4. Etappe: Cahors – Rodez – 177Km

1 KASTELIJN Yara NED FENIX-DECEUNINCK 04:38:39
2 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 01:11
3 KOSTER Anouska NED UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 01:12
4 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 01:13
5 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA LIDL – TREK 01:13
6 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON//SRAM RACING 01:13
7 MOOLMAN PASIO Ashleigh RSA AG INSURANCE – SOUDAL QUICK-STEP TEAM 01:13
8 LE MOUEL Celia FRA ST MICHEL – MAVIC – AUBER93 01:13
9 HAMMES Kathrin GER EF EDUCATION – TIBCO – SVB 01:23
10 ARZUFFI Alice ITA CERATIZIT – WNT PRO CYCLING TEAM 01:23
11 DE JONG Thalita NED LIV RACING TEQFIND 01:23
12 LABOUS Juliette FRA TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH 01:23
13 MAJERUS Christine LUX TEAM SD WORX 01:23
14 KOPECKY Lotte BEL TEAM SD WORX 01:27
15 BRAND Lucinda NED LIDL – TREK 01:31

Kastelijn takes glory for the attackers
Tour de France Femmes 2023 | Stage 4 | CAHORS > RODEZ

On the day after Julie Van de Velde’s heartbreak in Montignac-Lascaux, attackers ruled the longest stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023. An impressive breakaway surged at the front early in the day, built a gap of more than 10 minutes and eventually battled not only for the stage win but also the Maillot Jaune. Yara Kastelijn, a teammate of Van de Velde in the ranks of Fenix-Deceuninck, tamed the final ascents of the day to power her first professional victory on the road (she’s also a cyclo-cross European champion). After an explosive finale, Demi Vollering (SD Worx) surged to the 2nd position, ahead of another early attacker, Anouska Koster (Uno X). It took an impressive effort from Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) to retain the overall lead, 43’’ ahead of Vollering, while Kastelijn moves up the rankings (7th, +1’).

5. Etappe: Onet-le-Château – Albi – 136Km

1 BAUERNFEIND Ricarda GER CANYON//SRAM RACING 03:07:20
2 REUSSER Marlen SUI TEAM SD WORX 00:22
3 LIPPERT Liane GER MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 00:22
4 KOPECKY Lotte BEL TEAM SD WORX 00:32
5 PALADIN Soraya ITA CANYON//SRAM RACING 00:32
6 MARKUS Riejanne NED TEAM JUMBO-VISMA 00:32
7 SANTESTEBAN GONZALEZ Ane ESP TEAM JAYCO ALULA 00:32
8 MOOLMAN PASIO Ashleigh RSA AG INSURANCE – SOUDAL QUICK-STEP TEAM 00:32
9 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA LIDL – TREK 00:32
10 DEMAY Coralie FRA ST MICHEL – MAVIC – AUBER93 00:32
11 KOPPENBURG Clara GER COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM 00:32
12 DE WILDE Julie BEL FENIX-DECEUNINCK 00:32
13 DRONOVA Tamara RUS ISRAEL PREMIER TECH ROLAND 00:32
14 PERSICO Silvia ITA UAE TEAM ADQ 00:32
15 ADEGEEST Loes NED FDJ-SUEZ 00:32

Gesamt:

1 KOPECKY Lotte BEL TEAM SD WORX 18:55:17
2 MOOLMAN PASIO Ashleigh RSA AG INSURANCE – SOUDAL QUICK-STEP TEAM 00:49
3 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA LIDL – TREK 00:51
4 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON//SRAM RACING 00:51
5 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 00:51
6 KASTELIJN Yara NED FENIX-DECEUNINCK 01:00
7 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 01:03
8 LIPPERT Liane GER MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 01:25
9 BAUERNFEIND Ricarda GER CANYON//SRAM RACING 01:38
10 LABOUS Juliette FRA TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH 01:48
11 LUDWIG Cecilie DEN FDJ-SUEZ 01:49
12 SANTESTEBAN GONZALEZ Ane ESP TEAM JAYCO ALULA 01:52
13 GARCIA Mavi ESP LIV RACING TEQFIND 01:57
14 SPRATT Amanda AUS LIDL – TREK 01:59
15 EWERS Veronica USA EF EDUCATION – TIBCO – SVB 02:17

Bauernfeind, the rise of a star
Tour de France Femmes 2023 | Stage 5 | ONET-LE-CHÂTEAU > ALBI

At 23 years old, Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon//Sram) delivered a stunning performance to take the solo victory in Albi on day 5 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. After a furious battle over the first climbs of the day, the young German champ attacked with 36 kilometres to go. And nobody was able to come back to her as she soloed her way to the greatest victory of her young career. Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) and Liane Lippert (Movistar) round out the stage top 3 after they escaped the peloton in the final kilometres. And Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) was the fastest from the bunch as she retained the Maillot Jaune on a day also marked by the withdrawal of her teammate Lorena Wiebes. Stage 6 will offer a new battle between sprinters and attackers ahead of the final fireworks for the overall standings this week-end.

A 140-woman peloton sets off from Onet-le-Château without Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx), winner of three stages of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, whose team reports she suffers stomach issues. Mie Bjorndal Ottestad (Uno X) and Jenny Rissveds (Coop-Hitec Products) are non-starters as well. And the relentless pace from the start quickly leads to three abandons of riders weakened by several physical issues: Kaja Rysz (Lifeplus Wahoo), Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Cofidis) and Évita Muzic (FDJ-Suez), who finished 8th in last year’s edition.

An all out battle all day long
Eleven riders try to get away: Paula Patiño (Movistar), Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx), Amber Kraak (Jumbo-Visma), Olivia Baril (UAE Team ADQ), Loes Adegeest (FDJ-Suez), Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), Claire Steels (Israel Premier Tech Roland), Hannah Ludwig (Uno X), Clara Koppenburg (Cofidis), Ella Wyllie (Lifeplus Wahoo) and Clara Emond (Arkea).
But the peloton is not willing to let them go and a huge battle ensues over a rolling terrain, much more demanding than the speeds suggest. The attackers cover 42.4 kilometres in the first hour but their lead never gets higher than 50’’. They’re eventually caught on the slopes up the first categorised climb, the cat-3 Côte de Najac (summit at km 74.9). Some 40 riders remain at the front due to the relentless pace.

Baunerfeind’s solo
Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) chases the QOM points in Najac and on the next climb as well, the cat-3 Côte de Laguépie (km 85.2). Then Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon//Sram) attacks at km 90. Claire Steels (Israel Premier Tech Roland) tries to follow and comes 2nd at the Bonus point, with Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step) sprinting to the 3rd position.
Bauernfeind pushes her advantage, up to 1’30’’ as she summits the cat-4 Côte de Monestiés just inside the last 25km. She then tries to resist the bunch. Her lead is down to 38’’ with 10 km to go… But she maintains a gap of 37’’ with 5km to go.
Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) and Liane Lippert (Movistar) get away from the bunch in the finale but it’s too late to get back to Bauernfeind, who maintains a gap of 22’’ on the line. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) dominates the sprint in the bunch and retains the Maillot Jaune.