Belleville-en-Beaujolais: Race favourite Demi Vollering won a three-way sprint for stage five on the Tour de France Femmes on Wednesday as Marlen Reusser held a slender 12-second overall lead on the day’s winner.
Former champion Kasia Niewiadoma sprinted first as Reusser refused to attack, but a determined Vollering overtook the fading Pole at the line, Niewiadoma however is now third at 1min 17sec despite missing out on a first stage win.
“I somehow made it. I think it was a relief after the finish line,” Vollering said of the cat-and-mouse finale.The Dutchwoman was already looking to the days ahead.
“Marlen has not won a Tour yet, and she will have to work for it. I’m sure it will be a hard battle, because she is not the rider who you can beat easily, because she is very strong,” she said of the Swiss overall leader.Pauline Ferrand-Prevot’s title defence took another battering over eight hills through the Beaujolais region.
