Lorena Wiebes of SD Worx Protime sprinted to her second consecutive victory in the Tour de France Femmes, triumphing on the lakeside finish in Geneva on Monday. Her win extends her overall lead to 14 seconds over Kim Le Court and 16 seconds over defending champion Demi Vollering. The Dutch sprinter's team, meanwhile, remains committed to legal action against the UCI over her disqualification from the Giro d'Italia Women in May.
Dominant Sprint Finish
Wiebes' victory came after a dramatic finale on the Quai du Mont-Blanc. Lone breakaway Riejanne Markus held a lead of over half a minute on the flat approach to Geneva and maintained that advantage into the final 5km as the peloton chased hard. However, the peloton swallowed Markus with 500 metres to go, setting the stage for Wiebes' inevitable surge.
"The girls were chasing full gas to bring back Riejanne," Wiebes said of her teammates. "It's even more beautiful to finish it off in yellow." Her turn of speed in the final 250 metres left rivals trailing, marking her second win in as many stages.
Legal Battle Over Giro Disqualification
Despite her success, Wiebes and her team are preparing to sue the UCI over her disqualification from the Giro in May, when her bike was ruled underweight after winning the opening stage. Team manager Erwin Janssen has been meticulous in ensuring no repeat of the incident at the Tour, observing the weighing process in Aigle.
"I took some videos of the process. There was a four-person jury, and the whole setup was fairly enclosed. It took place in a tent, so there was no wind, and the installation looked solid," Janssen said. "One of the four was someone who had handled the weigh-ins at the Giro. I think even he was feeling a bit nervous." Wiebes' bike came in at "a solid seven kilos," within regulations.
Janssen confirmed that neither he nor staff signed paperwork at the Giro, and lawyers are exchanging questions about the procedure. "We've received answers, but they're too vague. There will be further developments in the coming months," he said. He insists Wiebes was "unfairly expelled" and suffered financial and reputational losses, including missed sponsorship bonuses for stage victories. "Lorena could have secured three, perhaps even four, victories there," he added, noting the high stakes.
UCI President Responds
UCI president David Lappartient remained defiant when asked about the potential lawsuit. "We have very good relationships with the teams," he said, "but you can't be friends with everybody, otherwise we'd never decide anything. Sometimes we take decisions that are not 100% supported, but that's the reality about anything in the world." He added, "It's not a personal conflict."
Looking Ahead
Wiebes is unlikely to make it three in a row on Monday's hilly stage to Poligny, which features the first-category Col de la Faucille after just 24km and three more categorised climbs. Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, currently ninth overall, is biding her time for Tuesday's time trial and the big mountain stages. "I've spent a lot of time on the time-trial bike these last months. So I will try to give my best and to limit the damage on the fourth stage," she said.
