Women's Giro Stage 9 & Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes Stage 1

The final stage of the Giro d'Italia Donne delivered one of the most dramatic and unpredictable races of the year, turning the GC battle on its head in a single day. What began as a tactical showdown between Demi Vollering and Annemiek van der Breggen exploded into chaos when FDJ-Suez, instead of protecting their leader, allowed Van der Breggen to be isolated on the Montoso climb. The real shock came when Niedermeyer launched a solo attack with 60km to go, riding into the virtual Malia Rosa and forcing the entire peloton into a high-stakes game of attrition. Van der Breggen, left without support, was unable to respond as Vollering and the rest of the peloton conspired to let her fall. The result? Vollering claimed the overall victory, Van der Breggen dropped to third, and Niedermeyer took third on GC — a stunning reversal of expectations. Meanwhile, the Tour de l'Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes stage one was a masterclass in team strategy and passive racing, with Decathlon letting the breakaway go uncontested despite being the favorites. The stage was won by Alex Baudin, who attacked with 30 seconds to spare on the final climb — a rare feat — while the peloton’s lack of urgency left the jersey up for grabs. The episode ends with a heated debate over whether teams should be allowed to 'bluff' by sending weak riders into breaks, and a surprisingly personal moment about hay fever and horse allergies.