Elisa Longo Borghini finished third in the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, 4:19 behind winner Demi Vollering and behind Kasia Niewiadoma, 1:18 behind the yellow jersey. The Italian staged a remarkable comeback that brought Italian women's cycling back to the Tour de France podium after a quarter of a century.
The Tour, which began on August 1st in Lausanne, took a dramatic turn in the final days. Niewiadoma won on Mont Ventoux, entering the final stage with an eight-second lead over Vollering. In the final stage in Nice, the Dutchman attacked on the fourth and final pass of the Col d'Eze, breaking away from her rival and arriving alone on the Promenade des Anglais. Elisa Longo Borghini completed her comeback. After the fifth stage, the Italian champion was only sixth, but she was able to make up ground day by day. In the final stage, she held off Niedermaier, her main rival for third place, and defended her lead despite a puncture in the final kilometers. Elisa Longo Borghini finished the stage in seventh place, earning her first Tour de France podium. The last Italian to finish in the top three was Fabiana Luperini, who finished second in 2001. This is another prestigious finish for Longo Borghini, following her two Giro d'Italia victories in 2024 and 2025.
