Wiebes claims back-to-back stage wins in women's Tour

Yahoo

3 days ago

Lorena Wiebes has stormed to her second successive stage victory at the Tour de France Femmes, winning the fourth leg with a dominant sprint finish.
The Dutch rider from Team SD Worx launched her move around 250 metres from the line and proved untouchable, sealing another emphatic stage victory.
Fellow Dutch rider Marianne Vos again took second place, with Ireland's Lara Gillespie third.
Wiebes also triumphed in a chaotic sprint on Monday and now sits second overall, trailing Vos, who retains the yellow jersey.
Sarah Gigante finished 49th on the stage, and remains the highest-placed Australian in 19th overall.
It was Wiebes' fifth stage win overall, a record since the event's revival in 2022. Jeannie Longo holds the all-time record, with 24 stage wins from 1985 and 1989.
On the largely flat 130.7-km stage from Saumur to Poitiers the peloton remained tightly packed until the closing stretch before a showdown amongst the sprinters.
Wiebes timed her effort perfectly, leaving her rivals unable to respond before it was too late.
Former champion Demi Vollering continued racing despite a heavy crash on Monday.
Vollering, from the FDJ-Suez team, underwent medical tests that excluded a risk of a concussion and finished the day safely in the peloton.
She remained sixth overall, lagging 25 seconds behind race leader Marianne Vos.
"Very nice, I'm happy it worked out again," Wiebes said.
"That went well, but quite chaotic. I had to start the sprint early again because I was afraid of being boxed in."
Vos, who tried to edge past Wiebes in the final metres, conceded it had been too much of an ask.
"Nice to get close – but Lorena was very fast," Vos said.
"It's nice (to still be in the yellow jersey), we knew it would be chaotic, not only in the final... the whole stage was pretty tough, so thanks to the team."
with AP