The Tour de France Femmes reaches its conclusion today, with the race's ninth and final stage looping around Nice before finishing on the Promenade des Anglais to crown this year's overall winner.
The 99.2km circuit takes riders through the Col d'Èze three times, part of a route widely described as the toughest final stage the women's race has yet set, before a technical descent back toward the coast and a finish near the Théâtre de Verdure. The stage follows Saturday's 175km run from Sisteron into Nice via the Var valley, taking in Puget-Théniers, Villars-sur-Var and Colomars before the peloton reached the coast.
For Villeneuve-Loubet rider Titia Ryo, 44th overall heading into the final stage, racing the finale on home roads carries extra weight. "This has been my home for three years, so it's lovely to take part in this Tour de France while also being at home," she told ICI-France 3 Côte d'Azur ahead of the start. The Jardin Albert 1er has been transformed into a free festival village for the day, running from 11am to 8pm with big screen coverage, bike shows and DJ sets alongside the racing itself.