QueenStage Women's Cycling Podcast

The QueenStage Women's Cycling Podcast is here to deliver smart, sharp, personality-driven insights to the sport's biggest races, starting with daily coverage of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Our hosts—all longtime cycling journalists and women's cycling advocates—are ready to bring you along for the ride.

QueenStage Women's Cycling Podcast is a sports podcast hosted by Ruckus Composites, with 45 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Ruckus Composites hosts QueenStage Women's Cycling Podcast, a sports show with 45 episodes published.

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  QueenStage Women's Cycling Podcast

  Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2026 Recap: Vollering Wins, Reusser's Heartbreak, Kasia's Future

  Aug 11, 202659 min

  The dust has settled on Col d'Èze, and the full Queen Stage crew, Rosael, Molly, Anne-Marije "Rook," and Betsy, reunites for a complete breakdown of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. From Sigrid Haugset's stunning eighty-five-kilometer solo breakaway on stage three to Demi Vollering's commanding overall victory in Nice, this year's race delivered some of the tightest, most tactical racing in the event's short history. The crew retraces all nine stages before digging into the storylines that defined the tour: Marlen Reusser's heartbreaking near-miss on the final podium spot, the swirling contract rumors around Paula Blasi and a reported move to Movistar, and whether Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney could be headed to Lidl-Trek in search of stronger GC support. They also spotlight the next generation of climbers to watch, including Antonia Niedermaier, Bella Holmgren, Nienke Vinke, and Marion Bunel. A major segment tackles the "was this tour too hard?" debate head-on with real numbers. Rosael walks through five years of start list and finish list data (2022 through 2026) to calculate the actual did-not-finish rate for each edition, correcting a common misconception fueled by inaccurate ProCyclingStats filtering, and finds this year's DNF rate wasn't the outlier some fans assumed. The second half of the episode answers listener questions sent in through the Queen Stage WhatsApp community, covering: How TV broadcast rights actually work, including the UCI's 2.5-hour minimum coverage requirement and why broadcasters like Peacock and FloBikes can only air what ASO provides The current state of rider salaries across the WorldTour, ProTeams, and Continental tiers, and how far minimum wage has come since 2020 Whether more non-endemic sponsors (Nike, Red Bull, On, Adidas) could reshape the sport's financial future The episode closes with an unsung heroes segment honoring Zoe Bäckstedt's grit on the final time trial, Uno-X Mobility's breakout season, and Saint Michel-Auber 93's improved finish, along with a candid conversation about the online harassment Celia Géry faced after a controversial racing incident, and why growing fandom has to come with better behavior. Massive thanks to presenting sponsors Bike Tires Direct and SRAM for making this daily coverage possible all season. Save ten percent on your post-tour upgrades at biketiresdirect.com with code queenstage. Rate, review, and share the show if you loved this year's coverage, and stay subscribed for off-season episodes. See you at the next race.

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  QueenStage Women's Cycling Podcast

  Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2026 Stage 9: Nice to Nice

  Aug 9, 202656 min

  Betsy, Molly, and Rosael break down the final stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, a thrilling 99-kilometer mountain circuit from Nice to Nice featuring four ascents of the Col d'Eze. Stage 9 Recap The 99-kilometer stage started explosively with early attacks from Franzi Koch and Maeva Squiban, who attacked despite a heavy crash the day prior. Lorena Wiebes secured the intermediate sprint early in the race, effectively locking up the green jersey. Zoe Backstedt put in a massive "tractor style" effort on the climb to isolate race leader Demi Vollering for her Canyon SRAM teammate Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney. Marlen Reusser crashed on a left-hand turn with 56 kilometers to go, forcing her teammates to drop back and pace her into the group. On the final, steeper ascent of Col d'Eze, Niewiadoma-Phinney launched an attack, but a comfortable-looking Vollering easily went with her. Vollering counter-attacked to reach the summit with an 18-second advantage over Niewiadoma-Phinney. Showcasing masterful descending skills, Vollering extended her lead to win the stage and become the first two-time overall winner of the race. Paula Blasi crossed the line in second place on the stage, 1 minute and 4 seconds behind, with Niewiadoma-Phinney taking third. Final General Classification: Demi Vollering secures the overall win, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney finishes second, and Elisa Longo Borghini claims third. Jersey Winners: Lorena Wiebes retains green, Puck Pieterse keeps the polka dots, and Antonia Niedermaier holds white. Deep Dive: Zoe Backstedt A profile on the 21-year-old Canyon SRAM rider from Wales who ripped the race apart on the Col d'Eze. She holds nine world championship titles across junior and under-23 categories in road, cyclocross, and track disciplines. Cycling is in her blood: her father is 2004 Paris-Roubaix winner (and Canyon SRAM sports director) Magnus Backstedt, her mother is 1998 British National Road Race Champion Megan Hughes, and her sister is World Tour pro Elynor Backstedt. Off the Bike The hosts discuss the aftermath of the Stage 8 cornering incident between Celia Géry and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, agreeing that the drama is ultimately good for the sport as it highlights racing tactics rather than relying on gendered narratives. The hosts answer listener questions, noting the 2027 Tour is officially set for nine days, starting in Yorkshire on Friday, July 30th with a Team Time Trial on stage three. Approximately 46% of the Tour de France Femmes starting peloton (68 of 147 riders) do not have publicly confirmed contracts for the 2027 season, compared to just 25% of the men's peloton. Tips on how fans can support women's cycling, including hosting watch parties, buying team merchandise, supporting sponsors, donating to the Cyclist Alliance, and paying for sports journalism. Sponsors & Info Presented by: Bike Tires Direct and SRAM, presenting sponsors of Queen Stage's Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift coverage. Giveaway: Win the final daily Queen Stage musette (featuring an e-pump, watch the femmes cap, and a ride wallet). Head to Instagram (@ queenstage.cc ), find the Stage 9 highlight post, follow Bike Tires Direct, and tag two friends in the comments to enter. Save 10% at biketiresdirect.com with code queenstage . Contact: info@queenstage.cc

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  QueenStage Women's Cycling Podcast

  Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2026 Stage 8: Sisteron to Nice

  Aug 8, 202657 min

  Anne-Marije, Molly, and Rosael break down stage eight of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the longest stage in the race's history at 171.9 kilometers from Sisteron to Nice. Stage 8 Recap Maeva Squiban and Loes Adegeest formed a two-rider breakaway 140 kilometers out, building a gap of over six minutes. Adegeest took top points at the intermediate sprint before the peloton began reeling them in. Squiban suffered a painful crash on a descent, leaving her in severe distress, though she managed to finish the stage. FDJ United Suez set a fierce pace on the Côte de la Ginestière, catching Adegeest with under 8 kilometers remaining and dropping point leader Lorena Wiebes. On the final ramp toward Nice, Demi Vollering launched a stinging attack to go solo, holding off a chase by Elisa Longo Borghini and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney to win the stage. With bonus seconds and a 17-second gap, Vollering reclaims the yellow jersey by just 8 seconds over Niewiadoma-Phinney. Marlen Reusser sits third at 1:12, with Longo Borghini in fourth at 3:05. Wiebes retains green, Puck Pieterse seals polka dots, and Antonia Niedermaier holds white. Deep Dive: Loes Adegeest A profile on the 30-year-old Lidl-Trek rider from the Netherlands. A former speed skater who transitioned to cycling, she won back-to-back Esports World Championships (2022, 2023) and victories at the Cadell Evans Great Ocean Road Race and a stage of Volta Catalunya. Fun fact: Her partner is the brother of Lucinda Brand's partner, making them sisters-in-law and teammates. Off the Bike Post-stage drama after Niewiadoma-Phinney expressed frustration in interviews over defensive team tactics by FDJ United Suez during Vollering's winning attack. Discussion on Vollering skipping top-of-mountain post-stage interviews after Mont Ventoux. A look at Paula Blasi's off-bike classical piano talents. Tire talk: What tire won today? Vollering took the victory on Specialized Cotton Tubeless Ready tires. Stage 9 Preview The final, action-packed stage: a 99-kilometer circuit starting and finishing in Nice. Riders face four ascents of the Col d'Eze, with the fourth and final trip featuring a modified, steeper route (6 kilometers at 7.6% average, with ramps up to 12%). Packed with over 2,100 meters of elevation gain, the stage concludes with a fast 15-kilometer descent to the Promenade des Anglais. With only 8 seconds separating yellow, expect an all-out tactical battle to the finish line. Presented by Bike Tires Direct and SRAM, presenting sponsors of Queen Stage's Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift coverage. Giveaway: Daily musette giveaway. Follow Bike Tires Direct and tag two friends on today's Stage 8 highlight reel on Instagram (@ queenstage.cc ) to enter. Discount code: Save 10% at biketiresdirect.com with code queenstage. Join the conversation: Head to the link in our bio to join the Queen Stage WhatsApp Community. Contact: info@queenstage.cc

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  QueenStage Women's Cycling Podcast

  Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2026 Stage 7: La Voulte-sur-Rhône to Mont Ventoux

  Aug 7, 20261h 1m

  Molly Hurford hosts with Rosael Torres-Davis and Anne-Marije Rook (back from parental leave) to break down the tour's most anticipated stage: the 147-kilometer haul from La Voulte-sur-Rhône over 3,500 meters of climbing to the summit of Mont Ventoux. Presenting sponsors: Bike Tires Direct and SRAM. Stage Recap An aggressive start gave way to an eleven-rider breakaway near 75 kilometers to go, featuring Katrine Aalerud, Loes Adegeest, Nikola Nosková, Ruby Roseman-Gannon, and others. Puck Pieterse mopped up early Queen of the Mountains points, effectively locking up the polka dot jersey. On the Ventoux ascent itself, the break was swallowed and the race came down to three: Demi Vollering, the previous overall leader (name unclear in transcript, flagged below), and Katarzyna (Kasia) Niewiadoma-Phinney of Canyon-SRAM. While Vollering and the yellow jersey watched each other, Niewiadoma-Phinney attacked, opened a gap that grew to nearly two minutes, and soloed to her first stage win of the year. The overall leader cracked and lost 1:42; Vollering limited her deficit to 1:16. New general classification: Niewiadoma-Phinney in yellow, Vollering second at fifteen seconds, the previous leader third at thirty-nine seconds. Deep Dive: Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney The 2024 tour champion had never won a stage until today. Her season had been quietly consistent rather than dominant (runner-up at Omloop het Nieuwsblad and Strade Bianche, third overall at the Tour de Suisse) with no wins before Ventoux. The hosts note she spotted her parents trackside, drawing extra motivation, and call the win a career-defining moment on the sport's most storied climb. Off the Bike Pauline Ferrand-Prévot fell off the pace early; the field is split on whether she'll start stage eight Multiple riders, past and present, have personal Ventoux history: Puck Pieterse posted a photo referencing a time she rode the climb at age ten Jersey standings: Niewiadoma-Phinney (yellow), Pieterse (polka dot, effectively secured), Lorena Wiebes (green, commanding lead), Antonia Niedermaier (white) UAE Team ADQ leads the team classification by over half an hour with three riders inside the top ten What Tire Won Today's Race, presented by Bike Tires Direct Niewiadoma-Phinney rode a Schwalbe Pro One. Listeners get 10 percent off any tire purchase at Bike Tires Direct with code queenstage. Stage 8 Preview Stage eight is the longest in Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift history at 173 kilometers, run under a special allowance since women's races are typically capped at 160. Terrain is comparatively gentle (four cat-4 climbs, nothing over 5.4 percent) with a fast, descent-heavy back half that could favor breakaways as legs recover from Ventoux. Presented by Bike Tires Direct and SRAM, presenting sponsors of Queen Stage's Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift coverage. Giveaway: Daily musette giveaway all nine stages. Comment "bike tires direct" and tag two friends on the stage highlight post on Instagram (@ queenstage.cc ) for a chance to win. Discount code: Save 10% at biketiresdirect.com with code queenstage. Join the conversation: Click here to join the Queen Stage WhatsApp Community. Contact: info@queenstage.cc

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  QueenStage Women's Cycling Podcast

  Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2026 Stage 6: Montbrison to Tournon-sur-Rhône

  Aug 6, 202657 min

  Betsy, Molly, and Rosael break down stage six of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, a hilly 153.4 kilometer route from Montbrison to Tournon-sur-Rhône with six categorized climbs, including the category two Col de Lalouvesc at kilometer 105.6. Stage 6 Recap A three-woman breakaway (Loes Adegeest, Nikola Nosková, Katrine Aalerud) built a gap of nearly two and a half minutes before EF Oatley, Movistar, and FDJ-Suez reeled it in. Yara Kastelijn abandoned. Paula Blasi split the front group with an early attack, and combative-award winner Celia Géry (FDJ-Suez) went clear on the descent with 31 kilometers to go before a chase group closed her down. Kim Le Court Pienaar bridged back with 14 kilometers left and won a chaotic photo finish over Cédrine Kerbaol and Puck Pieterse for the Tour's first group sprint. Marlen Reusser keeps yellow; Demi Vollering is second at 12 seconds, Kasia Niewiadoma third at 1:17, followed by Elisa Longo Borghini (up two spots), Antonia Niedermaier, Dominika Włodarczyk, and Isabella Holmgren. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and teammate Femke de Vries remain 5:00 back. Pieterse leads polka dot over Nosková and Sigrid Haugset; Wiebes leads points with 144; Niedermaier leads white over Holmgren (25 seconds back) and Blasi (1:11 back). Deep Dive: Celia Géry A profile on the 20-year-old French national road champion racing for FDJ-Suez. A decorated cyclocross racer, she won the first-ever standalone U23 women's road race world championship in Rwanda in 2025, took her first pro win at Brabantse Pijl this spring, and outsprinted Lucinda Brand to win stage seven of the Giro d'Italia Donne. She keeps a low social media presence, mostly reposting FDJ-Suez content. Off the Bike Continued fallout at UAE Team ADQ, including Dominika Włodarczyk's pushback on media coverage of internal tension, and whether that dynamic is affecting Paula Blasi's form. Visma-Lease a Bike's uneven tour: no stage win yet for Marianne Vos and a five minute GC deficit for Ferrand-Prévot. A listener question on muscle cramping and the current thinking that briny remedies like pickle juice work on neural signaling rather than electrolytes. Stage 7 Preview The queen stage: 146.8 kilometers from La Voulte-sur-Rhône to a summit finish on Mont Ventoux, with 3,565 meters of elevation gain. Three categorized climbs precede the mountain: Col de la Grande Limite (category two, kilometer 14), Col du Colombier (category three, kilometer 41), and Col de Suzette (category two, kilometer 105). From Bédoin, riders face the 15.7 kilometer hors categorie climb of Mont Ventoux at an average 8.8 percent to the 1,910 meter summit. No spectators will be permitted at the summit due to wildfire restrictions. Race starts 6:50 a.m. Eastern; winner expected around 11:17 a.m. Eastern. Presented by Bike Tires Direct and SRAM, presenting sponsors of Queen Stage's Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift coverage. Giveaway: Daily musette giveaway all nine stages. Comment "bike tires direct" and tag two friends on the stage highlight post on Instagram (@ queenstage.cc ) for a chance to win. Discount code: Save 10% at biketiresdirect.com with code queenstage. Join the conversation: Click here to join the Queen Stage WhatsApp Community. Contact: info@queenstage.cc

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