Demi Vollering claimed a commanding victory on stage five of the Tour de France Femmes, outsprinting race leader Marlen Reusser at the summit of Mont Brouilly. The 2023 champion's triumph further exposed the unraveling defence of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who now trails the leading trio by over five minutes.
Breakaway Decides the Race
The decisive move came on the final steep gradients of Mont Brouilly, where Vollering, Reusser, and Kasia Niewiadoma – the three strongest riders in this year's race – broke clear of the peloton. Vollering timed her sprint perfectly, holding off Reusser to secure her fourth career Tour stage win.
“Today was a really cool race,” Vollering said. “Every single rider of the team was part of it and I enjoy those victories the most. It’s even more special and beautiful because you do it all together. I thought I was not going to make it in the sprint and somehow I made it, so it was a huge relief. I knew Kasia would go early, because she always does, and I knew Marlen would gamble. I just had to try and I gave it my everything. I needed every single metre of the finishing straight.”
Ferrand-Prévot's Title Hopes Shattered
On the hilly route from Mâcon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, Ferrand-Prévot's Tour unravelled completely. After a lackluster time trial on Tuesday, the French rider was dropped on the Col de Durbize when Vollering accelerated viciously. By the finish, she had conceded more than five minutes to the leading trio.
“I think it’s unrecoverable,” Ferrand-Prévot admitted at the finish, acknowledging the scale of her deficit.
Mont Ventoux Stage Still On
Earlier, there had been a glimmer of hope for Ferrand-Prévot when it was confirmed that Friday's stage to Mont Ventoux would go ahead as scheduled, despite wildfire concerns. However, the Vaucluse prefecture has banned public access to the nearby Dentelles de Montmirail hills, where two shorter climbs are located, citing “the sensitivity of the massif and the risk of fire.” But with the champion now so far behind, that news is largely academic.
Padding Row Intensifies
The controversy over chest padding checks continued, with the riders' union (CPA) issuing a statement demanding that such inspections be conducted in a “professional and respectful manner, that fully safeguards the dignity and privacy of every rider.” The statement added that this was to “prevent any misunderstanding, controversy or unpleasant situations.”
Initial reports suggested a female commissaire would carry out the checks, but Flemish media footage showed a male commissaire performing an initial inspection in public view. The fears of illegal aerodynamic enhancement appear well founded, according to Gaël Le Bellec, sports director of the Ma Petite Entreprise team. “I’ve never had wind of it among the women,” he said, “but I know that triathletes particularly put bidons (drink bottles) under their kit on their chest to reduce aerodynamic drag.”
