Marlen Reusser crashes off the podium on the final stage of the Tour de France Femmes

Marlen Reusser, a prominent figure in the Tour de France Femmes, suffered a setback during the final stage of the race. Having triumphed in the time trial on stage 4 and donning the maillot jaune, Reusser's day took a dramatic turn as she crashed off the podium near the conclusion. Hailing from Switzerland, she had been third overall in the general classification before the stage, leading Elisa Longo Borghini by nearly two minutes.

However, her form began to wane as the race progressed. After relinquishing the maillot jaune on stage 7, she suffered further time loss on the penultimate stage. On the final stage, characterized by a circuit around Nice with ascents of the Col d’Èze on each lap, Reusser appeared to be in a strong position with several of her Movistar teammates trailing behind.

Yet, when they reached the summit of the second ascent, Reusser was suddenly isolated within the group of favorites. Zoe Bäckstedt's relentless pace, aimed at supporting her Canyon-SRAM leader Kasia Niewiadoma, narrowed the group to a few riders. With approximately 67km remaining, Reusser found herself off the back and had to make a significant effort to rejoin the group.

In her desperate pursuit, she lost control over a right-hand corner and tumbled to the ground, extinguishing her hopes of reaching the podium. Though her injuries were minor, her general classification challenge was effectively over, prompting her to refocus on finishing the race.