The fifth edition of the prestigious Women’s Tour de France kicked off in dramatic fashion on Saturday, with Dutch cycling star Lorena Wiebes of the SD Worx-Protime squad claiming the opening stage win on the roads surrounding Switzerland’s Lausanne.
The opening 137-kilometer route, which started and finished in the heart of Lausanne, treated spectators and competitors alike to stunning Alpine scenery, with the peloton winding past two glacial lakes set against the backdrop of the snow-dusted Swiss Alps. By the final sprint to the line, Wiebes outmatched the field to take the first yellow jersey of this year’s race, with Luxembourg’s Kim Le Court crossing just behind in second place.
Third place went to pre-race favorite Demi Vollering, who has already notched multiple major victories this season, including an overall win at the women’s Giro d’Italia. Vollering’s late attack forced Wiebes to make a tough chase, setting up one of the most dramatic opening stage sprints in recent race history.
In a post-race interview, an elated Wiebes shared her surprise at the result: “I can’t believe it. The entire SD Worx-Protime team worked incredibly hard to put me in this position. When Demi attacked, I immediately knew I had to stick with her. That sprint felt like it went on forever, but I’m so proud we pulled this off.”
Notable finishers in the opening stage include last year’s overall winner, French rider Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt, who crossed the line in eighth place, while Vuelta champion Paula Blasi claimed 12th position overall.
Over the next eight days, riders will compete across a total 1,175-kilometer route that travels from Switzerland into southern France. The race’s most challenging test comes on Friday, when competitors will tackle the iconic climb of Mont Ventoux, before the overall winner is crowned in Nice on the French Riviera on the final Sunday. The opening of the women’s race comes one week after Slovenian cycling great Tadej Pogačar secured his fifth overall title at the men’s Tour de France, wrapping up the men’s competition last weekend.