Obviously, Maëva Squiban still wanted. On a cloud after having imposed itself on Thursday during the 6ᵉ stage of the Tour de France, in Ambert, in Puy-de-Dôme, the Breton runner of the UAE Team Adq team, 23, reoffended by winning the victory, Friday 1is August, in Chambéry, at the end of the seventh day of racing, once again alone.
“It was one of the hardest days of my life, reacted the interested party after the race. I finished lying on the ground, I couldn’t take it anymore. It’s already great to win a stage. So two row victories, I don’t have the words it’s just incredible. »»
Since Jeannie Longo in 1989, no Frenchwoman had offered herself such a double on the queen of road cycling – the female version of the Grande Boucle was reappeared on the calendar in 2022 after years of interruption.
And, icing on the cake, as was already the case the day before, Maëva Squiban was accompanied on the « podium » From the day by one of his compatriots: Cédrine Kerbaol succeeding Juliette Labous (FDJ-Suez). The runner of the EF Education-Oatly training, also a double French champion of the time trial (2023, 2025), crossed the 51 seconds line after Maëva Squiban. In difficulty in the last ascent on the program, the Mauritian Kim Le Court-Pienaar still retains the yellow leader’s yellow jersey in the general classification.
“It was a joke”
From the start of the race of the day, ranging from Bourg-en-Bresse to Chambéry, Maëva Squiban was quickly part of the escape made up of a dozen runners, including two other Tricolores, Marie Le Net (FDJ-Suez) and Célia Le Mouël (Ceratizit). “I had said to laugh that I was going to attack on km 0, I did it. Basically, it was a joke, retraced the winner, all smiles. Finally, it went to the end. It’s amazing. It was not very intelligent on my part but I did it ”
This strategy has placed it in a good position to attack the ascents on the program of this 7e STEP, including the difficult Col du Granier (8.9 km at 5.3 %) and its summit located 17.3 kilometers from the finish. Reduced three -headed women, Maëva Squiban, now 16ᵉ in the general classification just over 7 minutes from the yellow jersey, finally launched a decisive attack 21 kilometers from the line.
The Dutch Mareille Meijering (Movistar) has a time followed her wheel, before letting go, unable to respond to the physical challenge of the French. This was no longer taken up, despite a first explanation between the favorites in its wake, under the leadership of the Fenix-Deceuninck training.
A distant time, Kim the court-pepper managed to catch up on his rivals, notably the Dutch Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) and the French Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-lease a bike)-Always 2e To general, at 26 seconds -, in the descent of the Col du Granier. The Peloton du Tour de France continues, on Saturday, with the queen stage of this 2025 vintage, between Chambéry and the Col de la Madeleine (Savoie).
