chabbey will go all out in the QoM sprint on the Col de Plainpalais.

2025-08-02T12:30:35.413Z

If Squiban takes the 10 points in the QoM she will be just 2 points off the lead of Chabbey.

2025-08-02T12:30:02.121Z

Squiban has already come across the 25″ gap in no time at all. She is so so strong in the mountains.

2025-08-02T12:28:53.412Z
Counter attack

Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ)

The winner of the last two stages, Squiban, flies out of the peloton and into the gap to close the break down.

2025-08-02T12:27:45.807Z
100km to go

Just 3km to the top of the Col de Plainpalais as Koch ups the pace in the breakaway.

2025-08-02T12:25:03.750Z

Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) has been dropped by the peloton with Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) able to follow the moves as Malcotti is dragged back by the peloton led by Julie van de Velde (AG Insurance-Soudal).

2025-08-02T12:23:52.363Z

The counter move has caught the leaders with just Malcotti chasing in front of the peloton.

2025-08-02T12:23:28.081Z
Counter attack

Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal)
Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez)
Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly)
Ane Santesteban (Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi)
Lotte Claes (Arkea-B&B Hotels)
Franziska Koch (Picnic-PostNL)
Hannah Ludwig (Cofidis)

They are being chased down by Barbara Malcotti (Human Powered Health) at 10″ and 20″ back to the peloton.

2025-08-02T12:20:48.367Z
Counter atttack

Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek)
Mareille Meijering (Movistar)
Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck)

They join Chabbey, Bunel and Ostolaza as Smulder is going backwards.

2025-08-02T12:18:40.244Z
Counter attack

Marion Bunel (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez)
Silke Smulders (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)

They catch Ostolaza who has been dropped by Markus. AG Insurance-Soudal aren’t keen on letting any FDJ-Suez rider go.

2025-08-02T12:17:21.395Z
Counter attack

Silke Smulders (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)
Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal)

The yellow jersey is causing carnage in the peloton who swiftly drag them as well as Chabbey and Bunel back into the bunch again.

2025-08-02T12:16:22.130Z
Counter attack

Marion Bunel (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez)

They get a good gap but there are more moves behind.

2025-08-02T12:15:22.245Z

Ilse Pluimers (AG Insurance-Soudal) has also lost touch and is one less rider for Le Court.

2025-08-02T12:14:34.489Z
Attack

Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek)
Usoa Ostolaza (Labora Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi)

They have the biggest gap so far today with 10″ on the peloton. Liv-AlUla-Jayco lead the peloton. Le Court, Chabbey and Vinke have followed almost every move so far.

2025-08-02T12:12:47.873Z

The rider in 17th overall, Eline Jansen (VolkerWessels) loses touch with the peloton in a large group of riders.

2025-08-02T12:10:42.868Z
Attack

A rider from Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi. Quickly followed Coston, Chabbey, Ryo and a few Cofidis riders and the move is shut down.

2025-08-02T12:09:42.009Z

The weather is clearing after the rain at the start. Multiple groups of riders are losing touch with the peloton including the first AG Insurance-Soudal rider, Gladys Verhulst-Wild.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-08-02T12:06:59.458Z
Attack

Titia Ryo (Arkea-B&B Hotels)
Morgane Coston (Roland-Le Devoluy)

They are quickly closed down again.

2025-08-02T12:06:22.402Z

Morgane Coston (Roland-Le Devoluy) leads the peloton as she tries to force a break. Polka dot, white and yellow jerseys all up towards the front of the peloton.

2025-08-02T12:04:54.508Z
Attack

Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal)

The yellow jersey goes and joins a large breakaway off the front as she throws down the gauntlet to challenge her GC rivals. The peloton are flying across the gap in a panic.

2025-08-02T12:03:54.917Z

Multiple attacks going off the front of the peloton as several are also being dropped.

2025-08-02T12:03:27.611Z

There are 129 riders at the start after one Ceratizit rider didn’t start today.

2025-08-02T12:02:06.287Z
Attack

Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez)
Nienke Vinke (Picnic-PostNL)

The polka dot and white jerseys launching as Markus is caught. Yellow jersey of Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) very close to the front as that move is stopped.

2025-08-02T12:00:54.721Z
Attack

Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek)

The talented Dutch rider launches but she is being chased by the peloton led by Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck).

2025-08-02T12:00:07.018Z

They have already started the Col de Plainpalais. 13.2km of climbing with an average gradient of 6.3%.

2025-08-02T11:59:27.466Z

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) leads the peloton but quickly there are moves from Winspace-Orange-Seal. Nothing going just yet.

2025-08-02T11:58:09.281Z
111.9km to go

The racing begins now that Niawiadoma-Phinney is back in the peloton again.

2025-08-02T11:56:16.290Z
Mechanical

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM-ZondaCrypto)

The defending champion requires some mechanical assistance and it has delayed the start of the stage.

2025-08-02T11:51:47.619Z

Just 2km to the official start.

2025-08-02T11:50:33.671Z

There are lots of challenges for pro cyclists and, arguably, pros on the women’s side of the sport face more than the men with issues around race weight and their menstrual cycle…

>>> ‘Breaking the taboo’ – Tour de France Femmes riders highlight issues of low rider weight and disrupted menstrual cycles

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-08-02T11:47:41.990Z

Just over 10 minutes until the official start is scheduled to be given.

2025-08-02T11:47:00.451Z

The temperature is 23°c in the start town but on the top of the Col de la Madeleine it is just 7°c. However, it is currently dry up at the top.

2025-08-02T11:45:58.013Z

The riders have a neutral zone of 4.8km as the rain falls in Chambéry.

2025-08-02T11:45:21.420Z
Neutral start

The riders have started the neutralised start for stage 8 of the Tour de France Femmes 2025.

It’s time for the queen stage of the #TDFF2025, on the way to the terrible COL DE LA MADELEINE 🏔️C’est parti pour l’étape reine du #TDFF2025, en route vers le terrible COL DE LA MADELEINE 😈#WatchTheFemmes l @GoZwift pic.twitter.com/MudBi6cUdPAugust 2, 2025

2025-08-02T11:42:36.478Z

The riders are about to start the neutralised zone.

2025-08-02T11:38:54.729Z

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) attracts huge crowds wherever she goes at the Tour de France Femmes.

All eyes on her 👀Tous les yeux rivés sur elle 🇫🇷#TDFF2025 l #WatchTheFemmes l @FERRANDPREVOT pic.twitter.com/f6aPxspWmdAugust 2, 2025

2025-08-02T11:37:18.281Z

Today has all the potential to be a hattrick of wins for French star Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ). The rider from the region of Brittany has burst into the limelight with two stage wins back-to-back. Can she do it again today?

The Col de Plainpalais coming from the start could be a perfect for her and other breakaway riders to get away.

2025-08-02T11:28:44.111Z

Nienke Vinke (Picnic-PostNL) has her first day in the white best young riders jersey today after taking it from rival Julie Bego (Cofidis) and she took back the 22″ deficit and put 21″ into the French rider.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-08-02T11:25:49.204Z

Just over 15 minutes until the neutral start in Chambéry.

2025-08-02T11:23:51.187Z

The weather is a cooler 23°c in Chambéry today with a touch of rain in the air. A stark contrast to the high 20s into 30s seen yesterday.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-08-02T11:19:44.231Z

And onto today’s stage, the big mountain stage of this race with the summit finish on the Col de la Madeleine. Here is our stage 8 preview…

>>> Tour de France Femmes 2025 stage 8 preview – Col de la Madeleine ‘out of my comfort zone, but it’s out of everyone’s comfort zone’

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-08-02T11:16:32.974Z

Before launching into the stage today, lets take a look back at the action yesterday with our stage 7 analysis…

>>> Tour de France Femmes GC analysis – ‘Poker face’ on Col du Granier as top contenders wait for decisive day in the Alps

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-08-02T11:11:56.786Z

Stage 8 marks the queen stage of this year’s Tour de France Femmes, as it is the only mountaintop finish of the race. Who will emerge victorious on the Col de Madeleine?

2025-08-02T11:04:50.042Z

Here’s a look at the profile for today’s stage, taking the riders from the yesterday’s finishing town of Chambéry to the top of the Col de la Madeleine (18.6km at 8.1%), where the race will reach 2000m above sea level.

The riders will be climbing right from the start, with the Col de Plainpalais (13.2km at 6.3%) coming in the first few kilometres of the stage, whilst the only other categorised climb comes in the form of the Côte de Saint-Georges-d’Hurtières (4.8km at 5.9%) with around 43km to go.

They will also have to contend with the uncategorised Col du Frêne, which comes just before the intermediate sprint in Châteauneuf at the midpoint of the stage.

(Image credit: ASO)

2025-07-23T21:14:33.868Z

Bonjour and welcome to our live updates of the eighth stage of the Tour de France Femmes 2025.