Le Court-Pienaar Sprints to Stage 6 Victory; Reusser Holds Yellow Jersey Lead

Mauritian cyclist Kim Le Court-Pienaar secured a dramatic victory on Stage 6 of the Women’s Tour de France on Thursday, launching a late sprint attack to claim the win in Tournon-sur-Rhône. Despite the competitive field, the overall race structure remains tight as Swiss rider Marlen Reusser successfully defended the yellow jersey.

Reusser enters the next stage with a narrow 12-second advantage over Dutch contender Demi Vollering. The competition remains fierce further down the leaderboard, with Poland’s Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney sitting in third place, 1 minute and 17 seconds behind the leader. Italian rider Elisa Longo Borghini improved her standing to fourth overall, trailing by 2 minutes and 28 seconds, keeping her hopes for the title alive. Meanwhile, defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot currently sits in 15th place.

The sixth stage covered a demanding 153-kilometer route through the Ardèche region, featuring five modest climbs and a challenging Category 2 ascent up the Col de Lalouvesc. A late breakaway group, which included Longo Borghini and Le Court-Pienaar, managed to stay clear of the peloton. Although Vollering attempted to increase the pace in the main pack, the lead group remained out of reach. Le Court-Pienaar utilized her power to sprint from 300 meters out, holding off Cedrine Kerbaol and Puck Pieterse for the stage win.

Focus now shifts to Friday’s seventh stage, a grueling test for climbers that will conclude with a 15.7-kilometer ascent of the iconic Mont Ventoux. This decisive climb is expected to significantly impact the general classification standings.

What to watch

• General Classification battles on the slopes of Mont Ventoux during Friday’s Stage 7.
• Time gaps between Reusser and Vollering following the mountain stage.

Source: original release