Vollering wins stage seven to grab overall lead

Demi Vollering finished runner-up in the 2022 Tour de France FemmesDemi Vollering claimed victory on the seventh stage of the Tour de France Femmes to put herself in a strong position to win the yellow jersey.Vollering powered through the mountain-top fog to win the 89.9km stage in two hours 52 minutes 43 seconds. The Dutchwoman leads the overall standings by one minute 50 seconds from Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma with only the individual time trial left.”I went full gas to the finish. I felt good. I kept pushing,” Vollering said.”I was nervous and the whole team was behind me and told me I could do it.”Vollering had been seventh heading into the stage from Lannemezan to Tourmalet Bagneres-de-Bigorre – a minute behind previous race leader and Worx team-mate Lotte Kopecky and 12 seconds drift of defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten.The trio were part the group that pulled clear on the first of two tough climbs before Niewiadoma broke away in the final foggy 17km ascent of the Tourmalet. Vollering and compatriot Van Vleuten initially declined to chase the leader in a tense stand-off before the former attacked on the approach to the skiing village of La Mongie.Vollering reeled in Niewiadoma with six kilometres remaining and summoned enough energy to get herself over the line.Stage seven results1. Demi Vollering (Ned/SD Worx) 2hrs 52mins 43secs2. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol/Canyon SRAM Racing) + 1min 58secs3. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned/Movistar) +2mins 34secs4. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (SA/AG Soudal-Quickstep) +2mins 43secs5. Juliette Labous (Fra/DSM-Firmenich) +2mins 46secs6. Lotte Kopecky (Bel/SD Worx) +3mins 32secs7. Ane Santesteban (Spa/Jayco-AlUla) +5mins 24secs8. Marta Cavalli (Ita/FDJ-Suez) +5mins 43secs9. Cecilie Ludwig (Den/FDJ-Suez) +5mins 46secs10. Ricarda Bauernfeind (Ger/Canyon/SRAM) +6mins 57secsGeneral classification1. Demi Vollering (Ned/SD Worx) 24hrs 48mins 10secs2. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol/Canyon SRAM Racing) +1min 50secs3. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned/Movistar) +2mins 28secs4. Lotte Kopecky (Bel/SD Worx) +2mins 35secs5. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (SA/AG Soudal-Quickstep) +2mins 39secs6. Juliette Labous (Fra/DSM-Firmenich) +3mins 41secs7. Ane Santesteban (Spa/Jayco-AlUla) +6mins 23secs8. Cecilie Ludwig (Den/FDJ-Suez) +6mins 42secs9. Ricarda Bauernfeind (Ger/Canyon-SRAM) +7mins 42secs10. Amanda Spratt (Aus/Lidl-Trek) + +8mins 18secs

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