Kimberley Le Court of AG Insurance-Soudal secured a notable victory in stage six of the Tour de France Femmes, overcoming a mechanical issue and an early crash to win a sprint finish. Swiss rider Marlen Reusser of Movistar maintained her overall lead, retaining the yellow jersey after the 153.4km ride from Montbrison to Tournon-sur-Rhone.
Le Court, a Mauritian national champion, experienced a mechanical failure that necessitated a bike change just 15km from the finish line. Despite this setback, and having crashed earlier in the stage, the 30-year-old managed to rejoin the leading group. Her team played a crucial role in bringing her back into contention, particularly before the day’s final climb.
Dramatic Stage Six Finish
The stage was marked by a relentless day of climbing, featuring six categorised climbs. An initial three-rider breakaway, comprising Loes Adegeest (Lidl-Trek), Nikola Noskova (Cofidis), and Katrine Aalerud (Uno-X Mobility), established a lead of up to 2 minutes before being reined in by the peloton with 53.9km remaining.
As the race progressed, a group of eight riders formed a breakaway 10km from the finish. Le Court, having made a significant effort to bridge the gap to this group, launched her sprint with 300m to go. She successfully held off French rider Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) of the Netherlands, who finished second and third respectively.
Le Court described the race as “crazy” and expressed her disbelief at still having the legs to sprint after the demanding efforts. She highlighted the critical support from her team during her bike change, stating they “brought me back slowly but surely to the bunch.” This victory marks Le Court’s second stage win in the Tour de France Femmes, following her success in stage five of the previous year.
General Classification Standings
Marlen Reusser continues to lead the general classification, holding a 12-second advantage over Dutch rider Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez). Reusser’s consistent performance has seen her maintain the yellow jersey since the time trial, positioning her well for the upcoming decisive stages.
The top ten in the general classification after stage six are:
- 1. Marlen Reusser (Swi/Movistar) 19hrs 43mins 34secs
- 2. Demi Vollering (Ned/FDJ-Suez) +12secs
- 3. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol/Canyon-SRAM) +1min 17secs
- 4. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita/UAE Team-L’imad) +2min 28secs
- 5. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger/Canyon-SRAM) +2min 40secs
- 6. Dominika Wlodarczyk (Pol/UAE Team-L’imad) +2min 54secs
- 7. Isabella Holmgren (Can/Lidl-Trek) +3mins 5secs
- 8. Cedrine Kerbaol (Fra/EF Education-Oatly) +3min 7secs
- 9. Kim Le Court (Mau, AG Insurance-Soudal) +3mins 26secs
- 10. Paula Blasi (Spa/UAE Team ADQ) +3min 51secs
Le Court’s stage win propelled her into the top ten of the general classification, moving her to ninth place. The warm conditions, with temperatures reaching just under 32C, added another layer of challenge for the riders.
Looking Ahead to the Queen Stage
The upcoming stage seven, often referred to as the queen stage, is expected to be a significant challenge for the contenders. This 146.8km route will take riders from La Voulte-sur-Rhone to a summit finish at the renowned Mont Ventoux in the French Alps. The challenging terrain of Mont Ventoux promises potential upsets and surprises across the general classification, with only 12 seconds separating Reusser and Vollering.
The stage six results saw Kim Le Court finish in 4 hours, 1 minute, and 48 seconds, with Cedrine Kerbaol and Puck Pieterse recording the same time. Other notable finishers included Sarah Van Dam (Visma-Lease A Bike) and Celia Gery (FDJ United-Suez), who also finished with the same time as the winner.
Source: bbc.co.uk
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