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Analysis: 'I lost all my respect for them', but Célia Gery's Tour stage 8 move was hard racing, not a foul

The French champion’s positioning helped Demi Vollering take yellow and forced Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney to brake. It was decisive, frustrating and entirely consistent with hard racing.

By Tim Bonville-Ginn · · 5 min read

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon//SRAM) was furious after losing the Tour de France Femmes yellow jersey on Saturday, blaming Célia Gery (FDJ United-Suez) for forcing her towards the barriers as Demi Vollering attacked. Her anger was understandable, and the positioning was decisive, but our reading of the footage is that Gery’s move remained within the normal limits of hard racing.

The moment came as FDJ United-Suez led the reduced group of favourites onto the final kicker on stage 8. It was around 500 metres long with an average gradient of 13% and a max of 17%. Gery was leading but swung off onto her leader’s wheel just before the start so Vollering could lead while she acted as a sweeper, letting her leader’s wheel go as the European champion launched her attack.

Gery was on Vollering’s wheel, was ahead of Niewiadoma-Phinney and held her line all the way through the corner while the Polish yellow jersey wearer tried to force her way around the side of the French champion. Because of Gery’s line, she then moved in front of Niewiadoma-Phinney and it appeared that she slammed the door shut with the yellow jersey having to brake and stop pedalling just as she needed to carry her momentum onto the climb. Combined with being slightly boxed in by Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team L'IMAD), this meant that by the time Niewiadoma-Phinney was clear of traffic, Vollering already had a lead of a few bike lengths.

Results

Aug 8

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
NL flagDemi Vollering
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ4:02:39
🥈
IT flagElisa Longo Borghini
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+0:17
🥉
PL flagKatarzyna Anna Niewiadoma-Phinney
CANYON//SRAM +0:17
4
Mary Patricia Kimberley le Court de Billot - Pienaar
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+0:38
5
BE flagLotte Kopecky
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+0:38
6
PL flagDominika Wlodarczyk
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+0:38
7
CA flagSarah van Dam
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:38
8
CH flagNoemi Rüegg
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+0:38
9
ES flagPaula Blasi Cairol
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+0:38
10
FR flagCedrine Kerbaol
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+0:38
11
DE flagAntonia Niedermaier
CANYON//SRAM +0:38
12
CH flagMarlen Reusser
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:38
13
NL flagThalita de Jong
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+1:37
14
IT flagDebora Silvestri
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+1:37
15
US flagKristen Faulkner
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+1:37
16
NL flagLorena Wiebes
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+1:50
17
IT flagElisa Balsamo
LIDL - TREK+1:50
18
NL flagMarianne Vos
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+1:50
19
GB flagPfeiffer Zara Georgi
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+1:50
20
FR flagEmilie Morier
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+1:50
21
FR flagClémence Latimier
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+1:50
22
FR flagCelia le Mouel
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+1:50
23
NL flagNienke Vinke
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+1:50
24
NL flagNina Buijsman
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+1:50
25
NL flagPuck Pieterse
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+1:50
26
FR flagJuliette Berthet
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+1:50
27
CA flagIsabella Holmgren
LIDL - TREK+1:50
28
FR flagCélia Gery
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+1:50
29
GB flagJosie Nelson
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+1:50
30
NL flagFemke de Vries
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+1:50
31
NL flagDaniek Hengeveld
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+1:50
32
CA flagMagdeleine Vallieres Mill
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+1:50
33
DK flagAmalie Dideriksen
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+2:10
34
IT flagLetizia Paternoster
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+2:10
35
IT flagGaia Masetti
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+2:10
36
NL flagLieke Nooijen
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+2:10
37
FR flagLaura Asencio
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+2:10
38
NZ flagNiamh Mary Fisher-Black
LIDL - TREK+2:10
39
SI flagUrška Žigart
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+2:10
40
NO flagSigrid Ytterhus Haugset
UNO-X MOBILITY+2:10
41
ES flagMargarita Victoria Garcia Cañellas
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+2:10
42
MX flagRomina Hinojosa Cruz
LOTTO INTERMARCHE LADIES+2:38
43
IE flagFiona Mangan
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+2:51
44
PL flagMalwina Mul
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+3:05
45
ES flagPaula Ostiz Taco
MOVISTAR TEAM+3:17
46
NL flagJeanne Korevaar
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+3:22
47
DE flagLinda Riedmann
LOTTO INTERMARCHE LADIES+3:22
48
NL flagEline Jansen
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+3:22
49
UA flagYuliia Biriukova
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+3:22
50
IT flagArianna Fidanza
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+3:22
51
NL flagRiejanne Markus
LIDL - TREK+3:35
52
PL flagKarolina Perekitko
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+4:08
53
BE flagJustine Ghekiere
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+4:31
54
NL flagSophie von Berswordt
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+4:31
55
DE flagRosa Klöser
CANYON//SRAM +4:31
56
BE flagLotte Claes
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+4:31
57
GB flagZoe Backstedt
CANYON//SRAM +4:31
58
NL flagMischa Bredewold
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+4:31
59
NO flagMarte Berg Edseth
UNO-X MOBILITY+4:38
60
DE flagFranziska Koch
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+4:38
61
US flagLily Williams
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+4:38
62
ES flagMireia Benito Pellicer
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+4:38
63
IT flagSara Casasola
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+4:38
64
FR flagTitia Ryo
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+4:38
65
CA flagAlison Jackson
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+4:38
66
LU flagNina Berton
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+4:38
67
FR flagMaeva Squiban
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+4:38
68
NL flagLucinda Brand
LIDL - TREK+4:44
69
NL flagLoes Adegeest
LIDL - TREK+4:44
70
AU flagAmanda Spratt
LIDL - TREK+4:44
71
NL flagAnouska Koster
UNO-X MOBILITY+5:05
72
IT flagCarlotta Cipressi
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+5:05
73
FR flagOcéane Mahe
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+5:05
74
NL flagMaud Rijnbeek
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+6:46
75
NL flagQuinty Schoens
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+6:46
76
ES flagIdoia Eraso Lasa
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+6:46
77
GB flagMillie Couzens
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+7:29
78
US flagCaroline Wreszin
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+8:34
79
US flagNatalie Quinn
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+8:34
80
FR flagVictorie Guilman
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+8:34
81
FR flagNoemie Abgrall
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+9:14
82
IT flagSilvia Persico
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+9:14
83
BR flagAna Vitoria Gouvea Vieira Almeida Magalhaes
MOVISTAR TEAM+9:14
84
IT flagChiara Consonni
CANYON//SRAM +9:14
85
US flagHeidi Franz
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+9:14
86
AU flagLucie Fityus
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+9:14
87
ES flagAlicia Gonzalez Blanco
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+9:14
88
CU flagArlenis Sierra Canadilla
MOVISTAR TEAM+9:14
89
DE flagLiane Lippert
MOVISTAR TEAM+9:14
90
ES flagSara Martin Martin
MOVISTAR TEAM+9:14
91
PL flagAgnieszka Skalniak-Sójka
CANYON//SRAM +9:14
92
IT flagFrancesca Barale
MOVISTAR TEAM+9:14
93
BE flagSandrine Tas
LOTTO INTERMARCHE LADIES+9:14
94
IT flagSoraya Paladin
CANYON//SRAM +9:14
95
IT flagElena Cecchini
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+9:14
96
IE flagMia Griffin
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+9:14
97
NL flagAnneke Dijkstra
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+9:14
98
AU flagRuby Roseman-Gannon
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+9:14
99
IT flagAlessia Vigilia
UNO-X MOBILITY+9:14
100
CO flagPaula Andrea Patiño Bedoya
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+9:14
101
NZ flagHenrietta Christie
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+9:14
102
GB flagAlice Madeleine Towers
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+9:14
103
AT flagValentina Cavallar
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+9:14
104
FR flagJulie Bego
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+9:14
105
FR flagEma Comte
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+9:14
106
NL flagMarit Raaijmakers
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+10:21
107
NL flagMalou Eisen
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+10:21
108
FR flagConstance Valentin
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+10:21
109
FR flagMarie le Net
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+10:21
110
CA flagNadia Gontova
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+10:21
111
FR flagMarine Allione
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+10:21
112
AU flagMackenzie Coupland
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+10:21
113
ES flagNaia Amondarain Gaztañaga
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+10:21
114
ES flagUsoa Ostolaza Zabala
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+10:21
115
FR flagSolène Muller
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+10:21
116
FR flagMorgane Coston
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+10:21
117
NL flagSilke Smulders
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+11:24
118
FR flagAlice Coutinho
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+11:24
119
FR flagMarion Bunel
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+11:42
120
BE flagLore de Schepper
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+11:42
121
GB flagRobyn Clay
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+11:51
122
BE flagShari Bossuyt
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+12:00
123
IT flagLetizia Borghesi
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+12:00
124
FR flagEvita Muzic
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+12:00
125
NL flagAmber Kraak
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+12:00
126
CZ flagNikola Nosková
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+12:00

Niewiadoma-Phinney initially responded superbly and, along with Longo Borghini, got back to Vollering. However, Vollering had something left and used it to kick one more time over the top as she opened up a gap onto the descent down to Nice. Longo Borghini did all the chasing in the two-rider group and cut the gap back to just seven seconds. But once they reached the Promenade des Anglais, Vollering pulled away, won the stage and took an eight-second lead over Niewiadoma-Phinney into the final day.

After the stage, Niewiadoma-Phinney sat on the road surrounded by a scrum of international media. Still visibly angry:: “I was annoyed at the beginning of the climb because Gery, on purpose, just blocked me to the barriers where I had to stop pedalling,” she said. “I feel like, if they want to compete they should compete fair play and not look to block me on the barriers because I feel it is so childish. Honestly, I lost all the respect for them for that."

The move was decisive but within the normal limits of racing. Gery’s job was to deliver Vollering into the ramp with an advantage. FDJ United-Suez had spent the closing kilometres controlling the group through Franziska Koch, Juliette Berthet and Gery, in pursuit of the solo victory needed to erase Vollering’s 15-second deficit.

After the race, FDJ United-SUEZ sports director Lars Boom told Eurosport: “Franziska Koch went full gas exactly where she needed to, then Juliette Berthet took over. Célia Gery had to stay with them over the top and, in the final corner before the steep section, switch positions with Demi. That already gives you two or three metres on Kasia because there is another rider in between. That was the plan, and from there Demi went full gas.”

With Vollering first into the climb and Gery protecting her position immediately behind, Niewiadoma-Phinney chose the exposed side of the road. Gery had no obligation to leave space for the yellow jersey to pass, or to preserve a route back to Vollering’s wheel. Closing that route completed her lead-out.

The available helicopter footage makes the positioning clearer than the live broadcast, which missed roughly two seconds around the incident. Gery runs wide and Niewiadoma-Phinney has to react, but the footage does not establish an illegal deviation. The stage communiqué contained no fine, warning or penalty.

Frustration does not make it a foul

Niewiadoma-Phinney confronted Gery while the 20-year-old French champion was being interviewed after the finish.

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“Why did you do that? Why did you close me to the barriers?” she asked in the post-race mixed zone. “Was it part of the plan?”

Her reaction came moments after finishing the longest stage of the race that was 171.9km with a 10.5km neutral on top off the back of her incredible display on Mont Ventoux, it was clearly a heat of the moment thing from Niewiadoma-Phinney and totally understandable to be frustrated and/or disappointed. But there isn’t really anything for her to go off and the jury agrees.

Vollering said Gery had probably been so depleted by the lead-out that she did not see Niewiadoma-Phinney. Intent is difficult to prove, and it is not needed to assess the move. Even if Gery knew exactly where her rival was, a rider holding the advantageous line can shut the door while staying within the normal limits of road positioning.

Longo Borghini occupying the space around Niewiadoma-Phinney as the climb began, also added to the problem. The decisive factor was tactical position before the acceleration.

Niewiadoma-Phinney now begins Sunday’s 99.2km final stage around Nice eight seconds behind Vollering. Four ascents of the Col d’Èze give Canyon//SRAM four chances to respond. Teammate Antonia Niedermaier put the situation more usefully in the official race interview: “I told Kasia it’s not over yet. Tomorrow, there is still a very hard day so we should never stop believing. I think everything is still possible.”

Tim Bonville-Ginn headshot

Tim Bonville-Ginn

Pro cycling contributor

Tim Bonville-Ginn is a freelance writer who has worked in cycling for well over a decade with his articles being featured across publications such as Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Cyclist, Rouleur, Eurosport, Road cc, Domestique, and more.

As well as writing, Tim has worked as a social media and press manager for professional teams Human Powered Health, Global 6, and Saint Piran across Europe as well as commentating on races such as the African Continental Championships, Tour de Feminin and multiple rounds of the British road and circuit series for Golazo and Monument Cycling.

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