A mix of chaos and dynamic racing decided Stage 5 of the 2024 Tour de France Femme. SD Worx’s Blanka Vas took the stage win from a reduced bunch sprint while Canyon Sram’s Kasia Niewiadoma took the yellow jersey from defending champion Demi Vollering.
The race now enters a challenging second half. With a finish on the iconic Alpe d’Huez, and Le Grand-Bornand the day before, gaps are sure to be formed as riders push their limits on the difficult terrain. Olympic road champion Kristen Faulker and other notable riders fight for the overall victory alongside Niewiadoma and Vollering, while young riders battle it out for the white jersey.
An exhilarating finish is expected in the third edition of the Tour de France Femmes. Here is a recap of the race so far and what to expect in the high-stakes final stages.
Crash Drama and Vas’s Victory
Having reeled in the breakaway to a 10-second gap and holding the yellow jersey, Team SD Worx seemed to have the race under control. Then, chaos. A crash with 6 km to go took down leader Vollering, and as the race continued up the road, her teammate, Hungarian national champion Blanka Vas, found herself at the front of the race.
Vas, who came 4th at the Olympic road race after spending the day in the breakaway, was redeemed on the stage, winning the sprint finish over Niewiadoma and Movistar’s Emma Norsgaard. But, for Vas’s teammate, Vollering, things looked less positive. Clearly in pain, Vollering remounted her bike after the crash, attempting to lose as little time as possible to the front group and keep her yellow jersey.
With teammates spread around the road and only a few minutes of racing left, Vollering was left to do the hard work herself. And it was not enough. Niewiadoma, who started the day 34 seconds down on the leader, ended the day taking yellow, as Vollering lost 1:47 to the front group.
Niewiadoma Secures Yellow Jersey
It’s the first yellow jersey for Niewiadoma in the Tour de France Femmes. The women’s edition of the Tour is still in its infancy, and plenty of the sport’s top riders have yet to find success in the race. Niewiadoma, who finished both previous editions on the third step of the podium, looks to keep this yellow jersey to the end of the race. She’ll need more stage wins, and she’ll face stiff competition.
Niewiadoma came into this year’s Tour as a favorite for overall victory, along with Vollering. Last year, the long climb of the Col du Tourmalet settled the race overall. Vollering won that stage by nearly two minutes over Niewiadoma. As this year has found both riders in the lead at some point, a battle looks to be looming between Niewiadoma and Vollering yet again.
Key Contenders and Rising Stars Prepare for Challenging Final Stages
Stage 5 takes the Tour into its difficult second half. While the stages coming from the start in the Netherlands were fast and flat, the roads become much harder, combining hills and mountain-top finishes. The race’s hardest climbs are still to come.
With Grand Bornand and Alpe d’Huez over the weekend, the high mountains will see separation between riders as time is won and lost. This works in Niewiadoma’s advantage after Stage 5, with 1:19 separating her from Vollering.
It’s not just Vollering and Niewiadoma fighting it out for victory, though. France has its own hopes of victory, with both Juliette Labous and Évita Muzic within reach of yellow. There’s also American Kristen Faulkner, whose recent Olympic road race win has given her status as a race favorite despite limited success in her previous start in the race.
Plenty of young riders make up this year’s race, and the battle for the white jersey will be nearly as exciting as the battle for the overall victory. The young riders’ jersey is currently held by cyclocross star Puck Pieterse, with her off-road rivals Fem Van Empel and all-rounder Shirin Van Anrooij not far behind. Climber Neve Bradbury is also in the picture.
The competition for stage wins will be fierce, and the fight for the overall win even more so. With plenty of battles still to come, the Tour de France Femmes finale is one you won’t want to miss.
