Maeva Squiban, the audacity bonus

Very offensive since the beginning of the week, Breton gave itself, Thursday, in the last coast to become the second French winner of a stage on the race.

The sixth step smiles at the French runners. A year after the success of Cédrine Kerbaol in Morteau, the first of a Tricolor on the Tour de France Women, Maeva Squiban imitated him in Ambert, Thursday, July 31, at the end of the 6th stage of the 2025 edition. With an almost identical scenario: a Breton took off in the last coast and was never taken up in the downhill. Again, tears have flowed on a baby face. At 23, she signed the greatest victory of her career, while having the opportunity to savor the last meters.

“It's incredible. I don't even know what to say. When I was told that I had 1'20”, 1'30 “in advance, I didn't believe it, She reacted hot, surprising herself. I felt that I really had great legs, and especially I wanted to have one step ahead of the bonus sprint because I knew it was going to go to war here. And I hoped to switch to a small group “. When the group of favorites timed in the last coast, its sharp attack found no answer.

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The day before, in the direction of Guéret, but also the day before, or in Quimper, where she was elected runner the most combative of the stage, Maëva Squiban had already tried her luck but had never really had a margin. “Today, she was simply the best. She was flying. It is not like we had left her in the field without hunting her. She was stronger than the girls of FDJ who were rolling behind”enthusiastic his Polish teammate Dominika Wlodarczyk, fifth of the stage. La Victoire de la Française saves the start of the gloomy tour of the UAE-Adq training, for the feminine of the Tadej Pogacar team.

The abandonment of the designated leader Elisa Longo Borghini, after two days of racing, had torpedoed plan n ° 1. Then it was the turn of Eleonora Gasparrini and Karlijn Swinkels to declare. Thursday morning, the runners of Uae-Adq were only four at the start. “The three were sick. This victory is also a bit for them”dedicated Maeva Squiban to them on the bicycle club set. The interested party, herself, almost did not be present on the roads of the Tour this year, but for other reasons.

Tilled by a car in training around Nice, in May, she returned just in time to honor her summons. The preparation was obviously not complete. “”I'm going to go around without pressure. I am not a leader. I'm just here to help and seize opportunities if there are any “she projected in the columns of Direct Bike before the big departure. This is the opportunity seized, and well seized. “It's a distant memory now”she smiled on the bicycle club set.

Maeva Squiban is both the youngest stage winner in this edition of the Tour and the very first runner in her training to raise his arms on the race. “It will not change much. I'm going to stay myself. Maybe that I will be less easily left out”she noted at a press conference. It should be noted, however, that the Frenchman had sent a signal last year by finishing second in the Grand-Bornand stage behind Justine Ghekiere. The warning had obviously not been perceived to its right measure.