Ricarda Bauernfeind speaks…The 23-year-old Canyon-SRAM rider has become the youngest stage winner at the Tour de France Femmes. Asked in the post-race interview if she realises this, she shakes her head with a mix of joy and shock on her face. “To be honest, I still can’t believe it. It’s incredible,” she says of her win. She praises her team: “I had the support of my teammates, the cars behind and everyone helped and supported me. It was just an incredible team ride. My teammates did such a fantastic job…and then it was up to me. I attacked and it worked out.”
Lippert shares her happiness at the fellow German taking the win, while Reusser says very honestly that on the one hand she had hoped they would catch Baurenfeind, but on the other, she hoped the young Canyon-SRAM rider would ride to victory. And ride to victory she did!
Thanks for joining me on this exciting stage five of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and for all your messages. I’ll be back on the weekend but in the meantime, I’ll leave you in the capable hands of my colleagues for today’s race report and live updates during stage six tomorrow.
Updated
The top 10 on General Classification
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) 18hr 55min 17sec
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Soudal-Quickstep) +49sec
Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) +51sec
Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) +51sec
Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) +51sec
Yara Kastelijn (Fenix–Deceuninck) +1min
Demi Vollering (SD Worx) +1min 03sec
Liane Lippert (Movistar) +1min 25sec
Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon-SRAM) +1min 38sec
Juliette Labous (DSM–Firmenich) +1min 48sec
Top five in stage five
1. Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon-SRAM)
2. Marlen Reusser (SD Worx)
3. Liane Lippert (Movistar)
4. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx)
5. Soraya Paladin (Canyon-SRAM)
She held off Marlen Reusser and @LianeLippert to take stage 5 victory, averaging 44.9km/h over the final 20km in her bid for glory! #TDFF2023 #TDFFdata https://t.co/NfJOlhfTb7
— letourdata (@letourdata) July 27, 2023
My heart is racing after that finish. Baurenfeind really held her nerve there and has bagged herself a well-deserved win. Canyon-SRAM will be very happy – it’s their first win of the Tour de France Femmes 2023.
In those final few hundred metres, Reusser and Lippert seemed to give up the chase as Baurenfeind sailed to victory. The TV coverage has just shown Kopecky, who doesn’t look best pleased…
Updated
Ricarda Bauernfeind wins stage five!!
That was brilliant! Baurenfeind managed to hold on and What an incredible ride!
Updated
1km to go: Baurenfeind has just passed through the flamme rouge. This is an amazing ride from the 23-year-old. I imagine her team are screaming encouragement over the radio.
2km to go: Reusser and Lippert are 24sec behind Baurenfeind. This is tense…will the young German rider hold on for the win?
4km to go: Bauernfeind is holding on. She has 36sec on the chasers. It’s also just been announced that the Canyon-SRAM has been awarded the most combative rider today. Reusser has gone off the front of the chasing group and Liane Lippert (Movistar) follows.
Updated
9km to go: Reusser is drilling it in the chase group and putting her time-trialling skills to use in reducing this gap. It’s now down to 39sec.
11km to go: Reusser is driving the bunch. Either SD Worx have been forced to work or they’re trying to avoid accusations again of not pulling their weight. The gap between the chasers and Bauernfeind is down to 43sec.
15km to go: Canyon-SRAM directeur sportif, Magnus Bäckstedt has passed Bauernfeind an ice-filled tights creation (a very popular way to keep the riders cool in these races – I had the pleasure of seeing a soigneur create a stack of these during last year’s Tour). She places it on her back, under the neckline of her jersey. Bäckstedt also shares some words of encouragement. Keep it going Ricarda!
🇩🇪First place at the final KOM of the day for Ricarda Bauernfeind!
— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 27, 2023
🇩🇪Première place au dernier col de la journée pour Ricarda Bauernfeind !#TDFF2023 #WatchTheFemmes @Gozwift pic.twitter.com/BSqV90Htuc
Updated
Ricarda Bauernfeind takes the intermediate sprint
20km to go: Here are the results of the intermediate sprint.
1. Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon-SRAM), 25pts
2. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx), 20pts
3. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), 17pts
4. Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), 15pts
5. Demi Vollering (SD Worx), 13pts
6. Paula Patiño (Movistar), 11pts
7. Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar), 10pts
8. Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek), 9pts
9. Liane Lippert (Movistar), 8pts
10. Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM), 7pts
11. Elisa Longo Borghini (Lid-Trek), 6pts
12. Marlen Reusser (SD Worx), 5pts
13. Ane Santesteban (Jayco AlUla), 4pts
14. Soraya Paladin (Canyon-SRAM), 3pts
15. Loes Adegeest (FDJ-Suez), 2pts
Updated
22km to go: No surprise, but Bauernfeind was first in the intermediate sprint and first over the summit of the third-category Côte de Monestiés (1.6km at 6.4%). The 23-year-old Canyon-SRAM rider has grabbed two QOM points. Kastelijn is second across the summit and keen to scoop up the all QOM points she can today.
...and finally, Côte de Monestiés: https://t.co/zsi7q8TPwS pic.twitter.com/4UDDJOJUX8
— Strava (@Strava) July 27, 2023
23km to go: Bauernfeind has tucked herself into an aero-dynamic position and pushed away from the peloton. Her lead is up to 1min 33sec. Iris Slappendel on Eurosport thinks the young rider has a good shot at winning today’s stage but also questions whether SD Worx will play a poker game again, like they did when eventually Wiebes took the win on stage three.
Ricarda Bauernfeind takes a 6sec bonus
32km to go: Bauernfeind dropped Steels and takes the bonus point and gains 6sec. Results below:
1. Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon-SRAM), 6sec
2. Claire Steels (Israel Premier Tech Roland), 4sec
3. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), 2sec
36km to go: I was about to say that the race to the bonus point will be on shortly, but Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon-SRAM) beat me to it. She’s anticipated the fight for the bonus point and shot off with 1km to go. Steels goes with her, while behind them Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step) is leading the chase.
38km to go: It’s a much hotter day for the riders today. The temperature out there is 27.2C. Quite a bit warmer than the wet and windy scenes we saw on stage two. Here are the results from that last climb:
Results at Côte de Laguépie
1. Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck), 3pts
2. Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek), 2pts
3. Marlen Reusser (SD Worx), 1pt
40km to go: Marta Cavalli (FDJ-Suez) ended up too far to the side of the road and ended up doing a little unexpected off-road. The commentators predicted a puncture as a result and just moments later, Cavalli had a wheel change from her team car. She’s now chasing to get back on. Kastelijn is first over the summit and has moved back into the QOM lead.
🇮🇹Gravel moment for @marta_cavalli98. She has suffered a puncture after it.
— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 27, 2023
🇮🇹Instant cyclo-cross pour @marta_cavalli98. Elle a subi une crevaison par la suite. #TDFF2023 #WatchTheFemmes @Gozwift pic.twitter.com/oOlORP8TdE
Updated
41km to go: With speeds of 70kmph, the riders have been speeding down the descent. They’re going over a narrow bridge and will soon start climbing again. Next up is the third-category Côte de Laguépie: a 1.5km climb with an average gradient of 9% and summit at 298m.
Next up is Côte de Laguépie, approaching nearly a 9% average grade: https://t.co/OPDCuhJejW pic.twitter.com/mL8LuquKE2
— Strava (@Strava) July 27, 2023
Updated
47km to go: The leading group have 1min 15sec over the peloton. Movistar are driving the chase in the second group, working to get Emma Norsgaard Bjerg into a better spot. Vos was dropped on that last climb and Koster’s hard work has had an impact on the legs…
49km to go: It looks like Kastelijn wants that poka-dot jersey back. She had her eyes set on the QOM points and is first over the summit. She now matches Koster with 19pts.
Results at Côte de Najac
1. Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck), 3pts
2. Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM), 2pts
3. Marlen Reusser (SD Worx), 1pt
Updated
52km to go: The breakaway have been caught on the Côte de Najac. The riders are 1.2km from the summit of this 2.5km climb, which has an average gradient of 7.4%.
54km to go: Lidl-Trek are on the front of the chasing group now. Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) just had a small crash but looks OK and is straight back on her bike. The breakaway’s lead has been reduced to 21sec by the chasing group, which is made up of about 80 riders. The first categorised climb of the day is coming up…
60km to go: SD Worx have had a telling off, and a proper wag of the finger, by one of the commissaires on the motorbike. Eurosport are saying they are on the naughty step and it’ll be a fine for them for drafting Demi Vollering after a back wheel change.
67km to go: Coryn Labecki (Jumbo Visma) has crashed but is back up, grabs a new bike and pedals off. Unlucky for her as she was involved in a crash just a few days ago too. The riders are all over the place. A breakaway group have 46sec and are being chased by the yellow jersey group, while another group that includes Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) is 5min behind the leaders. Behind them, the dropped riders are almost 10mins behind the breakaway group.
71km to go: Peter has emailed in to ask about Uttrup Ludwig. He writes: “Any word on Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig? I really enjoyed her stage win and emotional interview afterward in last year’s tour. For a rider in the top 10, I don’t think I’ve seen or heard about her on the TV coverage once so far this year.” Well, that was great timing Peter. I was just writing an update about her (it’s a couple of posts back) when your email landed in my inbox. Uttrup Ludwig was being interviewed ahead of today’s stage while wearing an ice vest and seemed in good spirits. I also would love to see her take a stage win as the ensuing interview from her would be sure to be spirited and fun.
Updated
75km to go: Pilote Fortin has abandoned – she was more than 10mins behind the leaders and struggling. Another rider struggling with stomach issues is Évita Muzic (FDJ-Suez), who has just abandoned. A real shame for her as she came eighth in last year’s Tour.
These riders are taking chunks out of the kms today. It’s been a very fast start and the average speed sits at around 44kmph currently. The peloton are 45sec behind the breakaway. Canyon-SRAM, Fenix-Deceuninck and Ceratizit-WNT are leading the chase.
Updated
83km to go: The breakaway have 38sec on the peloton. Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Cofidis) was dropped earlier in the stage and is 11min behind the leaders. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ–Suez) spoke to Eurosport ahead of today’s stage. She says she thinks it could be a day for the breakaway given how lumpy the stage is, but she also says it’s going to be a hard day for the GC contenders. “That’s why it’s exciting: it could be both,” she adds with a grin.
92km to go: Of the breakaway group, Steels of Israel Premier Tech Roland is the highest placed in the GC ranking at 2min 44sec behind Kopecky. The peloton are trying to shut down this breakaway quickly: the gap has deceased to just 30sec.
🏁 102 KM
— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 27, 2023
1️⃣1⃣🚴♀️< 45" <🚴♀️🚴♀️🚴♀️🚗
🇬🇧Claire Steels
🇨🇦Oliva Baril
🇳🇱Amber Kraak
🇩🇪@ClaraKoppenburg
🇳🇿Ella Wyllie
🇧🇪Justine Ghekiere
🇨🇦Clara Edmond
🇨🇴 @paulapb291
🇳🇱 @LoesAdegeest
🇳🇱 Mischa Bredewold
🇩🇪Hannah Ludwig#TDFF2023 #WatchTheFemmes @GoZwift pic.twitter.com/BMDdc3YHyb
100km to go: The breakaway still have a gap of around 40sec but it has decreased slightly. It would seem that the peloton are keen to bring the breakaway back. Fenix-Deceuninck and EF Education–TIBCO–SVB are at the front of the bunch driving the recovery mission.
106km to go: We have names! The group of 11 riders now have a 45sec gap on the peloton. They include: Paula Patiño (Movistar), Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx), Amber Kraak (Jumbo-Visma), Olivia Baril (UAE Team ADQ), Loes Adegeest (FDJ-Suez), Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), Claire Steels (Israel Premier Tech Roland), Hannah Ludwig (Uno X), Clara Koppenburg (Cofidis), Ella Wyllie (Lifeplus Wahoo) and Clara Emond (Arkea). Behind them, it looks like the split groups have come back together to join as one (happy?) peloton.
111km to go: A group of 11 riders have established a breakaway. A counter attack of about 10 riders have an 11sec gap, while the main bunch which now contains the yellow, green and white jersey wearers is 20sec behind the attackers. Also, news just in of another abandon: Kaja Rysz (Lifeplus Wahoo) is out.
Updated
115km to go: A fast start and the rolling terrain has created splits in the bunch straightaway. There was also an early attack from an unidentified SD Worx rider (bear with me…live TV coverage doesn’t start for another 20 minutes) but the chasing group has swiftly reeled them back in. Cedrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT), in the white jersey, is in a second group behind the bunch and the polka-dot jersey wearer, Koster is in a third group.
120km to go: Yesterday, Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Human Powered Health) put in a valiant effort to inch closer to the maillot jaune, but ultimately, was unable to follow Yara Kastelijn (Fenix–Deceuninck) when she attacked at 15km to go.
Speaking on yesterday’s stage, Cordon-Ragot said: “The stage started off well. I learnt that I was the best placed in the GC, so I tried to fight for yellow. With a 10’ lead, you start thinking about it. Yara was simply too good, the strongest team won. I was disappointed, but I had chills the whole day long, it was crazy.”
For a little while yesterday, Cordon-Ragot was the virtual yellow jersey wearer. She’s got a good sense of humour about it and has mocked up a picture of that for our pleasure…
I was almost yellow jersey, almost!
— Audrey CORDON-RAGOT (@CordonRagot) July 26, 2023
J’étais presque mayo yaune, presque!
📸 @GoulvenPacheradec #TDFF2023 @FFLose pic.twitter.com/J4ugN8p4AU
The race has begun on stage five!
123km to go: The race proper is on, but who will be first to attack?
Updated
Stage five is underway!
126km to go: The peloton is off. They’ll have a bit of a neutralised zone and then, perhaps, the attacks will start straight away. Or maybe not. I don’t have a crystal ball, sadly.
There are three riders not starting today. As well as Wiebes, Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Uno-X) and Jenny Rissveds (Team Coop - Hitec Products) have withdrawn from the Tour ahead of stage five. That means that there are 140 riders out on the road today…
Updated
Who’s in what jersey?
Lotte Kopecky remains in the maillot jaune, while Anouska Koster will wear the polka-dot jersey. She put in a big effort yesterday to take it away from Julie Van de Velde (Fenix-Deceuninck) and upped her QOM points to 19.
Again, although Kopecky leads in the points classification, it will be Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step) who wears the green jersey today. Although, the South African rider is third in the standings (92pts), second placed Wiebes’ European champion jersey prevails, hence why we’ll see a green-clad Moolman Pasio.
Yellow: Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) 15hr 47min 25sec
Green: Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) 128pts
Polka-dot: Anouska Koster (Uno-X) 19pts
White: Cedrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT)
⚪🔴The matching bucket hat and the @maillotapois, it's a yes from us!
— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 27, 2023
⚪🔴Le bob assorti au @maillotapois, on valide tellement ! #TDFF2023 #WatchTheFemmes @Gozwift @anouskakoster pic.twitter.com/ArbuU8HSeK
Lorena Wiebes is out of the Tour due to illness
Big news coming in: Wiebes, a favourite for the stage win is not starting today. Her team have released a statement to say that due to suffering from stomach issues, Wiebes consequently can’t start in Onet-Le-Chateau.
Lorena Wiebes is leaving @LeTourFemmes after illness. She’s suffering from stomach issues & consequently can’t start in Onet-Le-Château. "Of course this is a sportive loss for Team SD Worx, ‘cause there were still sprint opportunities. But health always prevails," says Danny Stam pic.twitter.com/gqM1vh9AN6
— Team SD Worx (@teamsdworx) July 27, 2023
The top 10 on General Classification
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) 15hr 47min 25sec
Demi Vollering (SD Worx) +43
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Soudal-Quickstep) +51sec
Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram) +51sec
Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) +51sec
Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) +51sec
Yara Kastelijn (Fenix–Deceuninck) +1min
Liane Lippert (Movistar) +1min 39sec
Juliette Labous (DSM–Firmenich) +1min 48sec
Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-Suez) +1min 49sec
Tour de France Femmes: Yara Kastelijn goes on her own to snare stage four win
Stage four report: Time is proving tight between Annemiek van Vleuten and her rival Demi Vollering, the two favourites for final victory in the Tour de France Femmes this year. In an echo of the sparring match that characterised much of the men’s race this year, the Team SD Worx rider Vollering has the upper hand, for now at least and if only by a few seconds.
Yara Kastelijn of the Netherlands won the longest stage of this year’s Tour de France Femmes, from Cahors to Rodez, after spending just under 160 kilometres on the front of the race, much of it in a 14-rider move that went clear on the day’s first climb, the Col de Crayssac.
Stage five: Onet-leChâteau to Albi (126.5km)
Today’s 126.5km stage is surely a day for the sprinters. The parcours would suggest a bunch sprint at the finish line in the historic city of Albi, but race director of the Tour de France Femmes, Marion Rousse thinks otherwise. “The routes are almost ideal for a breakaway,” she says. “So, there are some women out there who could go for victory. Why not?”
She adds: “At the same time, we’re thinking about sprinters who can get over the bumps well – Marianne Vos comes to mind – and who are capable of getting over the final hurdles. Because, it’s far from simple and it’s far from flat. The Laguépie climb in particular: 1.5km at an average gradient of almost 10%…It’s going to be really tricky to get over. So there you have it, the uncertain scenario, whether you’re a daredevil or a sprinter who can handle the bumps.
As well as Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma), Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) is also a favourite for today’s win. Can Wiebes make it two stage wins in a period of three days at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift? Let’s wait and see. I think it’s going to be an exciting day with some explosive attacks.
🚲 Stage 5 / Étape 5 🚲
— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 27, 2023
🚩 Onet-le-Château
🏁 Albi
📏 126,1 km
⏰ 14:20 CEST > 17:29 CEST
⛰ 2x3️⃣c, 1x4️⃣c
💚 km 99,8
💛#TDFF2023 #WatchTheFemmes @GoZwift pic.twitter.com/QdCIBua6l7
Updated
