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

Marlen Reusser, the reigning world time trial champion, won the Tour de France Femmes stage four individual time trial on Tuesday, seizing the yellow jersey from Sigrid Haugset. The Swiss rider's powerful performance over 21 kilometers from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon in 27 minutes 30 seconds gave her a 14-second lead over Demi Vollering in the general classification.

Reusser Dominates the Time Trial

Reusser, riding for Movistar, delivered a masterclass in pacing and aerodynamics, beating her rivals by a significant margin. Her victory was not just a stage win but a statement of intent, as she had targeted this Tour de France as her primary goal of 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 of 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 Stage Unfolded

The time trial saw dramatic shifts in the overall standings. Sigrid Haugset, who started the day in yellow, lost over three minutes and dropped down the classification. Meanwhile, 2024 winner Kasia Niewiadoma rode a strong time trial, expressing satisfaction with her performance.

“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,” Niewiadoma said.

General Classification After Stage 4

The GC standings have been reshuffled, with Reusser now leading the race. Here's the top 10:

Stage 4 Results Highlights

The stage itself saw Reusser set the fastest time, with Lieke Nooijen finishing second at just 4 seconds back, and Demi Vollering third at 18 seconds. The top five stage finishers were:

• Marlen Reusser (Movistar) – 27:30
• Lieke Nooijen (Visma-Lease a Bike) – +4''
• Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) – +18''
• Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-Sram) – +20''
• Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime) – +45''

Key Takeaways from Stage 4

The time trial has set up an exciting battle for the overall victory. Here are the main points:

• Reusser's dominance – She proved her time trial prowess, taking a commanding lead.
• Vollering's consistency – The former champion remains close, just 14 seconds behind.
• Niewiadoma's improvement – The 2024 winner has worked hard on her time trialing and limited losses.
• Haugset's fall – The yellow jersey was lost after a difficult day.

What's Next for the Tour de France Femmes?

The race continues with more challenging stages, including mountain stages that will test the climbers. Reusser will need to defend her lead against strong rivals like Vollering and Niewiadoma. The coming days promise intense action as the peloton tackles varied terrain.

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