EF Education-Oatly was ready for an aggressive stage today, and that’s what we got.

Early attacks resulted in 19 riders getting up the road, with Noemi Rüegg and world champion Magdeleine Vallieres flying the pink flag. Mags worked to make sure the break maintained their advantage while Henrietta Christie, Alice Towers, Kristen Faulkner, and Nina Berton helped to control the peloton and to protect Cédrine Kerbaol.

The race crested six categorized climbs within the first 100 kilometers but it was when the race hit Col de Durbize that things exploded. When the gap tumbled from two minutes to a handful of seconds, both Magdeleine and Noemi waited for teammate Cédrine Kerbaol, which helped her to limit losses on GC. Cédrine now sits ninth in the overall classification with four more stages to come. The squad had hoped for more but we’re still in good spirits and already making plans for the remaining four stages.

“Today we really wanted a break, so I followed a lot of moves in the beginning and also tried to attack a few times. It took a really long time for the break to go, so it was quite hard because there were a lot of attacks. Noemi and I got in the 19-rider breakaway, which was actually perfect. I was pulling for a bit and working with another rider until at some point Carmen asked us to just chill in the group. Then, coming into the second-to-last climb, she said to just follow the moves so I followed the moves. She asked me to sit and just to not work too much, but then the group from behind came in between the two climbs, so I stayed there for a bit. On the last climb, Carmen asked me to wait, so I waited for Cédrine to help her on the flat. I did a few pulls to help make the time gap a bit less, and then my job was done.

“It was a nice day in the front. The ambience is always quite cool when you’re in the front at the Tour. It’s always fun to be in the breakaway.” - Magdeleine Vallieres

“It was a brutally hard day from the start. No rest. We tried to be in the breakaway, so we followed a lot of moves. Mags did an amazing job in the beginning, and then finally the break went and me and Mags were in there, so it was actually a really good situation, but then the chaos started with the second-to-last climb. I got dropped. Mags was up front, and then Cédrine was in a bit of trouble, so I waited for her, and we tried full gas to bring her back to the GC riders, and Mags [tried] later. In the end, I think we lost some time in the GC but that’s how it is in the Tour. We still have four days left. We’ll try to turn it around.” - Noemi Rüegg

“A tough day. I think everything actually went to plan. The race was as expected and we got Noemi and Mags in that breakaway, and we still had riders around Cédrine. Then on the second-to-last climb of the day, there was a big split, and unfortunately, Cédrine didn't have the legs to follow the best.

“I think everybody's disappointed, of course, because everybody did really well, but we also know that with Cédrine everything can turn around really quickly. If this was our bad day, then it's maybe not so bad. We still have a couple of very exciting stages coming up, so I think it's about resetting. Everybody is still committed to doing the work, and we still believe that we can turn it around, and the race is not over yet.” - Daniel Foder, sports director

Even before the breakaway went clear of the peloton, Mags was patrolling on the front, ready to attack or follow any dangerous moves. Then, when she did make it in the break, she continued to work, keeping the pace high to keep their advantage. At the end of the day when the world champion looked at her Wahoo, she discovered she had a normalized power of 246 watts for the first two hours of the day. That’s what it took to ride at the front and to be ready when the time was right to go.

Imagine leading the breakaway at the Tour de France Femmes, racing up climbs, and tucking down descents, spending every precious watt as wisely as you can. Now imagine doing all of that while spotting admin crouched by the side of the road in the middle of the course and then having the wherewithal to give a wave. All in a day’s work for Mags and Noemi. 

This simple Mediterranean tray bake is a great dish to replenish protein reserves in the middle of a grand tour. It also takes minimal prep time and is ready to plate quickly, making it an ideal main course for hungry cyclists.

Serves nine.

Ingredients

9 sea bass fillets (around 180–200 g each, skin on)

600 g cherry tomatoes, halved

180 g mixed olives (Kalamata and green), pitted

3 shallots, finely sliced (or 1 red onion)

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Zest of 2 lemons

Juice of 1 lemon

60 ml extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp dried oregano

Small handful fresh basil or parsley, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).

2. Toss the tomatoes, olives, shallots, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, half the olive oil, salt and pepper in a large roasting tray.

3. Roast for 15 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften and burst.

4. Push the vegetables into an even layer and place the sea bass fillets on top (skin-side down if using skin-on fillets).

5. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and lemon juice. Season lightly.

6. Bake for 10–12 minutes, depending on thickness, until the fish flakes easily and reaches 52–55°C in the thickest part (it will continue cooking slightly after removing from the oven).

7. Scatter with fresh basil or parsley before serving.

Serve with steamed new potatoes, rice, or crusty bread to soak up the juices, plus a green salad or roasted vegetables.

With a slew of climbs in today’s stage, the word montée escaped the lips of French spectators from start to finish. Meaning climb or rise, montée can refer to a mountain or hill.