Blanka Vas outsprinted Kasia Niewiadoma to victory on stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift after an enormous crash triggered chaos.
The SD Worx-Protime rider took the victory from the Canyon-SRAM’s Pole on a day of combined fortunes for SD Worx, as workforce chief and yellow jersey Demi Vollering crashed, however completed the stage.
Liane Lippert (Movistar) opened up the dash earlier than Niewiadoma got here around her, however there was no stopping Vas as soon as she put the facility down and took her first Tour stage. Lippert completed third.
Because of Vollering’s crash, Niewiadoma took the yellow jersey. It’s the first time that the 29-year-old has worn it on the Tour.
“It’s loopy. I nonetheless can’t imagine it,” Vas mentioned post-race. “I don’t know what to say. I didn’t count on this right this moment, as a result of I felt so unhealthy throughout the race. Lorena mentioned to me to imagine in myself, it helped lots. I can’t imagine it. My radio was not working so I didn’t know what occurred on the again. Demi crashed, and we misplaced yellow, in order that’s a disgrace. Now I’ve combined emotions.
“I used to be simply on Mischa’s wheel, in second place, so I didn’t hear something [of the crash]. I didn’t know what occurred there.
“Within the ultimate I simply thought I can’t let Faulkner go, as a result of I made the identical mistake on the Olympics. I used to be struggling a lot, however I knew if I survived the small climb possibly I may win. The Olympics gave me quite a lot of confidence as a result of I used to be racing within the entrance, and I do know if I’ve a very good day I might be on the entrance.”
The newest race content material, interviews, options, critiques and skilled shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
“It feels very particular for certain,” Niewiadoma mentioned. “I simply realized about it, so it hasn’t actually reached me but. I’m blissful for my workforce and my teammates and everybody who has put laborious work into it.
“At this time’s stage was very chaotic generally, they’ve all been hectic and harmful. We knew that we needed to keep within the entrance. The principle aim was to be within the entrance, to keep away from any type of chaos and the crashes. I feel good positioning, having teammates round, allowed us to remain in entrance of something.”
Extra to observe…
The way it occurred
(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
After three days wholly within the low international locations, the Tour de France Femmes was lastly set to enter France on stage 5. The race organisers had been eager to emphasize Thursday’s race as one for the sprinters, the ultimate likelihood of the race, however there have been 5 labeled climbs on the highway to Amnéville, and the ultimate 1.4km has ramps of as much as 6%.
Elena Pirrone (Roland) was the primary girl to assault, opening up a small hole, and he or she was joined 10km into the day by Michaela Drummond (Arkéa-B&B Inns). Pirrone was the primary to prime the primary climb of the day, the Côte de Hotte, however they had been caught quickly after.
Over the following 20km a number of assaults passed off, however nothing caught. Concerned within the strikes had been Loes Adegeest (FDJ-Suez), Lily Williams (Human Powered Well being), Olivia Baril (Movistar) and Marthe Truyen (Fenix-Deceuninck).
With 100km to go, a brand new group emerged up the highway, involving Pirrone, Amandine Fouquenet (Arkéa-B&B Inns) and Wilma Aintila (Lotto Dstny), as Liv AlUla Jayco pulled within the peloton.
The day rapidly turned hectic, with a big group getting away with 86km to go, involving Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx-Protime) and Emma Norsgaard (Movistar), however this transfer was quickly extinguished.
Inexperienced jersey Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL) had a tough day, being distanced with 84km to go and ending over 16 minutes down, however nicely throughout the time restrict.
Energetic already on Thursday, Adegeest attacked as soon as once more with 81km to go, passing the summit of the Côte de Fermont in first place.
13km later, Julie Van De Velde (AG Insurance coverage-Soudal) and Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike), set off in pursuit of Adegeest. They got here along with 68km left, till nicely throughout the final 5km. At occasions their benefit was over two minutes, however was largely a small hole.
There was a short counterattack by Alice Towers (Canyon-SRAM) because the race approached 50km to go, however this didn’t final lengthy.
Van Empel received the QOM dash atop the Côte de Briey, forward of Adegeest, with the previous profitable once more on the Côte de Montois-la-Montagne. Van de Velde received the bonus intermediate dash in Malancourt-la-Montagne, earlier than cohesion began to come back to an finish within the breakaway, though the trio nonetheless had a 24-second benefit with 10km to go.
Whereas the break swapped assaults amongst themselves, again within the peloton, an enormous crash passed off near the entrance.
Amongst those that got here down had been yellow jersey Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime), Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL), queen of the mountains Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), Anna Henderson (Visma-Lease a Bike), Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Workforce ADQ) and Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco).
Whereas Vollering took time to remount her bike, the race continued up entrance.
Van Empel and Van de Velde had been caught with slightly below 4km to go, earlier than Adegeest was caught a kilometre later.
A lead group had fashioned off the entrance of the peloton in all of the chaos, containing Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime), Kasia Niewiadoma and Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM), who had probably the most to realize from Vollering’s misfortune, Kristen Faulkner (EF-Oatly-Cannondale), Lucinda Model (Lidl-Trek), Cédrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT) and Emma Norsgaard (Movistar).
Within the ultimate kilometre, Niewiadoma attacked first, chased by Norsgaard. Faulkner then tried to ghost away, in a repeat of her Olympic efficiency. Nonetheless, this time Vas was awake to the transfer. Lippert opened up the dash within the robust closing metres, however Vas had sufficient energy to come back around her. Niewiadoma completed second, and took bonus seconds too, making certain she took the yellow jersey.
Outcomes
Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2024, stage 4: Bastogne > Amnéville (152.5km)
1. Blanka Vas (Hun) SD Worx-Protime, in 3:46:51
2. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM
3. Liane Lippert (Deu) Movistar
4. Kristen Faulkner (USA) EF-Oatly-Cannondale, all at identical time
5. Emma Norsgaard (Den) Movistar, +8s
6. Lucinda Model (Ned) Lidl-Trek, +11s
7. Cédrine Kerbaol (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT, at identical time
8. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +28s
9. Marianne Vos (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike
10. Évita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-Suez
Normal classification after stage 5
1. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM, in 11:27:29
2. Kristen Faulkner (USA) EF-Oatly-Cannondale, +19s
3. Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +22s
4. Cédrine Kerbaol (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT, +47s
5. Juliette Labous (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL, +56s
6. Thalita De Jong (Ned) Lotto Dstny, +1:04
7. Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Lidl-Trek, +1:07
8. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +1:08
9. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +1:19
10. Liane Lippert (Deu) Movistar, +1:20
