Lorena Wiebes of SD Worx-Protime claimed her second consecutive stage victory in the Tour de France Femmes on Sunday, sprinting to the win in Geneva after a dramatic finale in which Riejanne Markus’s solo breakaway was swallowed up by the peloton just one kilometre from the line. Wiebes, wearing the yellow jersey, launched her sprint with perfect timing, veering to the right to find space and accelerating clear to take the stage ahead of Elisa Balsamo and Marianne Vos.
Stage two result and general classification
The stage two result saw Wiebes finish first, with Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) second and Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike) third. Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal) and Letizia Paternoster (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) completed the top five. Wiebes will wear the yellow jersey again on stage three, having won both opening stages of the race.
In the general classification, Wiebes leads Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) by 14 seconds, with Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) a further two seconds back in third. Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team L’Imad) are both 20 seconds off the lead.
Markus’s bold bid falls short
The stage was defined by Riejanne Markus’s audacious solo attack. The Dutch rider, a time trial specialist, jumped clear of the peloton with around 35 kilometres remaining and built a lead that at one point stretched to over a minute. Markus overtook Ema Comte, who had earlier been part of a breakaway, and pushed on alone, but the peloton, led by SD Worx, gradually reeled her in.
With 22 kilometres to go, Markus’s lead was down to 55 seconds, and it continued to shrink as the pack closed in. Despite the efforts of the chasing group, Markus held a 30-second advantage with 14 kilometres remaining, but the gap was down to 12 seconds with two kilometres to go. The brave bid came to an end in the final kilometre, as the peloton swept past her and set up the sprint finish.
Wiebes praises team effort
Speaking after the stage, Wiebes paid tribute to her team’s work in chasing down Markus. “The girls were chasing full, full gas in the final 2km to chase back Riejanne Markus – and it makes it all the more special to finish it in the yellow,” she said. She also acknowledged the pressure of sprinting: “Every sprint is quite exciting. If you make a small mistake the sprint is over – so I’m still nervous when it comes to the sprint.”
Wiebes’s performance has made her rivals nervous too, as she has now won both stages of this year’s Tour. Her team, SD Worx-Protime, has been dominant, controlling the pace and positioning their sprinter perfectly for the finishes.
Hot conditions and breakaway action
The stage took place in sweltering conditions, with temperatures well above 30 degrees Celsius. Riders faced a challenging course that included five classified climbs, with Anouska Koster taking maximum points on the final two climbs. Koster’s eight points overall put her ahead of Ema Comte and Eline Jansen in the mountains classification, though Océane Mahé will wear the polka dot jersey on stage three.
The breakaway of the day included Célia Gery, Nina Berton, and Amanda Spratt, who attempted to pull clear of the peloton but were unable to build a significant gap. Ema Comte also tried a solo move with 39 kilometres to go, but it was Markus who made the most determined effort.
Looking ahead to stage three
Stage three takes the riders from Geneva to Poligny, the first official hilly stage as the Tour enters France. With the general classification still tightly packed, the stage is expected to be a significant test for the contenders, including Kim Le Court and Demi Vollering, who both came through stage two unscathed.
“It’s double Dutch as Lorena Wiebes wins second stage of Tour de France Femmes,” read the report from Geneva, highlighting the Dutch dominance of the race so far. Wiebes will be hoping to make it three in a row, but the hilly terrain may offer opportunities for the climbers to challenge her supremacy.
