Grace Brown had been focussed on the stage 8 time trial well before the Tour de France Femmes even got underway but as the day approached it perhaps held even greater significance as it represented the final hope of a stage podium appearance for FDJ-Suez at this year’s edition of the race.
Though in the end just two seconds stood between Brown and those podium steps, with the Australian rider coming fourth as SD Worx swept the top three spots on the final stage. Marlen Reusser won with a time of 29:15, while GC winner Demi Vollering was ten seconds back in second and Lotte Kopecky nudged Brown off the podium after finishing 38 seconds off Reusser’s scorching time. Brown was 40 seconds back.
