The first Yellow Jersey of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift was claimed by Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) in Plumelec on Saturday evening after an intense and exciting first stage in Brittany. The local fans celebrated the Grand Depart in style at roadside as an enthralling finale on the Cadoudal climb saw Vos take the victory, beating Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) to the line. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) finished third after launching a brave attack 700m from the line, just unable to convert it into a win as she was caught metres from the finish. 2024 Tour winner Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto) and 2023 winner Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) were fourth and fifth respectively. There was unfortunate news for Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team) who abandoned after a crash, having also felt sick with a stomach illness for several days.
Two early attackers
The excitement was palpable for the start of the fourth edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in Vannes, with a strong contingent of 22 teams and 154 competitors at the start. Stage 1’s hilly 78.8km route from Vannes to Plumelec provided an explosive spectacle, with the neutralised start taking place at 5.25pm, followed by the real start at 5.42pm following a crash which slightly delayed several riders including including Juliette Labous (FDJ - SUEZ). The peloton stopped briefly at km 0 to allow those riders to re-join the bunch and once the flag dropped an immediate attack from Laura Tomasi (Laboral Kutxa - Fundación Euskadi) allowed her to pull clear with Maud Rijnbeek (VolkerWessels Cycling Team) counter attacking and joining her at the front. By km 10 that duo enjoyed a 30 second lead over the peloton.
Rijnbeek goes solo
At km 23, Dutch rider Rijnbeek distanced herself from Tomasi on a climb not listed in the mountains classification, the sole leader then riding 35" ahead of the peloton. Still leading at the top of the Côte de Botségalo (Category 4, km 29.3, 0.8km at 5.3%), Rijnbeek grabbed the first two points in the mountain classification. The peloton, which closed to within about twenty seconds, was led by Lieke Nooijen (Visma|Lease a Bike), who thus also scored a point.
The bunch catch up with Rijnbeek
Shortly after the Botségalo climb the solo adventure was over for Rijnbeek, who was caught by the bunch at km 30. As the riders reached the final circuit the peloton was still all together with four kilometres to go from the first crossing of the finish line on the Cadoudal climb. About ten riders then crashed on the bridge which spans the Claie River, which marks the foot of the Cadoudal ascent, with Marlen Reusser and Liane Lippert involved. The two Movistar leaders struggled to get back on and Mavi Garcia (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) was the last to return to the road.
Intermediate sprint for Wiebes
European champion Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) took the lead at the first crossing of the line in Plumelec, which was the intermediate sprint of this first stage. The Dutchwoman thus scored the first 20 points in the green jersey standings. A group of riders who crashed fought to rejoin the back of the bunch, with Clara Koppenburg (Cofidis Women Team) trailing behind them, but Reusser was way further back, struggling as she reached the top of the Cadoudal climb five minutes adrift of the peloton.
Barale tries her luck
Italian rider Francesca Barale (Team Picnic PostNL) then pulled away and gained a 15" lead on the peloton entering the final 20 kilometers. By the second climb of Cadoudal the peloton had soon caught up with Barale, while French champion Marie Le Net (FDJ - Suez), who had been working since the start of the stage for Demi Vollering, fell behind. Elise Chabbey (FDJ - Suez) scored three points in the mountain classification at the second summit of Cadoudal (Category 3, 1.7 km at 6.2%), meaning the Swiss rider would take the first polka dot jersey. There was bad news for Reusser though as she was forced to abandon at the top of the second Cadoudal climb.
The victory goes to Vos
On the third and final ascent of the Cadoudal hill the French fans must have believed that Ferrand-Prevot could take a famous win as she pulled several metres clear, after attacking with 700m to go. In the end though Vos used her considerable experience and race craft to chase down her teammate, beating her and Le Court-Pienaar to the finish line. Vos therefore scored her third win at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift after Provins and Rosheim in 2022. She now joins Vollering and Wiebes as the most successful riders in the Tour in terms of stage wins, with three apiece.
