Wiebes wins Tour de France Femmes opener to win first yellow jersey
Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes claimed the first yellow jersey of the Tour de France Femmes on Saturday after winning the opening stage in Lausanne, finishing ahead of Mauritian Kim Le Court and European champion Demi Vollering in a sprint finish.
Demi Vollering, the reigning Giro d’Italia Women champion, enters the upcoming Tour de France Femmes with an impressive record of 10 wins from just 20 races this season. As the UCI’s number-one-ranked female rider, her lead in points is substantial, over 2,000 greater than her nearest competitor, Paula Blasi. However, Vollering’s confidence does not stem from the belief that she must secure her season, as she has already achieved numerous victories.
She enters the race with a calm and unassuming mindset, focusing on enjoying the season with her team and not fixating on winning the Tour. Vollering’s success this year includes stage wins and victories at prestigious one-day races, culminating in her Grand Tour treble in June. Despite the strong form guide, she is aware of the fierce competition that the yellow jersey will bring, including Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Blasi, Longo Borghini, and Reusser.
Vollering acknowledges the pressure of the race, but sees it as a privilege and a great motivation to bring the yellow jersey to a French team. The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift commences on Saturday, 1 August, in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Written by urgent.news from Cycling Weekly's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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