Cyclist in yellow LCL jersey leads a bunch at the Tour de France Femmes stage start in Montbrison

'It's gonna be brutal, 100%' - Marlen Reusser takes her 12-second Tour lead onto Mont Ventoux

The yellow jersey has ridden the Tour’s summit finish only once, but believes its long, sustained gradient may suit her better than the climbs already faced.

By Peter Stuart · · 3 min read

Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team) will carry a 12-second Tour de France Femmes lead over Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) into Friday’s summit finish on Mont Ventoux, where the iconic 15.6km at 8.8% could reshape the general classification.

Reusser retained yellow on Thursday’s 153.4km sixth stage from Montbrison to Tournon-sur-Rhône, finishing alongside Vollering and third-placed Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon//SRAM). Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) won from the breakaway, 28 seconds ahead of the main contenders.

After the stage, Reusser said she had reconnoitred Ventoux once, several weeks before the Tour. Its sustained gradient could favour her more than the repeated shorter climbs covered earlier in the race.

Results

Aug 6

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Mary Patricia Kimberley le Court de Billot - Pienaar
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM4:01:48
🥈
FR flagCedrine Kerbaol
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+0:00
🥉
NL flagPuck Pieterse
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+0:00
4
CA flagSarah van Dam
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:00
5
FR flagCélia Gery
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+0:00
6
DE flagLiane Lippert
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:00
7
IT flagElisa Longo Borghini
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+0:02
8
NL flagRiejanne Markus
LIDL - TREK+0:05
9
PL flagDominika Wlodarczyk
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+0:28
10
CH flagNoemi Rüegg
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+0:28
11
BE flagLotte Kopecky
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+0:28
12
ES flagPaula Blasi Cairol
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+0:28
13
IT flagSara Casasola
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+0:28
14
DE flagAntonia Niedermaier
CANYON//SRAM +0:28
15
CH flagMarlen Reusser
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:28
16
FR flagPauline Ferrand Prevot
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:28
17
ES flagMargarita Victoria Garcia Cañellas
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+0:28
18
PL flagKatarzyna Anna Niewiadoma-Phinney
CANYON//SRAM +0:28
19
NL flagNienke Vinke
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+0:28
20
NZ flagNiamh Mary Fisher-Black
LIDL - TREK+0:28
21
NL flagThalita de Jong
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+0:28
22
NL flagDemi Vollering
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+0:28
23
ES flagPaula Ostiz Taco
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:28
24
CA flagIsabella Holmgren
LIDL - TREK+0:28
25
CA flagMagdeleine Vallieres Mill
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+0:28
26
US flagKristen Faulkner
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+0:28
27
FR flagMarion Bunel
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+3:07
28
NL flagFemke de Vries
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+3:07
29
NL flagNina Buijsman
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+3:07
30
FR flagJuliette Berthet
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+3:07
31
FR flagMaeva Squiban
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+3:07
32
AU flagAmanda Spratt
LIDL - TREK+7:08
33
FR flagOcéane Mahe
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+9:59
34
FR flagClémence Latimier
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+9:59
35
CA flagNadia Gontova
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+9:59
36
NL flagDaniek Hengeveld
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+9:59
37
ES flagSara Martin Martin
MOVISTAR TEAM+9:59
38
IT flagDebora Silvestri
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+9:59
39
NL flagLucinda Brand
LIDL - TREK+9:59
40
DE flagFranziska Koch
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+9:59
41
BE flagLore de Schepper
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+9:59
42
AT flagValentina Cavallar
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+9:59
43
BE flagLotte Claes
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+9:59
44
IT flagSilvia Persico
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+9:59
45
NL flagQuinty Schoens
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+12:16
46
PL flagKarolina Perekitko
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+12:16
47
IT flagGaia Masetti
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+12:16
48
NL flagLieke Nooijen
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+12:16
49
BR flagAna Vitoria Gouvea Vieira Almeida Magalhaes
MOVISTAR TEAM+12:16
50
NO flagSigrid Ytterhus Haugset
UNO-X MOBILITY+12:16
51
FR flagCelia le Mouel
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+12:16
52
GB flagAlice Madeleine Towers
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+12:16
53
FR flagLaura Asencio
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+12:16
54
DE flagRosa Klöser
CANYON//SRAM +12:16
55
NL flagJeanne Korevaar
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+12:16
56
FR flagEmilie Morier
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+12:16
57
NL flagLoes Adegeest
LIDL - TREK+12:16
58
NL flagMischa Bredewold
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+12:16
59
IT flagFrancesca Barale
MOVISTAR TEAM+12:16
60
BE flagJustine Ghekiere
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+12:16
61
NL flagSilke Smulders
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+12:16
62
NO flagKatrine Aalerud
UNO-X MOBILITY+12:16
63
PL flagAgnieszka Skalniak-Sójka
CANYON//SRAM +13:44
64
NL flagLorena Wiebes
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+13:44
65
FR flagAlice Coutinho
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+13:44
66
BE flagSandrine Tas
LOTTO INTERMARCHE LADIES+13:44
67
NO flagMarte Berg Edseth
UNO-X MOBILITY+13:44
68
NL flagMarianne Vos
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+13:44
69
FR flagTitia Ryo
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+13:44
70
FR flagMarie le Net
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+13:44
71
NL flagAnna van der Breggen
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+13:44
72
IT flagElisa Balsamo
LIDL - TREK+13:44
73
ES flagMireia Benito Pellicer
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+13:44
74
SI flagUrška Žigart
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+15:11
75
IT flagCarlotta Cipressi
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+18:26
76
FR flagSolène Muller
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+18:26
77
NZ flagHenrietta Christie
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+18:26
78
GB flagPfeiffer Zara Georgi
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+18:26
79
LU flagNina Berton
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+18:26
80
GB flagMillie Couzens
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+18:26
81
NL flagAmber Kraak
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+18:26
82
NL flagMarit Raaijmakers
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+20:59
83
US flagLily Williams
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+20:59
84
FR flagEvita Muzic
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+20:59
85
FR flagConstance Valentin
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+25:33
86
US flagNatalie Quinn
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+25:33
87
MX flagRomina Hinojosa Cruz
LOTTO INTERMARCHE LADIES+25:33
88
IT flagLetizia Borghesi
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+25:33
89
IE flagFiona Mangan
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+25:33
90
IT flagLetizia Paternoster
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+25:33
91
ES flagUsoa Ostolaza Zabala
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+25:33
92
DK flagAmalie Dideriksen
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+25:33
93
DE flagLinda Riedmann
LOTTO INTERMARCHE LADIES+25:33
94
FR flagVictorie Guilman
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+25:33
95
AU flagMackenzie Coupland
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+25:33
96
UA flagYuliia Biriukova
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+25:33
97
CU flagArlenis Sierra Canadilla
MOVISTAR TEAM+25:33
98
CO flagPaula Andrea Patiño Bedoya
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+25:33
99
FR flagNoemie Abgrall
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+25:33
100
PL flagMalwina Mul
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+25:33
101
FR flagEma Comte
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+25:33
102
IT flagElena Cecchini
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+25:33
103
IT flagSoraya Paladin
CANYON//SRAM +25:33
104
GB flagZoe Backstedt
CANYON//SRAM +25:33
105
AU flagRuby Roseman-Gannon
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+25:33
106
FR flagJulie Bego
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+25:33
107
CZ flagNikola Nosková
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+25:33
108
NL flagMalou Eisen
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+27:30
109
US flagHeidi Franz
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+27:30
110
BE flagShari Bossuyt
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+27:30
111
IT flagAlessia Vigilia
UNO-X MOBILITY+28:31
112
FR flagMarine Allione
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+28:31
113
AU flagLucie Fityus
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+28:31
114
NL flagAnouska Koster
UNO-X MOBILITY+28:31
115
US flagCaroline Wreszin
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+28:31
116
GB flagRobyn Clay
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+28:31
117
IE flagMia Griffin
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+28:31
118
NL flagMaud Rijnbeek
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+28:31
119
GB flagJosie Nelson
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+28:31
120
NL flagAnneke Dijkstra
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+28:31
121
NL flagEline Jansen
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+28:31
122
NL flagSophie von Berswordt
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+28:31
123
NL flagCharlotte Kool
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+28:31
124
ES flagAlicia Gonzalez Blanco
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+28:31
125
CA flagKiara Lylyk
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+28:31
126
ES flagIdoia Eraso Lasa
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+28:31
127
ES flagNaia Amondarain Gaztañaga
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+28:31
128
IT flagArianna Fidanza
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+28:31
129
CA flagAlison Jackson
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+28:31
130
IT flagChiara Consonni
CANYON//SRAM +28:31
131
FR flagMorgane Coston
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+28:31

“Actually, I like it,” Reusser said during the post-race press conference. “In the past, that kind of climb was suiting me more than what we did so far. But it’s gonna be brutal, 100%.”

Asked about past claims that women could not race cycling’s most imposing climbs, Reusser offered a dry response: “I think it’s just proof that the human being is not always such a smart species.”

Cyclists sprint in a group on open roads during Tour de France Femmes with Zwift, Étape 5 from Macon to BellevillePhoto: Gaetan Flamme

Stage 7 covers 146.8km from La Voulte-sur-Rhône, crossing the Ardèche, Drôme and Vaucluse before approaching Ventoux from the south. The decisive ascent begins at Saint-Estève and passes Chalet Reynard with 6.2km remaining, before entering the mountain’s exposed upper section.

The neutralised start is set for 12:50 local time and the expected finish for 17:17. Time bonuses of 10, six and four seconds are available at the summit, enough to erase or extend Reusser’s advantage.

Reusser described Ventoux as one of the Tour’s most important stages, and it formed the central focus of pre-race discussion - including in our race route analysis. Reusser, however, said the overall race would not be decided there. Stage 5 had already created substantial gaps, while further opportunities remain before the finish in Nice.

“I think it’s crucial tomorrow, but then it keeps going,” she said. “I think you have to stand in Nice at the end, end, end and then be in yellow.”

Reusser said the narrow margin over Vollering kept the contest close. “If you could have 10 minutes and win the Tour like this, why not?” she joked. “I think it makes it spicy, makes it interesting, not only for you and for the public, also for us.”

Her yellow jersey was not threatened on Stage 6, although Reusser admitted taking some corners near the limit while trying to remain near the front on the descents. Movistar also placed Liane Lippert in the breakaway, giving the team an option for the stage while Reusser stayed with her principal rivals.

Tactics for Ventoux will depend on how aggressively the opening 131km are raced and which teammates survive to Saint-Estève. Reusser said repeated attempts to form a break could keep the speed high until the foot of the final climb.

“I focus on every day,” she said. “Now I go recover. Tomorrow, I take care of Mont Ventoux.”

Peter

Peter Stuart

Editor

Peter is the editor of Velora and oversees Velora’s editorial strategy and content standards, bringing nearly 20 years of cycling journalism to the site. He was editor of Cyclingnews from 2022, introducing its digital membership strategy and expanding its content pillars. Before that he was digital editor at Cyclist, and then Rouleur. Before joining Cyclist in 2012, he completed freelance work for titles including The Times and The Telegraph. He has reported from Grand Tours and WorldTour races, and previously represented Great Britain as a rower.