In the seventh stage, the riders were sent into the Alps. A large group broke away early in the race and took a maximum five-minute lead. On the Col du Granier, a second category climb, Squiban rode away from her fellow escapees and reached the finish line solo.

In the depleted peloton, yellow jersey wearer Kimberley Le Court dropped, leaving Ferrand-Prévot virtually in the yellow jersey. The Mauritian returned to the group of favourites on the descent, so there was little change in the general classification. "I felt good today. I didn't waste much energy and I'm looking forward to tomorrow", the Frenchwoman said.

Sports director Jos van Emden is satisfied with how the first Alpine stage unfolded. "It went as I expected. It was a relatively easy stage, so I didn't expect much to change at the top of the rankings. The only surprise was that Le Court had to drop, although she did return to the group of favourites a little later."

Tomorrow, the riders face the toughest stage of this Tour de France Femmes, with the finish atop of the Col de Madeleine. Ferrand-Prévot has explored this climb several times. "I know the Madeleine very well. I think it's important to know where the harder and less difficult sections are, as the race will most likely be decided here."