Tour de France Femmes 2023: riders face individual time trial on final stage – live

Two riders have begun their bid at the individual time trial. Marjolein van ‘t Geloof (Human Powered Health), as the lantern rouge, set of first at 1.38pm. Josie Talbot (Cofidis) goes second.

There are 123 riders left in this year’s Tour but the main focus of today’s time trial will be on just a handful that could upset the podium standings. After Demi Vollering’s victory on the Col du Tourmalet yesterday pushed her into the GC lead, it’s difficult to see anyone challenging her for the yellow jersey. She has a 1min 50 sec lead over second placed Kasia Niewiadoma. So, the real battle will be for the final two podium spots: the gap that separates Niewiadoma in second and Moolman Passio in fifth is just 49 sec.

Will Annemiek van Vleuten dig deep for a stage win given her TT chops? Or, will Lotte Kopecky claim a second podium spot for SD Worx? They do have form on the one-two victories, after all.

• Yellow: Demi Vollering (SD Worx) 24hr 48min 10sec

• Green: Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) 228pts

• Polka-dot: Kasia Niewiadoma (Lidl-Trek) 27pts

• White: Cédrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit–WNT Pro Cycling) 24hr 58min 16sec

Stage seven report: Demi Vollering took a spectacular and career-defining win at the summit of the Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees, to take over the lead in the Tour de France Femmes, with only Sunday’s 22km time trial remaining.

The SD Worx rider emphatically shattered the stalemate with her Dutch compatriot, Annemiek van Vleuten, attacking with a little over 5km of the stage remaining. At the finish line, Vollering had pulled out more than two and a half minutes on Van Vleuten. Jeremy Whittle reports from Tourmalet Bagnères-de-Bigorre …

• Demi Vollering (SD Worx) 24hr 48min 10sec

• Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) +1min 50sec

• Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) +2min 28sec

• Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) +2min 35sec

• Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance–Soudal–Quick-Step) +2min 39sec

Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift race director, Marion Rousse on stage eight: “Between Pau and Gan, this stage will initially follow the route of the final part of the 2019 Tour de France time trial, but running in the opposite direction. After topping the climb (1.8km at 5.5%), the winding course will demand multiple accelerations. The slightly uphill approach to the finish will offer a magnificent panorama, and perhaps some final suspense before the presentation of the Yellow Jersey.”

The first rider will roll down the ramp for today’s individual time trial at 1.38pm (BST).