RACE REPORT: The Tour de France Femmes finally delivered the showdown everyone had been waiting for.
Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ) claimed Stage 5 after outsprinting race leader Marlen Reusser (Movistar) and Kasia Niewiadoma (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto) in a thrilling three-rider finish in Belleville-en-Beaujolais. While Reusser successfully defended her yellow jersey, the biggest loser of the day was defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who cracked on the decisive climbs and hemorrhaged valuable time in the general classification.
PEZ Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift 2026 Race Coverage is presented by FACTOR Bikes
With the mountains looming later this week, Stage 5 offered the first real glimpse into the battle for the overall title—and Vollering made sure everyone noticed.
A Twisting Route Through Beaujolais
The 140-kilometre stage from Mâcon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais packed far more climbing than the profile initially suggested.
After a series of longer early climbs, the finale featured the brutally steep Col de Durbize, where the final 1.3 kilometres averaged nearly 10%, before the famous slopes of Mont Brouilly (2.9km at 7.9%) provided one final opportunity to split the race.
It didn’t take long for the drama to begin.
Within the opening kilometres, Demi Vollering was caught up in an early crash. Fortunately, the European champion escaped without injury and quickly returned to the peloton.
Pieterse Tightens Her Grip on the Mountains Jersey
The opening climb, the Côte de Cenves (9.6km at 4.4%), saw plenty of probing attacks but nothing that seriously threatened the peloton.
Instead, it was Puck Pieterse who quietly went to work.
The Fenix-Premier Tech rider collected maximum points over the Côte de Cenves, Col de la Croix de l’Orme and Côte de Saint-Christophe, extending her lead in the Queen of the Mountains competition without facing any real opposition.
Following the Saint-Christophe climb, Carlotta Cipressi (Human Powered Health) launched the day’s first meaningful solo attack.
The Italian swept through the intermediate sprint first, while surprisingly Lorena Wiebes finished second to collect valuable sprint classification points before Cipressi’s adventure came to an end shortly afterwards.
Finally, the Break Gets Away
The race truly ignited on the Col de Fontmartin.
Pieterse again surged over the summit first, but this time her acceleration helped launch the move everyone had been waiting for.
Nineteen riders escaped, creating the strongest breakaway of this year’s Tour so far.
The impressive group included Puck Pieterse, Riejanne Markus, Femke de Vries, Nienke Vinke, Justine Ghekiere, Lore De Schepper, Antonia Niedermaier, Amanda Spratt, Liane Lippert, Noemi Rüegg, Maeva Squiban, Dominika Włodarczyk and several other dangerous riders.
Niedermaier was the highest placed rider on general classification, beginning the day just 1:43 behind yellow jersey Marlen Reusser.
As the gap stretched toward two minutes, FDJ-SUEZ decided enough was enough.
Vollering’s teammates took control of the peloton, carefully keeping the escape within striking distance.
Vollering Lights the Fuse
After Pieterse continued collecting mountain points over both the Col de Gerbet and Côte de Pruzilly, the race settled briefly before exploding once more on the Col de Durbize.
FDJ-SUEZ dramatically increased the pace.
One by one the domestiques disappeared until only the GC contenders remained.
Célia Gery delivered a tremendous final pull before swinging aside, setting the stage for Vollering.
The Dutchwoman attacked immediately.
The acceleration instantly distanced Anna van der Breggen.
Moments later, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and young sensation Paula Blasi also cracked, followed shortly by Elisa Longo Borghini.
Only Marlen Reusser, Kasia Niewiadoma and the impressive Isabella Holmgren could initially match Vollering’s move.
The quartet bridged across to the strongest remnants of the breakaway, where teammates Franziska Koch and Liane Lippert immediately went to work, helping drive the leaders toward the final climb.
Mont Brouilly Decides the Stage
The remaining escapees were absorbed before the road pitched upward onto Mont Brouilly.
Behind, Ferrand-Prévot’s losses continued to mount.
Already more than a minute behind before the final climb, the defending champion’s hopes of another Tour victory were rapidly slipping away.
Just before Mont Brouilly, Reusser collected six bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint while Vollering added another three.
On the climb itself, Clément Berthet delivered one last enormous effort before Vollering again took over.
She repeatedly increased the pace, but this time neither Reusser nor Niewiadoma would yield.
Even multiple accelerations failed to shake her two biggest rivals.
A Sprint Between Champions
Inside the final 500 metres, Reusser briefly appeared to be on the limit but somehow fought her way back onto the wheels.
Niewiadoma then launched a sharp attack over the summit, briefly opening a small gap before the descent.
Vollering calmly closed it.
The trio plunged downhill together before entering the final kilometre still locked together.
Niewiadoma tried one final surprise attack, jumping from behind in the finishing straight and briefly catching both rivals off guard.
For a moment, it looked like the Pole had stolen the stage.
Then Vollering produced one final burst.
The Dutch star swept past in the closing metres, with Reusser perfectly positioned on her wheel but unable to come around.
Vollering claimed an emphatic stage victory, Reusser crossed second to successfully defend the yellow jersey, and Niewiadoma rounded out the podium after another aggressive performance.
The overall battle remains very much alive – but after Stage 5, Demi Vollering has made one thing abundantly clear:
She’s here to win the Tour.
Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift 2026 Stage 5 Results
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