Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) has secured her second stage win at the Tour de France Femmes. After crossing the finish line solo the day before, the Frenchwoman repeated this brilliant performance on stage 7 over the Col du Granier. Kimberly Le Court (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) was able to defend the yellow jersey for another day, although she had already been left behind in the meantime.

Squiban had chosen a different tactic this time and joined the day's breakaway group early on. At its best, it consisted of 17 riders and at times had a lead of up to five minutes over the peloton. Squiban, who broke away from all the chasers around three kilometres before the summit of the Granier, saved one of them to the finish. Second after 160 kilometres from Bourg-en-Bresse to Chambéry was Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly), who put in a strong performance on the descent of the mountain to overtake all the remaining breakaway riders apart from Squiban and beat Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) in a two-rider sprint. She thus ensured the second French double victory in a row.

Shortly afterwards, however, the group of favourites came roaring up. With the exception of Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) and Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck), who are both known as weaker downhill riders and each finished eleven seconds behind, which is reasonable by their standards, all the favourites stayed together. As there were no more bonus seconds to be won, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), Kasia Niewiadoma (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto), Demi Vollering (FDJ - Suez) and Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worx - Protime) are still only nine seconds apart.

Squiban at a loss for words after third back-to-back victory in Tour history

Le Court continues to lead the overall standings by 26 seconds. However, she revealed weaknesses on the climb. 2500 metres before the summit of the Granier, she had to let go. She was around half a minute behind at the top, but was able to close the gap on the descent. However, this does not bode well for the summit finish at the Col de la Madeleine.

The way Squiban presented herself today and yesterday, she could play a role there again. Back-to-back victories at the Tour have only been achieved by sprinter Charlotte Kool last year and overall winner Annemiek van Vleuten at the 2022 premiere. There has never been a triple. But the 23-year-old from Brest isn't thinking that far ahead just yet. "Winning the Tour once is already fantastic. Now to win a second time - I'm lost for words," she said in her winner's interview.

While Le Court Yellow, Elise Chabbey (FDJ - Suez) defended the mountains jersey and Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx - Protime) the points classification, there was a change at the top of the junior classification. Nienke Vinke (Team Picnic PostnL) took the white jersey from Julie Bego (Cofidis Women Team). However, the two are separated by just 21 seconds, which could well be corrected on the Madeleine.

Tour de France Femmes 2025 - Results of the 7th stage

>> Tour de France Femmes 2025: Route and stages of the women's Tour de France

>> Tour de France Femmes 2025: All the teams' line-ups

>> The TOUR Tech briefing on stage 7 of the Tour de France Femmes 2025

>> Lichtenberg's preview of stage 7: A stage for downhill riders

>> Squiban brings 32-kilometre solo home safely on stage 6

How the 7th stage of the Tour de France Femmes 2025 went

Right after the start of stage 7, the women were much more cautious than in the previous days, as the chances of finishing the day successfully were even less favourable because the Col du Granier was already looming on the horizon. And so it was initially only Squiban and Lucinda Brand (Lidl - Trek) who dared to go on the offensive. After a good 20 kilometres, however, there were reinforcements - and they were massive.

A 17-strong lead group formed, which included Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx - Protime), Chloe Dygert (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto), Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) and Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl - Trek). Kopecky and Dygert briefly tried to go it alone, but then rejoined the race.

Into the mountains with a five-minute lead

Over the first 100 flat kilometres, the group built up a lead of up to four minutes. On the first climb of the day to the Côte de Saint-Franc (2nd category), however, it was already significantly reduced. Squiban secured the mountain points. On the descent, some of those who had been left behind returned. The gap between the leaders and the peloton grew to more than five minutes.

Squiban was also ahead on the Côte de Berland (4th category), with 35 kilometres to go to the finish. The lead over the favourites had decreased again to 4:30 minutes after Fenix-Deceuninck had taken over the pace work at the back. In addition, there were some attempts to stand up at the front after Maud Rijnbeek (VolkerWessels Cycling Team) had attacked. A good two minutes remained before the climb to the Col du Granier (2nd category).

Rijnbeek was joined a little later by Edwards and Mareille Meijering (Movistar Team), but then had to pay tribute to their pace. Instead, Squiban rode to the front, but didn't stay there for long and went straight through. Only Meijering was able to fight her way back to the front, but the Frenchwoman then increased the pace again and finally dropped her pursuer. At the back, Le Court had problems 2500 metres before the summit and was no longer able to follow the rest of the group of favourites.

Squiban goes into the descent with a 90-second lead

Squiban took a minute and a half lead into the descent from the Granier, 17 kilometres to the finish, almost exclusively downhill. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) had also dropped back from the group of favourites and was 30 seconds behind them near Le Court. On the descent, however, the woman in yellow was able to fight her way back. Her team-mate Gigante was also able to stay in the group.

While Squiban was able to celebrate her next solo victory, Kerbaol was able to break away again on the last few metres of the descent and also caught the rest of the scattered breakaway group. As a result, she still managed second place. Meanwhile, Gigante was still eleven seconds behind the other favourites, who finished one minute behind the winner.