Swiss cyclist Marlen Reusser claimed victory in the fourth stage of the Tour de France Femmes on August 4, securing the yellow jersey and taking the overall lead in the race. The individual time trial covered 21 kilometers from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon, and Reusser completed it in 27 minutes and 30 seconds, outpacing her rivals and establishing a 14-second lead over Dutch rider Demi Vollering, the pre-race favorite and 2023 champion.
Reusser, 34, a specialist in time trials and the reigning world champion in the discipline, described the Tour as her primary goal for the year. She noted the importance of the fourth stage and her preparation aimed specifically at performing well on this course. Despite facing a minor equipment problem and challenging wind conditions, Reusser managed to maintain her advantage, finishing four seconds ahead of fellow Dutch cyclist Lieke Nooijen, who took second place on the day. Vollering completed the stage in third place, 18 seconds behind Reusser.
Before the time trial, Norwegian cyclist Sigrid Haugset wore the yellow jersey following a successful solo victory earlier in the race. However, she struggled during the time trial, finishing more than three minutes slower than Reusser, which caused her to fall to fourth overall behind French rider Cedrine Kerboal, who moved into third position.
French defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who was considered a strong contender, experienced a difficult day on the course. Despite the climbs playing to her strengths in past editions, she was unable to match the pace of the leaders and finished 14th on the stage, dropping more than two minutes behind Reusser in the overall classification. Ferrand-Prévot acknowledged the physical and mental strain she felt during the stage and expressed relief that it was over. She now faces a more challenging route ahead, which includes hilly stages and the significant climb up Mont Ventoux scheduled for Friday.
Vollering, while losing time to Reusser, expressed satisfaction with her performance given the specialist nature of the time trial and remains closely positioned to the race leader. Meanwhile, Reusser’s strong showing has created a shift in the race dynamics, with the Swiss rider taking a clear lead as the peloton moves into more demanding terrain.
The Tour de France Femmes continues with a 140-kilometer hilly stage from Macon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, testing riders’ climbing abilities and endurance as the competition intensifies.