Deignan sprinted down last year's winner Marianne Vos, who pulled up the sprint too early before the finish line on the Promenade des Anglais. And won after cycling in 2.22.51.
- It is such a relief to have won the race, says Deignan to Reuters and thanks his teammate in Trek-Segafredo Elisa Longo Borghini who stressed Vos to pull up the sprint too early.
Six skiers had run away before the sprint on the hilly 96 km long track. The Swede Emilia Fahlin then won the cluster sprint barely two minutes after the lead and finished seventh. Hanna Nilsson entered the group as 19th overall.
The Ladies' Tour de France, La Course by Le Tour de France, is a one-day race that has been run since 2014, unlike the men who compete for three weeks.
There are plans for a stage race for women in the Tour de France, something that can be completed no earlier than 2022.
Mouthguards were used before and after the race.