Vollering Wins Stage Five, Shaping GC Battle in 2026 Tour de France Femmes

On August 5, stage five of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift finished in Belleville-en-Beaujolais after a 140 km route with eight categorized climbs, including the steep 14 % gradients of Mont Brouilly. Dutch rider Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) won the stage in a three-up sprint ahead of Marlen Reusser (Movistar) and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM). Reusser kept the yellow jersey, holding a 12-second lead over Vollering; Niewiadoma-Phinney moved to third overall, 1 min 17 s behind. Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) lost more than two and a half minutes on the final climbs, dropping to 17th.

The Straits Times'She can win the Tour' - Demi Vollering hails Marlen Reusser after first climbing test at Tour de France Femmes BBC NewsOutside OnlineTour Femmes: Vollering pushes GC contenders to the brink in stage 5 'I just gave it my everything until the line' – Demi Vollering storms to victory on stage 5 of Tour de France Femmes as GC battle erupts The Guardian

The race, relaunched in 2022, entered its fifth day with Reusser leading after a dominant time trial in Dijon. Vollering, the 2023 champion, was a pre-race favourite, while Niewiadoma-Phinney, the 2024 winner, sought a stage win. Ferrand-Prevot’s title defence had already shown strain after a modest stage-four time trial.

The Straits Times

• Stage distance: 140 km, eight climbs.

'She can win the Tour' - Demi Vollering hails Marlen Reusser after first climbing test at Tour de France Femmes

• Key climbs: Col de Durbize (31 km from finish) and Mont Brouilly (final climb).

The Guardian

• Time gaps after stage: Reusser +0 s (yellow), Vollering +12 s, Niewiadoma-Phinney +1 min 17 s, Ferrand-Prevot +5 min 00 s.

'She can win the Tour' - Demi Vollering hails Marlen Reusser after first climbing test at Tour de France Femmes

• Heat: Riders reported “crazy heat” and “up-and-down” conditions.

Outside Online

• Breakaway: A 19-rider group, including Antonia Niedermaier, built a ~1 min 50 s lead before being caught.

'I just gave it my everything until the line' – Demi Vollering storms to victory on stage 5 of Tour de France Femmes as GC battle erupts

Vollering praised her team’s execution, noting Niedermaier’s presence in the break created “a perfect situation” for the final attack.

'She can win the Tour' - Demi Vollering hails Marlen Reusser after first climbing test at Tour de France Femmes

Reusser said she was “happy” and “hoped for this” after a demanding day that tested her climbing.

'She can win the Tour' - Demi Vollering hails Marlen Reusser after first climbing test at Tour de France Femmes

Ferrand-Prevot admitted defending the title was “really hard” and that “there’s too much to get back.”

LaB wanted to cause panic among Demi Vollering

• “The whole day was up and down, plus crazy heat.” — Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney

Outside Online

• “Today was a really cool race,” — Demi Vollering

The Guardian

• “I'm happy. I hoped for this,” — Marlen Reusser

'She can win the Tour' - Demi Vollering hails Marlen Reusser after first climbing test at Tour de France Femmes

The final climbs forced repeated accelerations, and the peloton surged on Mont Brouilly, setting up the decisive three-way sprint.

The Guardian

The next stage will feature a hilly profile before the summit finish on Mont Ventoux, slated for Friday. Riders anticipate larger gaps on Ventoux, with Niewiadoma-Phinney noting that “anything can happen” on that terrain. The Tour concludes on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice on Sunday, where the final general-classification standings will be decided.

The Guardian