Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2025 Stage 5 LIVE – Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) out-sprints the GC contenders to take yellow

Stage 5 might have taken some time to get going, but it delivered on the drama.

It was a notable stage for crashes too, with Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) and Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly) both forced to abandon after separate incidents - the latter also battling sickness.

After an initial breakaway of five rivers Francesca Barale (Team Picnic PostNL), Anneke Dijkstra (VolkerWessels Cycling Team), Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly), Catalina Anais Soto (Laboral Kutxa - Fundación Euskadi) and Brodie Chapman (UAE) got clear, the peloton bided their time before reeling them in on the final climb.

From there, an elite group of seven GC contenders got clear when they battled for some bonus seconds on Le Maupuy. They managed to keep ahead all the way to the finish, with Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) just about holding on for the win.

She pipped Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) over the line, with Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx) third ahead of defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM).

As a result of distancing Marianne Vos (Visma) who came home in the second group, Le Court takes the yellow jersey and will wear it for the second time this race tomorrow, when the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift enters the high mountains at last.

Today just whetted the appetitie for tomorrow's mountain stage. No summit finish just yet, but it is going to be a very big stage for the GC battle.

After a couple of Cat. 3 climbs comes the big slog up the 10.2km Cat. 1 Col du Beal, a big effort at 5.6%.

It could be a stage for a breakaway, or it could be one where someone really grabs this race by the scruff of its neck.

"It was very punchy, maybe a bit too much for me at the moment! But I am still very happy to finish at the front of the stage. At the end it is a good day for us and we made up ground in the GC so it is perfect."

1. Kimberley Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) 15:07'14''

2. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) +18''

3. Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ) +23''

4. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) +24''

5. Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) +27''

6. Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) +37''

7. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix–Deceuninck) +45''

8. Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) +55''

9. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) +1'04''

10. Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) +1'16''

Le Court will be in yellow tomorrow, she has 18'' lead over Ferrand-Prevot in the GC standings.

We will bring you the full standings as soon as possible.

1. Kimberly Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) 3h54'07''

2. Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) +0''

3. Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx) +0''

4. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) +0''

5. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) +0''

6. Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) +0''

7. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix–Deceuninck) +0''

8. Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) +33''

9. Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez) +33''

10. Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez) +33''

"We came into the stage with a very clear plan, to try and stay safe in the early part - that was quite difficult, there were a lot of big crashes," says Le Court.

"Then the big goal was to take the bonus sprint, which I managed to do. And if I got into a small group, to take the victory.

"Luckily my kick was the fastest in the group. I had a team mate with me and that helped a lot. I think if I hadn't had Sarah [Gigante], the other group might have come back as some girls wouldn't work. Without her I wouldn't do what I did today."

The rest are rolling in, after nearly four hours of gruelling racing.

But today belonged to Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) - as she adds a stage win to her resume.

Vollering was second on the line, ahead of Van der Breggen and Niewiadoma-Phinney.

Le Court hit the front and she did have the best sprint in the end, with Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney doing their best to stay with her - it was close over the line so we'll confirm the results in a second.

But Vos sprints to lead the next bunch across and they are around 30'' back - so Vos will not be in yellow tomorrow.

Everyone is riding, Gigante is on the front - no one is coming through yet.

Van der Breggen goes again and hits the front, the crowds are packed in lining this finish...

Seven riders. The line approaching. And bonus seconds available, as well as a stage win.

Le Court is arguably the fastest out of this lot...

Le Court could grab yellow here, but. This group is not working together.

Now van der Breggen attacks again, and that is shut down.

The winner will come from this group but if they play cat and mouse, Vos could find a way to stay in yellow...

Van der Breggen, Le Court, Niewiadoma, Ferrand-Prevot, Giagante, Vollering, and Rooijakkers - that is who is in the front group, as they all come back together.

They are 33'' ahead of the next group, which contains Vos.

Here we go.

Anna Vander Breggen is on the front for SD Worx. Le Court is there, so is Niewiadoma-Phinney. Sarah Gigante is in the mix for AG Insurance-Soudal too. Vollering is hanging in with this lot. Is she hedging, or perhaps playing it safe?

But Gigante is not the best descender, she drops the wheel...

There is a proper sprint for this, and Kim Le Court takes the six bonus seconds. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot takes four seconds, and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney takes two.

And now those three and Demi Vollering - who couldn't hold the wheel in that sprint - have formed an elite group, as others try to get on the back.

Squiban leads by seven seconds. Smulders and van Anrooij are between her and the peloton, which in itself is much smaller than it was earlier. Dygert is pulling on the front for the defending champion.

And there are bonus seconds incoming just before the steepest part of this climb.

Just a reminder what is left - everyone is on the final climb, then comes a sharp descent before a flat section to the line.

Oh the break is about to be caught, Squiban staying away the longest by the looks of things.

Let's catch you up with who is where.
Silke Smulders (Liv-AlUla-Jayco), Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ), Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek) and Dilyxine Miermont (Ceratizit) have joined the long-time breakaway rider Brodie Chapman (UAE) at the front.

They have 12'' on the main bunch.

And they are starting to climb. Vos is on the front of the peloton right now and chasing hard...

Somehow Chapman has stayed away, albeit to the tune of eight seconds.

But now the attacks are starting at the front of the peloton... With Silke Smulders (Liv AlUla Jayco) bridging to Chapman.

And now Maeva Squiban makes it across too so Chapman has a team mate!