Lorena Wiebes has won the fourth stage of the Tour de France Femmes 2025. In the flat stage to Poitiers, she was the fastest in the bunch sprint ahead of Marianne Vos, who seemed to come a little closer than the day before. Lara Gillespie from UAE Team ADQ finished in third place. Despite a possible concussion, Demi Vollering started and completed the stage without problems.
You wouldn’t see them flatter than this stage to Poitiers in this Tour de France Femmes; but still, the route included about 700 meters of climbing. The riders faced the Côte de Marigny (900 meters at 5.4%) after almost 100 kilometers, followed in the last 3 kilometers by a tricky false flat section of 600 meters at 4%. After that, a flat finish awaited in sprint city Poitiers.
Before the start of the stage, only one question remained: could Demi Vollering start? Yes, was the answer from FDJ-SUEZ after intensive examination by the team doctor. A concussion was feared for Vollering, but once it was ruled out, she was allowed to start.
In the opening phase of the stage, several teams showed interest in the day's breakaway. German champion Franziska Koch attacked, while Valerie Demey also made a move. However, their attempts were unsuccessful because the wind was occasionally blowing dangerously as crosswinds. Maud Rijnbeek had more success 90 kilometers from the finish. The VolkerWessels rider rode solo ahead of the peloton for a while.
photo: Cor Vos
Crosswinds caused some nervousness
Because of the looming crosswinds, the pace in the peloton increased again, but Rijnbeek stayed out of reach. Franziska Koch (Picnic PostNL) and Ana Vitória Magalhães (Movistar) then took advantage of a quiet moment to catch Rijnbeek. They arrived just in time, because once again the wind was blowing hard from the side. This time the peloton split and Cedrine Kerbaol and Kristen Faulkner were caught off guard. Vollering rode attentively near the front.
Everything came back together, after which calm returned to the peloton. Some climbing meters appeared on the course, causing Rijnbeek to drop off early from Koch and Magalhães, who found a good pace together and held just over a one-minute lead on the peloton. SD Worx-Protime did most of the work there, but other teams also contributed amid all the nervousness.
Koch and Magalhães were finally caught just over four kilometers from the finish. Green jersey Lorena Wiebes was brought forward on time and had yellow jersey Marianne Vos on her wheel. Anna van der Breggen stretched the peloton into a line and even managed to drop teammate Lotte Kopecky. The Belgian clearly had no strength left to guide Wiebes.
Not an ideal lead-out for Wiebes, who beats Vos again
Van der Breggen kept the pace high, but when she launched the sprint, the lead-out had gone. For a moment, Wiebes seemed boxed in, but she found space on the right side of the road and blasted to the stage win. Vos followed her wheel and came close in the uphill final meters, but once again Wiebes was certain of victory. This time Lara Gillespie from Ireland took third place.
photo: Cor Vos
With Eline Jansen (fourth) and Shari Bossuyt (sixth), there was further Dutch and Belgian representation in the top 10 of the day’s results. In the general classification, Vos extends her lead, although Wiebes has closed in to 12 seconds thanks to the bonification seconds earned. There were few other shifts, although Pauliena Rooijakkers lost 10 precious seconds after sitting behind a split in the peloton, dropping her out of the top 10.
Tour de France Femmes| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 02:54:11 | |
| 2 | " | |
| 3 | " | |
| 4 | " | |
| 5 | " | |
| 6 | " | |
| 7 | " | |
| 8 | " | |
| 9 | " | |
| 10 | " |
Tour de France Femmes| Rank | Rider | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | 11:13:11 | |
| 2 | - | + 12 | |
| 3 | - | " | |
| 4 | - | + 18 | |
| 5 | - | + 22 | |
| 6 | - | + 25 | |
| 7 | - | + 27 | |
| 8 | - | " | |
| 9 | - | + 31 | |
| 10 | - | " |
