Dutch sprinter Lorena Wiebes claimed victory on the opening stage of the Tour de France Femmes in Lausanne, holding off a late attack on a punchy climb to secure the first yellow jersey of the race.
Lorena Wiebes added another milestone to her storied sprinting career by conquering an uphill finish in Lausanne to win the opening stage of the Tour de France Femmes. Last year’s green jersey winner weathered a punishing 1.5-mile, 4.1% climb just before the line, holding her place in a select lead group of about 20 riders before launching a decisive acceleration with 200 metres remaining.
The victory marks her sixth stage win at the Tour de France Femmes, extending her record as the most prolific stage winner since the race returned to the WorldTour calendar in 2022. It also puts the two-time European champion into the yellow jersey for only the second time in her career, having previously worn it for a single day four years ago.
How the Lausanne Finale Unfolded on Stage One
The 85.5-mile out-and-back route starting and finishing in the Swiss city of Lausanne tested the peloton immediately, with the opening stage climbing more than 1,600 metres. Team SD Worx-Protime managed the pressure over a pair of category-three climbs situated halfway through the route, where France’s Océane Mahe secured the intermediate points to earn the Queen of the Mountains jersey for the following day.
Ferrand-Prevot [Pauline] went to the front and then Demi [Vollering] attacked so I knew I had to follow,
Wiebes said after the finish. It was a long sprint but I’m super-happy with it.
I’m really happy with the support.
The team fully believed in me.
Even I had some doubts.
“I cannot believe it, Ferrand-Prevot [Pauline] went to the front and then Demi [Vollering] attacked so I knew I had to follow. It was a long sprint but I’m super-happy with it.”
Lorena Wiebes, Team SD Worx-Protime rider
Crossing the line by a bike’s length, Wiebes fended off Mauritius rider Kim le Court-Pienaar and Dutch 2023 champion Demi Vollering, who finished alongside last year’s champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot in the front group. British contender Pfeiffer Georgi finished 22 seconds back in 25th place.
Dominant Warm-Up Form at the Tour de Pologne
The victory in Switzerland caps off a stellar run of form that saw the SD Worx-Protime star sweep the competition at the Tour de Pologne. Wiebes won all three stages and captured the overall general classification by 20 seconds ahead of Elisa Balsamo of Lidl-Trek, with Lara Gillespie of UAE Team ADQ taking third place.
That three-day Polish event featured its strongest start list to date, drawing eight WorldTour teams and a field of 110 riders from 20 squads.
The run of results reinforces an extraordinary statistic: Wiebes has been beaten in a bunch sprint just once since the beginning of 2024, a lone blemish coming at the Ronde van Brugge when Movistar’s Carys Lloyd capitalized after Wiebes lost her lead-out in the final kilometres.
The 2026 Contenders and the Historic Climb Ahead
The 2026 edition of the Tour de France Femmes features 147 riders tackling nine stages, culminating in a historic first-ever ascent of Mont Ventoux on stage seven. The race follows a demanding spring season that included the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España Femenina.
Demi Vollering enters the grand tour as a primary favourite after securing four spring classics wins and a comeback victory at the Giro. She aims to reclaim the overall title she first won in 2023, though she must contend with reigning champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. Meanwhile, young Spanish talent Paula Blasi joins the UAE team following her stratospheric Vuelta victory, riding in support of two-time Giro winner Elisa Longo Borghini.
What Awaits the Peloton in Stage Two
The race remains in Switzerland for Sunday’s second stage, offering a 91.9-mile flat route from Aigle to Geneva. The profile provides another clear opportunity for the race’s pure sprinters to contest the finish line before the mountains begin to shape the general classification battle.
