Australia\u2019s Sarah Gigante was forced to settle for sixth place in the women\u2019s Tour de France as Pauline Ferrand-Prevot claimed victory for the hosts. Starting the day second in the GC, Gigante (AG Insurance – Soudal Team) lost ground on the Joux-Plane descent and finally finished the stage seventh.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was two hours of pain, heartbreak and hope all in one,\u201d she said at the finish.<\/p>\n
Ferrand-Prevot\u2019s victory was never in doubt and she launched an attack to clinch the final stage and increase her overnight lead.<\/p>\n
The 33-year-old had put herself largely in control by winning Saturday\u2019s eighth and penultimate stage with an audacious solo breakaway on the last climb. That gave her an overnight lead of 2:37 seconds over Gigante and 3:18 over Demi Vollering.<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s ninth stage from Praz-sur-Arly to Chatel was a 124km trek featuring three big mountain climbs. But Ferrand-Prevot did not face any big attacks and instead launched one of her own with 6km left.<\/p>\n
The crowds cheered her all the way to the finish line and, moments later, the tears flowed as she lay on her back, exhausted but elated. Vollering was 20 seconds behind in second place and Kasia Niewiadoma followed in third place as they sprinted to the line.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Ferrand-Prevot was with Gigante, 24, and a few others when they tackled the mammoth climb up Col de Joux Plane \u2013 an 11.6km grind with a gradient of 8.5%.<\/p>\n
Gigante is known to have trouble descending at speed and was dropped on the long downhill. She could not make up the time, especially with no teammates to help her, and lost her podium spot, finishing sixth overall, six minutes and 40 seconds behind the winner.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a super hard day, I was already feeling not so strong physically going up the Joux Plane,\u201d she said at the finish. \u201cI was hoping to get away and have a head start before the downhill, but I was pretty much getting dropped by the top. And then of course the descent was just so hard. It was a long day out.\u201d<\/p>\n
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