Tour de France Femmes: Reusser Wins Stage 4 Time Trial, Takes 2026

Marlen Reusser, the reigning world time trial champion, aced the individual time trial in the Tour de France Femmes, winning stage four and taking the yellow jersey from Sigrid Haugset. The Swiss rider, competing for Movistar, completed the 21km course from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon in 27 minutes and 30 seconds, securing a 14-second lead over former champion Demi Vollering in the general classification.

Reusser's Dominant Time Trial Performance

Reusser's victory was a masterclass in pacing and power. She started strong and maintained her speed throughout the rolling course, finishing ahead of a star-studded field. This win marks a significant milestone in her career, as she had targeted this race as her primary goal for the season.

“I’m super, super happy. This was kind of the idea that we had since a long time. It’s the first Tour de France that I really saw as my goal of the year that I really targeted, and that I am here as a leader… we always said it’s our project, Dijon,” Reusser said after the stage.

How the General Classification Shaped Up

The time trial shook up the overall standings significantly. Reusser now leads the race, with Vollering close behind. The top ten after stage four is as follows:

Niewiadoma's Strong Ride and Other Highlights

Katarzyna Niewiadoma, the 2024 winner, delivered a fine time trial, finishing sixth overall. She expressed satisfaction with her performance, noting that she had worked extensively on her time trial skills. “I haven’t seen the results yet. I felt that I found my flow. I definitely spent a huge amount of time working on my skills because as everyone knew, I was not the best at it. As you can see, if you believe in something and you put good amount of work, anything is possible. So, yeah, the goal for today was to minimalize losses,” she said.

The stage also saw strong performances from young riders like Zoe Bäckstedt and Lieke Nooijen, who finished second and third on the day’s stage, respectively. The race for the white jersey (best young rider) is heating up.

Key Takeaways from Stage 4

• Marlen Reusser wins her first Tour de France Femmes stage and takes the yellow jersey.
• Demi Vollering remains a serious contender, just 14 seconds behind.
• Katarzyna Niewiadoma showed significant improvement in time trialing.
• Sigrid Haugset lost the overall lead but remains in the top five.
• The race is far from over, with mountain stages looming ahead.

What's Next for the Tour de France Femmes?

With the time trial behind them, the peloton now faces a series of challenging stages, including mountainous terrain that will test the climbers. Reusser will need to defend her lead against strong rivals like Vollering and Longo Borghini, who are known for their climbing abilities. The general classification battle is wide open, and fans can expect more thrilling racing in the coming days.

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