The 2026 Tour de France Femmes Controversy: Célia Gery, Death Threats, UCI Inaction, and the Vollering-Niewiadoma Rivalry

Online Abuse and Death Threats Against Célia Gery

The accusation unleashed a torrent of online abuse directed at the 20-year-old French champion. FDJ United-SUEZ sports director Lars Boom confirmed the severity of the situation, stating that Gery was receiving death threats on social media.

Despite the threats, Gery was determined to race the final stage. She later spoke about the ordeal, describing it as "really difficult to live through."

"It was really difficult to live through. It wasn't easy to see. I saw messages saying I should die, that I didn't deserve to be here. It was really hard."

She admitted she considered deactivating her social media accounts.

The UCI's Verdict: Nothing to Report

Following Canyon-SRAM's formal complaint and a review of the footage, the UCI race jury declined to take any action. The official post-stage communiqué contained no penalty, fine, or warning for Gery. The verdict from the jury was effectively "Rien à signaler — Nothing to report."

The jury deemed the incident to be within the bounds of hard racing, a judgment that stood despite the controversy it generated.

Vollering's Defense and a Two-Year-Old Grievance

Vollering immediately and forcefully defended her teammate. "I don't know what happened, I didn't see anything," she said. "I'm sure she didn't do it on purpose, and I also think that deep down Kasia knows that this kind of thing sometimes happens in racing."

However, Vollering also fired back at Niewiadoma's public attack by referencing an incident from the 2024 Tour de France Femmes:

"I haven't forgotten what she did when I was lying on the ground two years ago. When I crashed, she pulled full gas."

This reference brought a simmering grudge to the surface, exposing a rivalry that had been building for years.

Reconciliation on Stage 9

The tension carried over to the opening kilometers of Stage 9, where the riders exchanged animated words. However, the parties soon cleared the air in a direct face-to-face conversation. Niewiadoma-Phinney apologized publicly for how the controversy had unfolded, stating, "none of us wants beef," and both riders confirmed their differences were settled.

Vollering considered the matter closed but criticized Niewiadoma for making the accusation so public, which she said ignited the subsequent abuse directed at Gery.

Gery Reflects on Her Debut

Despite the harrowing experience, Célia Gery chose to focus on the positive aspects of her first Tour de France Femmes.

"I can be proud of what I did. It was my first Tour de France Femmes and I gave everything for the team. Despite everything, I will remember the good moments."

The Final Outcome: Vollering's Victory

Demi Vollering went on to win the 2026 Tour de France Femmes overall. The final general classification podium was:

Célia Gery finished 21st overall, 44' 08" behind the winner.