Schlagwort-Archive: Tour de France Femmes

Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift – 2. Etappe:

Clermont-Ferrand – Mauriac – 152 Km


Plomi Foto

1 LIPPERT Liane GER MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 04:13:43
2 KOPECKY Lotte BEL TEAM SD WORX 00:00
3 PERSICO Silvia ITA UAE TEAM ADQ 00:00
4 MOOLMAN PASIO Ashleigh RSA AG INSURANCE – SOUDAL QUICK-STEP TEAM 00:00
5 SCHWEINBERGER Christina AUT FENIX-DECEUNINCK 00:00
6 LUDWIG Cecilie DEN FDJ-SUEZ 00:00
7 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 00:00
8 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON//SRAM RACING 00:00
9 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 00:00
10 DRONOVA Tamara RUS ISRAEL PREMIER TECH ROLAND 00:00
11 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA LIDL – TREK 00:00
12 SANTESTEBAN GONZALEZ Ane ESP TEAM JAYCO ALULA 00:04
13 REUSSER Marlen SUI TEAM SD WORX 00:04
14 SPRATT Amanda AUS LIDL – TREK 00:04
15 MUZIC Evita FRA FDJ-SUEZ 00:04

Gesamt:

1 KOPECKY Lotte BEL TEAM SD WORX 07:17:36
2 LIPPERT Liane GER MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 00:49
3 MOOLMAN PASIO Ashleigh RSA AG INSURANCE – SOUDAL QUICK-STEP TEAM 00:59
4 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 00:59
5 LUDWIG Cecilie DEN FDJ-SUEZ 00:59
6 DRONOVA Tamara RUS ISRAEL PREMIER TECH ROLAND 00:59
7 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA LIDL – TREK 00:59
8 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 00:59
9 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON//SRAM RACING 00:59
10 SANTESTEBAN GONZALEZ Ane ESP TEAM JAYCO ALULA 01:03

Lippert gets the best of Kopecky
Tour de France Femmes 2023 | Stage 2 | CLERMONT-FERRAND > MAURIAC

Rising through the ranks as one of the best puncheurs in the world, Liane Lippert (Movistar) showed the extent of her talent to power to the stage win on day 2 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. After an explosive finale, the German national champion edged Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) on the uphill sprint to Mauriac, with Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) rounding out the podium of the stage. Kopecky retains the Maillot Jaune after her dominant performance in the opening stage. More hills await the riders on day 3 but the fast women believe the road to Montignac-Lascaux gives them a proper opportunity to try and control the race.

The temperature quickly rises with an uphill start that inspires attackers as soon as they leave Clermont-Ferrand. After several attempts, Georgia Williams (EF Education-Tibco-SVB) and Hannah Ludwig (Uno-X) manage to get away from the bunch at km 9. Meanwhile, many riders are dropped, including the likes of Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) and Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma). The pace is too much for Amandine Fouquenet (Arkéa), who started despite a stomach problem and is forced to abandon. Lara Viecelli (Israel Premier Tech Roland) was a non-starter due to a similar problem according to her team.

Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) sets off in pursuit but she’s reeled in at km 20. The situation settles, allowing the attackers to build a gap of one minute while the stragglers return to the bunch. Williams goes first atop the first two climbs of the day, the cat-4 ascents of Côte du Mont-Dore (km 42.6) and Côte de la Stèle (km 51). The following downhill allows the two leaders to increase their lead up to 1’35’’.

The race explodes
The peloton accelerates on the valley leading to the main climb of the day, the cat-2 Côte des Plaines (summit at km 105.1). Williams and Ludwig shake hands as the peloton get back to them after 88km together at the front. And more attackers light fireworks on the 4.5km climb (average gradient: 5.5%), quickly followed by the cat-4 ascent of Côte des Boissières (1.2km at 7.2%, summit at km 108.4).
Julie Van de Velde leads the way to the first summit, ahead of her Fenix-Deceuninck teammate Yara Kastelijn. The bunch explodes due to the pace and to a crash involving Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek). They both quickly get back on their bike while Kastelijn goes solo on the climb up Côte des Boissières.

And in the end, a German wins
Eva van Agt (Jumbo Visma) and Anouska Koster (Uno X) join Kastelijn at the front to enter the final lap (36.7km) with a lead of 40’’ to the bunch. Kastelijn also dominates the cat-4 Côte de Merlhac (km 128.6). She leads the QOM standings with a total of 7 points.
The three attackers enter the last 20 kilometres with a gap of 45’’. Kastelijn is dropped by her two breakaway rivals as she misses a turn with 10km to go. And Van Agt crashes with 6km to go. Koster and Kastelijn are eventually reeled in with 4km to go.

The likes of Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram), Juliette Labous (DSM-Firmenich), Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) all try to get away on the final slopes of the stage but it comes down to an uphill sprint in Mauriac. Demi Vollering (SD Worx) leads out Lotte Kopecky but Liane Lippert (Movistar) goes past the Belgian icon right before the line.

Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift – 1. Etappe:

Clermont-Ferrand – Clermont-Ferrand – 124 Km

1 KOPECKY Lotte BEL TEAM SD WORX 03:04:09
2 WIEBES Lorena NED TEAM SD WORX 00:41
3 KOOL Charlotte NED TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH 00:41
4 VOS Marianne NED TEAM JUMBO-VISMA 00:41
5 MOOLMAN PASIO Ashleigh RSA AG INSURANCE – SOUDAL QUICK-STEP TEAM 00:43
6 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 00:43
7 DRONOVA Tamara RUS ISRAEL PREMIER TECH ROLAND 00:43
8 LUDWIG Cecilie DEN FDJ-SUEZ 00:43
9 GARCIA Mavi ESP LIV RACING TEQFIND 00:43
10 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA LIDL – TREK 00:43
11 LIPPERT Liane GER MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 00:43
12 EWERS Veronica USA EF EDUCATION – TIBCO – SVB 00:43
13 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 00:43
14 MAGNALDI Erica ITA UAE TEAM ADQ 00:43
15 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON//SRAM RACING 00:43

Irrepressible Kopecky, irresistible SD Worx
Tour de France Femmes 2023 | Stage 1 | CLERMONT-FERRAND > CLERMONT-FERRAND

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) wrote another beautiful chapter of her already stellar career as she powered to the Maillot Jaune on the first stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023. The Belgian icon, wearing her national champion jersey, dropped everyone with a strong attack on the final climb of the day, into the last 10 kilometres to go to Clermont-Ferrand. She pushed all the way to the line to take a spectacular solo victory with a gap of 41’’ to her first chasers, with her teammate Lorena Wiebes and DSM-Firmenich’s Charlotte Kool completing the stage top 3. Kopecky takes her 11th win this season. And her first on the roads of the Tour.

The 154-woman peloton sets off from Clermont-Ferrand at 12:15 to take on a 123.8km loop set to crown the first Maillot Jaune of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023. Martina Alzini (Cofidis) is the first attacker of the race, at km 11. But the peloton doesn’t let her go.

Unsuccessful attacks
Marie Morgane Le Deunff (Arkéa) is the first attacker to open a gap, at km 18, only to be caught 6 km further. It’s then time for Typhaine Laurance (Lifeplus Wahoo) to lead the way from km 26 to 45, while Amandine Fouquenet (Arkéa) tries but fails to join her at the front. In the meantime, Mireia Benito (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step) suffers a crash at km 27 and is forced to abandon.
The bunch rides together until tireless attacker Marta Lach (Ceratizit-WNT) sets off with 46 km to go. The former Polish national champion opens a gap of 50’’ but the bunch react and catch her ahead of the intermediate sprint in Saint-Hippolyte (26.7km to go).
Former world champion Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) goes first through the intermediate sprint. Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Decuninck) tries to keep the momentum going after the line but everyone follows her.

Kopecky’s power
The rolling terrain and the pace are too much for many riders, including Elisa Balsamo. Her Lidl-Trek teammates try to control the finale alongside SD Worx, who up the ante with Marlen Reusser on the main climb of the day, Côte de Durtol (cat. 3), to be summited with 9.3km to go.
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) accelerates inside the last 5 kilometres. And nobody can follow her strong attack. She goes first at the summit and keeps pushing all the way to the line, building a gap of 41’’ at the finish. Lorena Wiebes dominates the sprint from the bunch to complete another 1-2 for SD Worx and confirm their dominance at the highest level of cycling.

TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES AVEC ZWIFT HOW THE TOUR CHANGED MY LIFE (IV/VI) Liane Lippert

Liane Lippert: „Everybody will be at the top of their shape“


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25-year-old Liane Lippert is the puncher on everyone’s lips right now. Her second-place finish in the Flèche Wallonne, coming a year after she took the bottom step of the podium in the Amstel Gold Race, painted a bright future for her in the Ardennes Classics. And the Tour? While the German champion describes her participation in the inaugural edition as „a great experience“, she makes no secret of the fact that she failed to achieve the hoped-for results after crashing in the stage she had marked in red. She is heading back to France and dreaming of finally raising her arms in victory, but she now races for a different squad. Last winter, she brought down the curtain on her time at DMS, the team where she had turned pro in 2017 right after her promotion from the Junior ranks. Annemiek Van Vleuten has taken her under her wing in Movistar, where the German hopes to repay the favour by propelling her team leader to the top of the podium in Pau.

Liane Lippert (Movistar Team)
Born in Friedrichshafen (Germany) on 13 January 1998
Teams
Team Sunweb (2017 to 2020), Team DSM (2021 to 2022) and Movistar Team (2023)
Major results
2016: Junior European champion
2018: German champion, stage 3 and the overall of the Lotto Belgium Tour
2020: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, second in the Brabantse Pijl and eighth in the Flèche Wallonne
2021: second in stage 3 of the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta, silver medal in the European Championships
2022: German champion, second in the Tour of Scandinavia, third in the Amstel Gold Race, third in the Brabantse Pijl and fourth in the Worlds
2023: second in the Flèche Wallonne, third in the Brabantse Pijl, seventh in the Itzulia Women and eighth in Liège–Bastogne–Liège

Signature trait: Liane Lippert was raised on the shores of Lake Constance, in Germany, where she still lives: „It’s a beautiful place not far from Austria and Switzerland. It’s perfect for training. I got started when I was eight. My father used to cycle recreationally. I signed up for his club and have never stopped pedalling!“

How would you describe the impact of the first edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift on your life?
I would say pretty much. In Germany, women’s cycling is not very big, now it’s a bit more. Since the Tour de France, for sure, more and more people know about it. If I say I’m a cyclist, they know there was a Tour de France Femmes. That’s changed a lot, especially because I have the national champion jersey. It was nice to come back home. I won’t say people recognised me on the street, but they recognised me more. It was changing a lot. I get more fans and publicity. I get more interviews, more people from my area give me feedback after races.

And what about your career?
Firstly, I didn’t have the result I wished. I wanted to go for some stages, but I had some bad luck with the crash, and I had to work for Lorena [Wiebes, the winner of stages 1 and 5] in the sprints and for Juliette [Labous] for the GC, so for my results, it has not changed so much. It was just a great experience, I would say.

„I’m working to be able to fight with the climbers“

This sense of frustration must have been strong after the stage to Épernay? You were at the front of the race after the Côte de Mutigny. Then, you crashed on the descent…
Yes, it was, for sure. I had a chance with the team, I was ready for it, it was a good finish for me, and then I crashed and the race was finished. It was disappointing at the moment. It was my goal, and then we had to take the GC and go for sprint stages, there was a lot to do, so I could forget about it because I was busy.

After six years with DSM, you are now in a new team. What motivated you to move from DSM to Movistar?
After 6 years, I wanted to see something else, to find a new team. Movistar had a good plan for me, they really see me as a leader for the future. For me, it was a super opportunity.

Can we say that your move from DSM to Movistar is the sign that you also want to become a GC rider and succeed Van Vleuten at the top of the women’s cycling?
No, we are two completely different riders. I showed this year how strong I can be in the Ardennes classics [second in the Flèche Wallonne and eighth in Liège–Bastogne–Liège]. This is something where I want to focus, and to aim one step higher on the podium. For the GC, I have to see. I’m also working to be able to survive on longer climbs and be able to fight with the climbers. For sure, I want to test my legs this year on one of the Grand Tours. But I don’t want to change the rider I am because I think it’s a bad idea.

Tell us about your relationship with Annemiek and the role she has for you.
Annemiek really likes to share her experience, her knowledge, that’s really useful for the races. She’s one of the best. It was also nice to win the Vuelta together [Van Vleuten claimed the Spanish Grand Tour for the third time in a row last June]. It was a special feeling that I’ve never had before.

„The Tour is the biggest race where you can win“

What is your ambition for the second Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift?
We want to win with the team. Like last year, Annemiek wants to win the Tour. As for me, I’ll focus on stages. The fourth one, with the steep climb at one kilometre to go, suits me best. And I will support Annemiek for GC

Last year, the Tour came to the Vosges with two gruelling mountain stages. This year, it is going even higher in the Pyrenees. Would you say that the Tour brings new challenges to women’s cycling?

Yes, I would say so. But I also think the flat stages last year were hard too, which says a lot about the level of the Tour. Everybody will be at the top of their shape in the Tour. It will be very difficult to win because everyone is at such a high level.

Even if it has only had one edition so far, would you say that it is already the biggest race?
Yes, I would say so. I would love to win one of the Ardennes classics, but a stage in the Tour is the biggest race where you can win. I’ll do the nationals, the Giro and then the Tour. The races are planned to allow me to improve my shape for the Tour.

TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES AVEC ZWIFT 2023

Key points:

• The route of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, whose second edition will take place from 23 to 30 July, has been presented at the Palais des Congrès in Paris by Marion Rousse.
• „Even higher“, says the event director, who detailed the programme of the eight stages, totalling a distance of 956 kilometres, and which will pose new difficulties to the champions.
• The handover concept with the Tour will continue, but this time the riders will meet in Clermont-Ferrand to start the exploration of the Massif Central range. At the end of the week, the Pyrenees will begin the weeding out process among the most efficient climbers: the finish line of the col du Tourmalet will be the goal of all the contenders for the Yellow Jersey. They will have to defend their ambitions again the following day in the final time trial in Pau.

A giant step forward each year. After the inaugural edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, which saw the peloton set off from the Champs-Élysées to complete its route over the hills of Eastern France, crossing the Ballon d’Alsace as the 1905 pioneers did. The race will now head for the Massif Central and then the Pyrenees to offer new challenges to the female riders. By gathering the peloton in Clermont-Ferrand, the link remains between the women’s race and the Tour’s history. They won’t climb the Puy de Dôme this time. But they will experience the roughness of the Auvergne geology from the very first days. Perhaps not so much on the first stage, which might not see the peloton dispersed; then in a more marked way on the road to Mauriac, where they will have to deal with a positive altitude change of 2,500 meters before fighting for the stage win.

The sprinters will most likely take centre stage in Montignac, where the Lascaux caves are situated. But they will probably be more in the wings on the longest stage of the week (177 km), where the Aveyron ascents will work in favour of the most resilient riders of a breakaway or the strongest punchers for the finish in Rodez. The thin air of the Pyrenees will begin to take its toll on the Albi and Blagnac stages, but it will be on the weekend that the Yellow Jersey candidates will battle for the first time in the high mountains. The legendary Col du Tourmalet, where the Tour riders had their first taste of altitude in 1910, at 2,115 metres, will again be the place to be. The finish line of stage seven has been set five metres lower, in a setting where only the best female climbers in the world can hope to win. Whoever manages to do so will probably be among the contenders for the final time trial, which will take place around Pau, but partly in the opposite direction, on the same course where Julian Alaphilippe defended his Yellow Jersey in 2019.

Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Etappe 8

Lure – La Super Planche des Belles Filles – 123 Km

1 [NED] van Vleuten Annemiek Movistar Team 03:37:23
2 [NED] Vollering Demi Team SD Worx + 30
3 [ITA] Persico Silvia Valcar-Travel & Service + 01:43
4 [POL] Niewiadoma Katarzyna CANYON//SRAM Racing + 01:52
5 [FRA] Labous Juliette Team DSM + 01:56
6 [ITA] Longo Borghini Elisa Trek-Segafredo + 02:01
7 [USA] Ewers Veronica EF Education-TIBCO-SVB + 02:13
8 [DEN] Ludwig Cecilie Uttrup FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope + 02:50
9 [ESP] Garcia Mavi UAE Team ADQ + 02:59
10 [GER] Lippert Liane Team DSM + 03:01

Endstand:

1 [NED] van Vleuten Annemiek Movistar Team 26:55:44
2 [NED] Vollering Demi Team SD Worx + 03:48
3 [POL] Niewiadoma Katarzyna CANYON//SRAM Racing + 06:35
4 [FRA] Labous Juliette Team DSM + 07:28
5 1 [ITA] Persico Silvia Valcar-Travel & Service + 08:00
6 1 [ITA] Longo Borghini Elisa Trek-Segafredo + 08:26
7 2 [DEN] Ludwig Cecilie Uttrup FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope + 08:59
8 [FRA] Muzic Evita FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope + 13:54
9 2 [USA] Ewers Veronica EF Education-TIBCO-SVB + 15:05
10 1 [ESP] Garcia Mavi UAE Team ADQ +

Van Vleuten flies to glory

Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) is the best climber and the first winner of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. The Dutch star claimed her second victory in two days, on Sunday, as she tamed the gruelling ascent to La Super Planche des Belles Filles to secure the overall victory. Again, Demi Vollering (SD Worx) was runner-up at the summit to also secure the 2nd place in the overall standings and the polka-dot jersey as Queen of the Mountains. Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram) rounds up the GC podium of this first Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift after 8 days of intense racing since the start in Paris.
The final showdown starts with fast battles as early as the 109-woman peloton (without Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio and Anna Henderson) start from Lure. The peloton cover almost 40km in the first hour and no break manages to get away.

Garcia and Chabbey on the move
New attacks fly on the first ascent of the day, the cat-2 Côte d’Esmoulières (summit at km 52.5) but Demi Vollering (SD Worx) brings the main GC riders back to the front as she sprints for the QOM points to strengthen her stranglehold on the polka-dot jersey.
After the summit, 10 attackers manage to open a gap, including two members of the GC top-10, Mavi Garcia (UAE Team ADQ, 9th +12’06’’) and Elise Chabbey (Canyon//Sram Racing, 10th +12’24’’). They are joined by Leah Thomas (Trek-Segafredo), Paula Patiño (Movistar), Grace Brown (FDJ Suez Futuroscope), Riejanne Markus (Jumbo-Visma), Liane Lippert (Team DSM), Pauliena Rooijakkers (Canyon//Sram), Yara Kastelijn (Plantur Pura) and Coralie Demay (St Michel Auber 93).

Van Vleuten’s struggle
While the break establishes itself at the front, Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) sustains mechanical issues that force her to change her bike on three occasions, after she already did so in the neutral zone at the beginning of the stage.
First, she takes her teammate Arlenis Sierra’s bike and returns to the bunch at km 69. But SD Worx up the ante and create splits. Sheyla Gutierrez and Aude Biannic try to pace Van Vleuten back, until she takes matters in her own hands towards the cat-1 ascent up Ballon d’Alsace (km84.6). She bridges the gap on the first slopes… and stops two more times on the ascent to change bike.

A tight battle with the break
Demi Vollering (SD Worx), 2nd in the overall standings (+3’14’’), attacks three times on the ascent and also maintains pressure on the way down, but Van Vleuten reacts every time. Mavi Garcia is the first rider at the summit with a gap of 1’10’’ to the GC group.
On the valley towards the final ascent of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, La Super Planche des Belles Filles (7km, 8.7%), Trek-Segafredo and Canyon//Sram Racing work together to move closer to the attackers.

Van Vleuten asserts her authority
Pauliena Rooijakkers attacks at the bottom of the ascent, Mavi Garcia follows her move. But the GC contenders only trail by 20’’.
Van Vleuten attacks 6km away from the summit. She catches and drops the last attackers with 5.5km to go. Again, Vollering is the strongest rider in pursuit. But she can’t match Van Vleuten’s pace, as the Dutch climber flies to her second stage victory and the overall win in the first edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
A.S.O./Fabien Boukla

Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Etappe 7

Sélestat – Le Markstein – 127 Km

1 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 03:47:02
2 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 03:26
3 LUDWIG Cecilie DEN FDJ SUEZ FUTUROSCOPE 05:16
4 LABOUS Juliette FRA TEAM DSM 05:18
5 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON // SRAM RACING 05:18
6 PERSICO Silvia ITA VALCAR – TRAVEL & SERVICE 06:56
7 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 06:56
8 ŽIGART Urška SLO TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE-JAYCO 07:23
9 MUZIC Evita FRA FDJ SUEZ FUTUROSCOPE 08:27
10 ROOIJAKKERS Pauliena NED CANYON // SRAM RACING 10:10
11 EWERS Veronica USA EF EDUCATION-TIBCO-SVB 10:39
12 MARKUS Riejanne NED TEAM JUMBO VISMA 10:39
13 GARCIA CAÑELLAS Margarita Victo ESP UAE TEAM ADQ 10:41
14 KASTELIJN Yara NED PLANTUR-PURA 10:41
15 CHABBEY Elise SUI CANYON // SRAM RACING 11:05

Gesamt:

1 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 23:18:31
2 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 03:14
3 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON // SRAM RACING 04:33
4 LABOUS Juliette FRA TEAM DSM 05:22
5 LUDWIG Cecilie DEN FDJ SUEZ FUTUROSCOPE 05:59
6 PERSICO Silvia ITA VALCAR – TRAVEL & SERVICE 06:11
7 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 06:15
8 MUZIC Evita FRA FDJ SUEZ FUTUROSCOPE 10:13
9 GARCIA CAÑELLAS Margarita Victo ESP UAE TEAM ADQ 12:06
10 CHABBEY Elise SUI CANYON // SRAM RACING 12:24

Van Vleuten in her own world

Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) delivered a fantastic one-woman show on Saturday, as stage 7 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift took the riders into the Vosges mountains. There were three cat-1 ascents to overcome on the way to the finish at Le Markstein, and the Dutch climber went on the move as early as she hit the first slopes up Petit Ballon. She then dropped Vollering on the following climb, Col du Platzerwasel, to go solo 62km away from the finish. She capped off her dominant ride with another strong ascent, on Grand Ballon, to open major gaps and take the Maillot Jaune. She will have to defend it on the way to La Super Planche des Belles Filles, where the winner of the Tour will be crowned on Sunday.
The “queen stage” of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift brings awe and motivation in the peloton. With many attacks and counter-attacks, the peloton fly towards the first ascent of the day, the cat-1 Petit Ballon. 33 attackers, including the World champion Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo), open a gap of 50’’ just before the ascent. But Movistar have other ideas for the day…

Movistar launch Van Vleuten
The attackers are caught as soon as they hit the first slopes up Petit Ballon (9.3km at 8.1%, summit at km 48.6). Only a dozen of riders remain at the front of the race, the yellow jersey Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) is not part of them… And Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) already attacks.
Demi Vollering (SD Worx) follows Van Vleuten while Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) sets off in pursuit. Behind them, a group of chasers emerge with Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, Grace Brown, Evita Muzic (FDJ Suez Futuroscope), Juliette Labous (Team DSM), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram) and Silvia Persico (Valcar-Travel & Service). At the summit, Longo Borghini trails by 1’25’’, the chase group by 2’30’’ and Vos by 7’45’’.

Van Vleuten opens up impressive gaps
Van Vleuten sets a strong pace on the following ascent, the cat-1 Col du Platzerwasel (7.1km at 8.3%, km 65.8). The Dutch star drops her younger compatriot inside the last kilometre of ascent and goes solo 62km away from the finish. As she returns to the valley leading to the final climb of the day, Van Vleuten has a gap of 1’25’’ to her first chaser, 5’20’’ to Longo Borghini and 6’20’’ to the chase group.
At the bottom of the final climb, the gap to Vollering is up to 2’20’’. She keeps losing ground on the final ascent, while the battle for the third position unfolds behind her. Persico is dropped from the chase group with 15km to go, and Longo Borghini is caught just after.

Vollering holds on behind Van Vleuten
While Van Vleuten keeps pushing her lead at the front, Niewiadoma ups the pace with 12km to go. Only Labous and Ludwig can follow her; Longo Borghini and Persico (who had briefly returned to the group) are dropped with Zigart.
Van Vleuten summits the final climb with a gap of 3’30’’ to Vollering and swiftly covers the final 7.2km to take the stage win and the Maillot Jaune. With a gap of 5’16’’, Ludwig sprints to the 3rd place ahead of Labous and Niewiadoma, who takes the 3rd place overall.

Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Etappe 6

Saint-Dié-Des-Vosges – Rosheim – 128 Km

1 VOS Marianne NED TEAM JUMBO VISMA 03:09:26
2 BASTIANELLI Marta ITA UAE TEAM ADQ 00:00
3 KOPECKY Lotte BEL TEAM SD WORX 00:00
4 BALSAMO Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:00
5 PERSICO Silvia ITA VALCAR – TRAVEL & SERVICE 00:00
6 CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia ITA CERATIZIT – WNT PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:00
7 GUAZZINI Vittoria ITA FDJ SUEZ FUTUROSCOPE 00:00
8 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON // SRAM RACING 00:00
9 BARBIERI Rachele ITA LIV RACING XSTRA 00:00
10 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:00

Gesamt:

1 VOS Marianne NED TEAM JUMBO VISMA 19:30:14
2 PERSICO Silvia ITA VALCAR – TRAVEL & SERVICE 00:30
3 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON // SRAM RACING 00:30
4 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:35
5 MOOLMAN-PASIO Ashleigh RSA TEAM SD WORX 01:05
6 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 01:11
7 LABOUS Juliette FRA TEAM DSM 01:19
8 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 01:28
9 LUDWIG Cecilie DEN FDJ SUEZ FUTUROSCOPE 02:02
10 CHABBEY Elise SUI CANYON // SRAM RACING 02:34

Vos asserts her authority

Another intense day of racing, and another victory for Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) on the roads of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift! The Dutch icon dominated the sprint in Rosheim after the rolling course of the day and many attacks had reduced the bunch to some 50 riders. This time, she outsprinted Marta Bastianelli (UAE Team ADQ) and Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx), able to make it to the stage podium despite being involved in the crash that took Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) out of the battle for the stage win. Vos’ results since the start of the Tour are impressive: 2nd, 1st, 2nd, 5th, 3rd and 1st again.
Many riders have identified stage 6 as the last opportunity for long range attacks ahead of the final week-end over the Vosges summits… And it naturally leads to an intense battle from the start of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, with 129.2km to cover on a rolling course towards Rosheim.

Longo Borghini’s early chase
Maaike Boogaard (UAE Team ADQ) opens a small gap on the first ascent of the day, the cat-4 Col d’Urbeis (summit at km 19.2) but she’s reeled in at the summit, where Femke Gerritse (Parkhotel Valkenburg) takes 1 QOM point to defend her polka-dot jersey.
Action also unfolds at the back, with Elisa Longo Borghini suffering a mechanical on the following downhill. Trek-Segafredo call three teammates back to help her return to the bunch at km 37.

An impressive breakaway
Attacks keep flying and a strong break eventually gets away at km 47 with 14 riders: Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Trek-Segafredo), Sheyla Gutierrez (Movistar), Christine Majerus (SD Worx), Marie Le Net (FDJ Suez Futuroscope), Anna Henderson (Jumbo-Visma), Franziska Koch (Team DSM), Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon//Sram), Ruby Roseman-Gannon (BikeExchange-Jayco), Sandra Alonso (Ceratizit-WNT), Laura Smulders (Liv Racing Xstra), Katrin Hammes (EF Education-Tibco-SVB), Jesse Vandenbulcke (Le Col-Wahoo), Joscelin Lowden (Uno-X) and Tamara Dronova (Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad).
Lowden is the strongest on the cat-4 Côte de Klingenthal (km 59.7) and the cat-3 Côte de Grendelbruch (km 67.7) to claim 5 QOM points. In the bunch, UAE Team ADQ and Valcar-Travel & Service control the gap around 2 minutes.

Wiebes and Kopecky go down
The gap is down to 1 minute when Cordon-Ragot attacks inside the last 30km. Vandenbulcke also has a go and Hammes powers to the line of the bonus point (km 101.5). Grace Brown (FDJ Suez Futuroscope) sets a strong pace in the bunch and they only trail by 30’’ into the last 25km.
Henderson attacks on the way down and the breakaway explodes. Meanwhile, Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) and Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx), two of the stage favourites, suffer a crash. They get back up but lose time and the pace in the bunch drops down.

Vos is unstoppable
The attackers get back together for the last 20km, except for Koch. Team DSM set a strong pace in the bunch, despite Wiebes’ crash. Henderson attacks again and a leading trio emerges for the last 15km with Le Net and Lowden. Kopecky returns to the bunch and Audrey Cordon Ragot drops back to help the chase in the peloton, trailing by 45’’.
Le Net goes solo on the final ascent of the day, with 10km to go. Over the top, she has a lead of 24’’ to the bunch, led by Ellen van Dijk (Trek-Segafredo) after an unsuccessful attack by Liane Lippert (Team DSM).
Le Net is eventually caught with 5km to go. Jumbo-Visma and Trek-Segafredo set the sprint in the fast run-in to Rosheim. And Vos powers to victory, again.

Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Etappe 5

Bar-Le-Duc – Saint-Dié-Des-Vosges – 175 Km

1 WIEBES Lorena NED TEAM DSM 04:32:16
2 BALSAMO Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:00
3 VOS Marianne NED TEAM JUMBO VISMA 00:00
4 BARBIERI Rachele ITA LIV RACING XSTRA 00:00
5 VAN DER DUIN Maike NED LE COL-WAHOO 00:00
6 CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia ITA CERATIZIT – WNT PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:00
7 PERSICO Silvia ITA VALCAR – TRAVEL & SERVICE 00:00
8 GUAZZINI Vittoria ITA FDJ SUEZ FUTUROSCOPE 00:00
9 DRONOVA Tamara RUS ROLAND COGEAS EDELWEISS SQUAD 00:00
10 MANLY Alexandra AUS TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE-JAYCO 00:00

Gesamt:

1 VOS Marianne NED TEAM JUMBO VISMA 16:20:58
2 PERSICO Silvia ITA VALCAR – TRAVEL & SERVICE 00:20
3 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON // SRAM RACING 00:20
4 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:34
5 MOOLMAN-PASIO Ashleigh RSA TEAM SD WORX 00:55
6 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 01:01
7 LABOUS Juliette FRA TEAM DSM 01:09
8 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 01:18
9 LUDWIG Cecilie DEN FDJ SUEZ FUTUROSCOPE 01:52
10 GARCIA CAÑELLAS Margarita Victo ESP UAE TEAM ADQ 02:30

Wiebes is the absolute queen of sprints

Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) displayed again her pure speed as she sprinted to a second stage win in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, four days after she took the first Maillot Jaune in Paris. The Dutch sprinter put a significant distance between her and the World champion Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo), 2nd ahead of Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma), who slightly increased her GC lead with the time bonuses. On the longest stage of the race, the early attackers survived until they were caught inside the last 3km. They will try again to upset the peloton on Friday with a rolling course towards Rosheim.
The longest route of the week doesn’t deter early attackers. The battle is on from the start in Bar-le-Duc and it takes almost 30km for the situation to settle with a 4-woman breakaway at the front.

A big battle and a significant gap
Emily Newsom (EF Education-Tibco-SVB) and Anya Louw (AG Insurance-NXTG) launch the key move at km 13.5. With other teams, and most notably Human Powered Health, willing to make the break, they struggle to open up a significant gap.
Victoire Berteau (Cofidis) and Antri Christoforou (Human Powered Health) join them at the front and the gap increases to a minute at km 27. It reaches a maximum of 3’45’’ atop the first climb of the day, the cat-4 Côte de Pagny-la-Blanche-Côte (km 61.4), where Berteau takes the first QOM points of the day.

Norsgaard Bjerg abandons after a crash
Team DSM are the first team involved in controlling the gap, with Franziska Koch. Leah Thomas (Trek-Segafredo) also moves to the front of the bunch as the race enters the last 50km with a gap of 2’ from the early attackers to the peloton.
A mass crash involves a few dozens of riders with 46km to go. Among them, Emma Norsgaard Bjerg (Movistar) is forced to abandon. Lotte Kopecky and Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (SD Worx) are also involved, with the latter suffering an injury to the right arm.

Wiebes doubles up
The situation returns to normal and the gap drops down to under 1 minute inside the last 25km. Berteau attacks with 21.5km to go, towards the Bonus point of the day. Only Christoforou can follow her, while Louw and Newsom are reeled in by the pack.
Berteau and Christoforou hold on to a gap of 40’’ with 10km to go, and 20’’ under the 5km to go banner. They are eventually caught inside the last 3km. Trek-Segafredo try to set Elisa Balsamo for the win but Elisa Longo Borghini takes a wrong turn inside the last kilometre. It doesn’t unsettle Wiebes, who takes off to victory with two bike lengths between her and Balsamo. Vos rounds out the podium.

Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Etappe 4

Troyes – Bar-Sur-Aube – 127 Km

1 REUSSER Marlen SUI TEAM SD WORX 03:16:30
2 MUZIC Evita FRA FDJ SUEZ FUTUROSCOPE 01:24
3 AMIALIUSIK Alena BLR CANYON // SRAM RACING 01:24
4 EWERS Veronica USA EF EDUCATION-TIBCO-SVB 01:24
5 VOS Marianne NED TEAM JUMBO VISMA 01:40
6 KOPECKY Lotte BEL TEAM SD WORX 01:40
7 PERSICO Silvia ITA VALCAR – TRAVEL & SERVICE 01:40
8 ROSEMAN-GANNON Ruby AUS TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE-JAYCO 01:40
9 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 01:40
10 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 01:40
11 LACH Marta POL CERATIZIT – WNT PRO CYCLING TEAM 01:40
12 LIPPERT Liane GER TEAM DSM 01:40
13 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 01:40
14 LABOUS Juliette FRA TEAM DSM 01:40

Gesamt:

1 VOS Marianne NED TEAM JUMBO VISMA 11:48:46
2 PERSICO Silvia ITA VALCAR – TRAVEL & SERVICE 00:16
3 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON // SRAM RACING 00:16
4 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:21
5 MOOLMAN-PASIO Ashleigh RSA TEAM SD WORX 00:51
6 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 00:57
7 LABOUS Juliette FRA TEAM DSM 01:05
8 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 01:14
9 LUDWIG Cecilie DEN FDJ SUEZ FUTUROSCOPE 01:48
10 CHABBEY Elise SUI CANYON // SRAM RACING 02:20
11 GARCIA CAÑELLAS Margarita Victo ESP UAE TEAM ADQ 02:26
12 MUZIC Evita FRA FDJ SUEZ FUTUROSCOPE 02:47
13 LIPPERT Liane GER TEAM DSM 02:55
14 EWERS Veronica USA EF EDUCATION-TIBCO-SVB 02:55
15 ROSEMAN-GANNON Ruby AUS TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE-JAYCO 03:11

Reusser means power
The European time-trial champion Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) made the most of her skills to take a spectacular solo victory in Bar-sur-Aube, at the end of stage 4 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. The Swiss powerhouse attacked with 23km to go, ahead of the final gravel section of the day, and eventually triumphed in Bar-sur-Aube with a gap of 1’24’’ on Evita Muzic. Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) resisted the many attacks launched by her rivals and eventually dominated them in the final sprint while Mavi Garcia (UAE Team ADQ) lost almost 2 minutes as she suffered mechanical incidents and a crash. Vos will wear the Maillot Jaune for a third day on stage 5, as the peloton take on the longest stage of the Tour (175.6km towards Saint-Dié-des-Vosges).

As always since the start of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the battle for the breakaway is an intense one from the start. It takes many attacks, counter-attacks and follow up moves for a breakaway to establish on the way to Bar-sur-Aube, to be reached after 126.8km.

First attacks
The World champion Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) tries to get away with a 23-rider group but Movistar control that move. 42.5km are covered in the first hour before a group of three riders manage to make the break: Laura Asencio (Ceratizit-WNT), Valérie Demey (Liv Racing Xstra) and Coralie Demay (St-Michel Auber 93).
They open a gap of up to 2’40’’ en route to the first categorised ascent of the day, the cat-3 Côte de Celles-sur-Ource (summit at km 68.1), to be immediately followed by the first “white road”, the Chemin blanc de Celles (2,300m). The intensity increases in the bunch with many teams battling for the front positions and the gap quickly drops down.

First white roads
Demey can’t keep up with the pace set by Asencio and Demay while a race of attrition begins in the bunch. Canyon//Sram, SD Worx, Trek-Segafredo and Jumbo-Visma are the most involved teams to set the pace behind the attackers.
Demay goes solo at the front on the 2nd ascent of the day, the cat-3 Côte du Val des Clos (km 77.3). Around 50 riders remain in the front bunch when they eventually catch Demay at km 90, on the penultimate and longest white road of the day, Chemin blanc du plateau de Blu (4,400m).
On the gravel, Kasia Niewiadoma (3rd on GC, Canyon//Sram), Mavi Garcia (6th, UAE Team ADQ) and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (10th, FDJ Suez Futuroscope) all suffer mechanicals. They manage to get back to the front bunch on the cat-4 Côte de Maître Jean (km 98.6).

The key attack
Marlen Reusser attacks with 23km to go and quickly opens a gap. She has a lead of 25’’ as she enters the final 20km and faces the last gravel section of the day. Niewiadoma tries to attack several times, Vos also moves, Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) has a late puncture, but the GC contenders stay together except for Garcia, who sustains another mechanical and eventually crashes inside the last 15km.
Alena Amialiusik (Canyon//Sram), Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope) and Veronica Ewers (EF Education-Tibco-SVB) successively set off in pursuit and get together on the Côte des Bergères, the penultimate ascent of the day. But Reusser is too far away and she forges on on the last climb of the day, Côte du Val Perdu, to power to victory.
@ASO

Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Etappe 3

Reims – Épernay – 133 Km

1 LUDWIG Cecilie DEN FDJ SUEZ FUTUROSCOPE 03:22:54
2 VOS Marianne NED TEAM JUMBO VISMA 00:02
3 MOOLMAN-PASIO Ashleigh RSA TEAM SD WORX 00:02
4 PERSICO Silvia ITA VALCAR – TRAVEL & SERVICE 00:02
5 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:02
6 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON // SRAM RACING 00:02
7 GARCIA CAÑELLAS Margarita Victo ESP UAE TEAM ADQ 00:06
8 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 00:08
9 LABOUS Juliette FRA TEAM DSM 00:11
10 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 00:20
11 FAULKNER Kristen USA TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE-JAYCO 01:03
12 CHABBEY Elise SUI CANYON // SRAM RACING 01:31
13 LIPPERT Liane GER TEAM DSM 02:01

Gesamt:

1 VOS Marianne NED TEAM JUMBO VISMA 08:30:36
2 PERSICO Silvia ITA VALCAR – TRAVEL & SERVICE 00:16
3 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON // SRAM RACING 00:16
4 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:21
5 MOOLMAN-PASIO Ashleigh RSA TEAM SD WORX 00:51
6 GARCIA CAÑELLAS Margarita Victo ESP UAE TEAM ADQ 00:55
7 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 00:57
8 LABOUS Juliette FRA TEAM DSM 01:05
9 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek NED MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN 01:14
10 LUDWIG Cecilie DEN FDJ SUEZ FUTUROSCOPE 01:48

Ludwig recovers her smile

On the day after a terrible stage 2 for FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig claimed a spectacular victory in Épernay. The Danish National champion was the fastest on the final uphill of the day to take victory in front of Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (SD Worx) after an eventful finale. Vos retains the Maillot Jaune while the gaps open on the overall standings, with only seven riders within a minute of the GC leader.
On the day after an explosive finale around Provins and with many hills on the way to Épernay, baroudeurs are inspired from the start. Attacks are flying non-stop at the front, which prevents any group from opening significant gaps in the early parts of the stage.

First skirmishes
The peloton fly towards the first categorised ascent of the day, the cat-4 Côte de Trépail (km 21.6). At the summit, Femke Gerritse (Parkhotel Valkenburg) adds 2 QOM points to her tally (she was already a joint-leader with her teammate Femke Markus, wearing the polka-dot jersey due to a better position on the overall standings). Elise Chabbey (Canyon//Sram) is 2nd over the top.
After the summit, Pauline Allin (Arkéa) goes for her second breakaway of the Tour, after a previous attempt on the Champs-Élysées. Femke Markus joins her at km 40. More riders try to bridge the gap but the peloton, wary of the wind, cover every move.
Unable to open a significant gap, the attacking duo are caught with 74km to go. The situation then settles towards the final ascents of the day.

More attacks
Gerritse dominates again the cat-4 climbs of Vertus (km 78.9) and Mesnil-sur-Oger (km 88.1), each time ahead of Chabbey. She all but secures the polka-dot jersey at the end of the day.
Amialiusik accelerates after the climb and sets off alone at the front. Many riders try to counter-attack, but none succeeds to join her. She has a lead of 1’ against the bunch as she enters the last 30km.

Unbridled action
The peloton accelerate and the gap is down to 30’’ as they cross the finish line for the first time, with 24km to go. They face an explosive final lap, with the Côte de Mutigny, where Julian Alaphilippe powered to the stage win and the Maillot Jaune on the same roads in 2019.
Amialiusik is caught at the bottom of the climb. Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) sets the early pace, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (SD Worx) accelerates and then her teammate Demi Vollering powers to the summit. Only seven riders remain at the front: Van Vleuten, Moolman Pasio, Vollering, Lippert, Persico, Garcia, Longo Borghini.
The Maillot Jaune Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) is chasing 15’’ behind them, with Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope) and Juliette Labous (Team DSM).

Crazy finale
The situation is turned upside down again when Vollering misses a turn and Lippert goes down with her. Eventually, 11 riders get back together ahead of the final ascent of the day: Vollering, Faulkner, Ludwig, Niewiadoma, Labous, Persico, Moolman-Pasio, Van Vleuten, Longo Borghini and Garcia.
Van Vleuten can’t keep up when Longo Borghini accelerates on the slopes of Mont Bernon to take 3 bonus seconds over the top. She eventually gets back for the last kilometre, with the final uphill sections to battle it out.
Niewiadoma, Moolman-Pasio and Vos anticipate… And Ludwig flies past them right at the end to take revenge after a crash-marred stage 2 for her team on Monday.
@ASO

Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Etappe 2

Meaux – Provins – 135 Km

1 VOS Marianne NED TEAM JUMBO VISMA 03:14:02
2 PERSICO Silvia ITA VALCAR – TRAVEL & SERVICE 00:00
3 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON // SRAM RACING 00:00
4 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:02
5 VAN DER DUIN Maike NED LE COL-WAHOO 00:12
6 WIEBES Lorena NED TEAM DSM 00:29
7 DE WILDE Julie BEL PLANTUR-PURA 00:29
8 BARBIERI Rachele ITA LIV RACING XSTRA 00:29
9 KOPECKY Lotte BEL TEAM SD WORX 00:29
10 CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia ITA CERATIZIT – WNT PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:29

Gesamt:

1 VOS Marianne NED TEAM JUMBO VISMA 05:07:46
2 PERSICO Silvia ITA VALCAR – TRAVEL & SERVICE 00:10
3 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna POL CANYON // SRAM RACING 00:12
4 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ITA TREK – SEGAFREDO 00:18
5 VAN DER DUIN Maike NED LE COL-WAHOO 00:28
6 WIEBES Lorena NED TEAM DSM 00:35
7 KOPECKY Lotte BEL TEAM SD WORX 00:41
8 BARBIERI Rachele ITA LIV RACING XSTRA 00:45
9 DE WILDE Julie BEL PLANTUR-PURA 00:45
10 VOLLERING Demi NED TEAM SD WORX 00:45

Vos adds yellow to her iconic record

Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) now has 13 rainbow jerseys and a Maillot Jaune to bring more colour to her stellar record as one of the greatest champions in the history of cycling. The Dutch icon made the most of her experience and speed to win stage 2 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift after a very animated finale around Provins. On the uphill finish, she was the fastest from the group of six attackers that had emerged at the front, outsprinting Silvia Persico (Valcar-Travel & Service), 2nd on her 25th birthday, and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram Racing). Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) finished 4th and gained time on her GC rivals.
The 142 finishers in Paris set off from Meaux with 136.4km of racing ahead of them. The wind, steadily blowing at more than 20km/h and hitting 50km/h, and the rolling terrain lead to early battles.

The early KOM battle
Four riders manage to make the break at km 3: Sabrina Stultiens (Liv Racing Xstra), Femke Gerritse (Parkhotel Valkenburg), Rotem Gafinovitz (Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad) and Marit Raaijmakers (Human Powered Health). They open a lead of 2 minutes en route to the categorised climb of the day, Côte de Tigeaux (km 16.9).
At the summit, Femke Gerritse takes the 2 KOM points. She matches her teammate Femke Markus’ tally – their position on GC at the end of the stage will decide who wears the polka-dot on Tuesday.

More battles through the wind
The gap reaches a maximum of 3 minutes at km 27 and the situation settles for some 20km. Then, the tension seriously increases in the bunch, with teams such as Trek-Segafredo, FDJ Suez Futuroscope and Jumbo-Visma trying to split the bunch through the wind.
A dozen of riders are dropped, including the 3-time cyclo-cross World champion Sanne Cant (Plantur-Pura) but most of the bunch stay together. The main consequence of the acceleration is that the early attackers are caught with 78km to go.

The tension rises
As the route turns eastwards, the crosswinds become tailwinds and the race situation settles ahead of the final battles with a 19.7km loop around Provins. The tension eventually increases with a series of crashes around 30km away from the finish. Among the main riders involved, Marta Cavalli (FDJ Suez Futuroscope) and Amanda Spratt (BikeExchange-Jayco) struggle to get back on her bike.
At the same time, Maike van der Duin (Le Col-Wahoo) goes on the move. She has a lead of 15’’ as she crosses the line for the first time. Wiebes dominates the intermediate sprint in the bunch but she can’t follow the move initiated by Elisa Balsamo with her Trek-Segafredo teammate Elisa Longo Borghini.

The Goat takes it all
Six riders are at the front on the final lap: Balsamo, Longo Borghini and Van der Duin, joined by Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram Racing) and Silvia Persico (Valcar-Travel & Service), celebrating her 25th birthday with an attack on the roads of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
They enter the last 10km with a lead of 30’’ and increase the gap to 40’’ for the last 5km. Their move is about to allow them to battle for the stage win but also the Maillot Jaune.
Longo Borghini is the first to move inside the last kilometre, while Balsamo sits up. But Vos is in perfect control. Her final kick brings her the stage win, the Maillot Jaune and also the green jersey. The Goat has left her mark!
A.S.O.