Stage 4 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift offers the sprinters a second consecutive chance to win, following Lorena Wiebes' victory over Marianne Vos, who regained her Yellow Jersey in Angers.
It will likely be the last, as hills will feature on Wednesday in the Creuse region, with the second part of the Tour dedicated to climbers. The speedsters in the peloton are therefore unlikely to let up on the accelerator, especially as the finale of the route between Saumur and Poitiers is a veritable French boulevard, featuring a final straight of 1480 meters.
Like on Stage 3, only one ‘difficulty’ is listed in the mountain classification: the Côte de Marigny (Category 4, 0.9 km at 5.4%, km 101.6). The route is even flatter than the day before - this is the only day of the Tour with less than 1,000 meters of elevation gain (780m), while the riders will still have to cover 130.7 km.
There is, however, a serious false flat between the penultimate kilometre and the previous one. Will this be enough to encourage a puncher to attack before the sprint and deny Lorena Wiebes - once again the big favorite - a possible fifth stage victory on the Tour?
For their part, the GC contenders will have to remain vigilant, as a favourable tailwind is forecast throughout the day. Attention will also be turned to Demi Vollering, who was injured in the crash in Angers. Her physical condition will inevitably be scrutinised.
