It was a major scare for Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) and Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly), who crashed mid-peloton just as they reached the base of the Col de Joux-Plane on stage 9 at the Tour de France Femmes.
Medical updates have not yet been released by their respective teams; however, both riders remounted their bikes and were forced to chase into the lower slopes of the mid-race, hors catégorie ascent after the crash happened with 68.4km to go.
Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) had reached the ascent first after attacking an earlier breakaway and going solo into the major ascent; 1:51 ahead of the reduced group of GC favourites, including yellow jersey Pauline-Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike), and 4:30 ahead of the main field.
The crash happened in the chasing group of favourites as an EF Education-Oatly rider slid out in a corner as they headed into the base of the Col de Joux-Plane, taking down Kerbaol and Niewiadoma-Phinney.
The final stage of the nine-day race was a 1.24.1km race from Praz-sur-Arly to Châtel Les Portes du Soleil that included three climbs: Côte d'Araches-la-Frasse (6.2km at 7.1%), Col de Joux-Plane (11.6km at 8.5%) and Col du Corbier (5.9km at 8.5%), before the final ascent to the ski resort.
While Ferrand-Prévot had a firm hold on the overall classification after dominating on the Col de la Madeleine during the previous day's stage 8, there was still all to play for in the podium places and the top 10.
The Frenchwoman started the day 2:37 minutes over Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal), with Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) in third place 3:18 minutes behind. Last year's winner, Niewiadoma-Phinney, was in fourth place at 3:40 back while Kerbaol was in fifth place at 4:11 back.
Niewiadoma-Phinney had indicated that while the yellow jersey was out of reach, she would attempt to move into second or third place on the day, and Kerbaol, a strong descender, had also aimed to move up using the route's technical downhills.
Niewiadoma-Phinney had blood on her left knee, but was able to get back into the GC group, albeit on the lower slopes of the ascent, using much energy to get back in the race alongside the other overall contenders. She was then part of the selection racing into Châtel behind solo winner and overall champion Ferrand-Prévot. The Polish rider also moved up to third place in the final overall standings behind Ferrand-Prévot and Vollering.
Kerbaol, on the other hand, received a push from her teammate Noemi Rüegg after the crash, as her chain was off her bike. Neutral support also helped get the French rider going again.
However, she was not able to get back to the yellow jersey group and left chasing more than a minute behind. That gap expanded to 9:22 as she crossed the line in eighth place, and dropped to eighth place in the final classification.
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