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Kastelijn attacked from the big breakaway of the day with 20 kilometres remaining. She was initially joined by Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Human Powered Health) before dropping her rival and continuing to power on.
Kastelijn was in the virtual yellow jersey as well once she dropped Cordon-Ragot, though the chase from the much-reduced peloton containing the major favourites, saw her gap dragged back to within two minutes, at which point Kopecky’s overall lead was safe.
The Dutch rider was ecstatic after her win, coming just a day after teammate Julie de Wilde had gone so close to winning from a solo move.
"It's really a dream. I can't believe this - it is really a team victory because I had to do nothing all day," said Kastelijn.
"I think the other girls in the front group are a bit angry with me but my coach told us we are not here to make friends. A victory is what we want and we have it now - and I'm super proud of this."
"There were so many people on the course and I really wanted to fight for every second. The final metres were amazing."
"Yesterday we were really proud and we are still proud of everybody. It's incredible that yesterday we already had two mountain jerseys and today the victory. It's the best Tour de France so far - it's just amazing."
After a few initial attacks, a 14-rider breakaway jumped away early into the 177.1-kilometre race on the Category 4 climb of the Col de Crayssac. The group got a good gap and continued to build their advantage, with most major teams represented in the move.
No teams committed to chasing the breakaway immediately, and it wasn’t long before the best-placed rider of the escapees, Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Human Powered Health) was in the virtual yellow jersey, with still 137 kilometres to race.
The peloton let the advantage blow out to just under ten minutes before committing any riders seriously to limiting the breakaway’s lead. SD-Worx had Christine Majerus in the move, but still needed to keep their general classification bid viable, with some high-quality riders potentially taking minutes in the battle for the overall in the second Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
With 60 kilometres remaining, SD-Worx and Canyon-SRAM committed more riders to the pursuit and the gap started to come down steadily.
The breakaway wasn’t particularly organised, there was a lot of free-wheeling within the group and by 30 kilometres Cordon-Ragot had experienced enough and was gesticulating at her companions in frustration.
Behind, the gap was melting to the peloton as Lorena Wiebes (SD-Worx) set a hefty tempo as the race entered the hard climbs on the back end of the stage.
Kastelijn attacked from the breakaway with 20 kilometres to go on the Côte de Moyrazès, shaking off Cordon-Ragot and continuing on solo to her stage win.
There were a number of attacks from the peloton of yellow jersey-wearer, Lotte Kopecky, over the top of the climb of the Côte de Colombiès, and then on the Côte de Moyrazès. She was chased back both times, the second occasion with just the elite climbers in contention for the general classification managing to make contact.
The two big contenders for the overall, Demi Vollering (SD-Worx) and Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) shot past Kopecky on the Côte de Lavernhe, matching each other attack for attack before ceasing their battle and drifting back to the group of elite climbers.
They then fell into a more steady pacing tempo into the final climb, though Juliette Labous (DSM-firmenich) did attempt an attack coming into the finish.
While Kastelijn finished well up the road, over a minute ahead, the general classification contenders we’re able to catch all the remaining riders from the break, with Vollering exploding off the hot pace set by van Vleuten on the steep rise to the finish line to overhaul Anouska Koster (Uno-X) just short of the line to claim second on the stage. She saluted briefly, before questioning whether she had in fact just won the stage.
In the battle for overall honours, she took eight seconds total on her rivals, two seconds on the road and six in bonuses on van Vleuten, Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM), Ashleigh Moolman (AG Insurance-Soudal QuickStep) and Celia Le Mouel (St Michel - Mavic - Auber93), who maintained her lead in the young rider’s classification.
Kopecky was 16 seconds behind Vollering, and retained the yellow jersey, with her teammate moving up into second overall, 43 seconds behind.
