Riding a CADEX Max 40 WheelSystem and CADEX Aero Cotton tires, Garcia made a perfectly timed attack with 11 kilometers remaining on the 110km stage from Brest to Quimper. The rider from Mallorca countered a breakaway that had been reeled in, which had included Liv AlUla Jayco teammate Silke Smulders.
The oldest rider in the 2025 Tour peloton, Garcia, 41, used her wealth of experience to select the right moment to attack, following a lull in the bunch, and rapidly opened up a 20-second advantage.
However, with five kilometers remaining and the hard-charging peloton just behind her, it appeared that Garcia’s hopes for a stage win might be over.
“I just pushed and focused on the finish line and when I saw four kilometers to go, I thought, ‘It is so long, four kilometers is not easy,'" Garcia said. "But then every kilometer passed by fast and the last kilometer I thought I just have to go all out and we will see."
Pushing on with everything she had, the final kilometer played to the Liv AlUla Jayco rider’s strength with an uphill rise to the line. Garcia's winning margin was just three seconds, ahead of Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx–Protime) and Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal), with Le Court-Pienaar moving into the maillot jaune of race leader.
"I really didn’t believe I was going to win at the end," Garcia said. "I’ve tried many times like that and it never worked out, so I just couldn’t believe it until I was five metres from the line and I turned around and saw they wouldn’t catch me. It was only then that I knew I’d really done it."
It was Garcia’s first victory since taking Stage 2 of the 2024 Tour of Andalusia 2024, and the first stage win for a Spanish rider at Tour de France Femmes. Garcia also made history as the oldest stage winner in the history of the race.
“I have a lot of emotions,” Garcia said. “I can't believe it to be honest. I've had a hard year. I’ve been racing for a long time and I hadn’t been having my best year, but this win really gives me a massive boost of energy. It’s been a long, long time since I had any feeling this good in my career.”
