Kim Le Court reclaimed the yellow jersey at the Tour de France Femmes after narrowly winning stage five in Guéret, surviving a late charge from Demi Vollering in a dramatic finish. Le Court, who had briefly held the overall lead earlier in the race, made a bold move on the final climbs and held on for a crucial victory despite a premature celebration at the line.
Her triumph came after a high-paced, mountainous stage featuring three punishing climbs in the last 35km that shattered the peloton. The Côte de Chabannes marked the beginning of the end for the breakaway group, with Brodie Chapman the last rider to be reeled in before the final ascent. On the decisive Le Maupuy climb, a select group of race favourites, including defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma, mountain bike Olympic champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, and former world champion Anna van der Breggen, emerged at the front alongside Le Court and Vollering.
Le Court’s victory, combined with the time bonus, propelled her back into the overall lead at the expense of Marianne Vos. She emphasized the importance of every second in a race that could be decided by the slimmest of margins. Her strength in bonus sprints has proven pivotal in a tightly contested race.
Behind the scenes, however, tensions between top teams have added an extra layer of drama. A public spat between the FDJ-Suez team of Vollering and Visma-Lease a Bike, which includes Vos and Ferrand-Prévot, flared following Vollering’s crash earlier in the race. Team managers Stephen Delcourt and Jos van Emden exchanged heated words before attempting to settle differences in a moderated discussion. Though they agreed on the need for safety, the lingering tension suggests that harmony may be short-lived.
Despite the drama, Vollering showed she remains a strong contender, finishing just behind Le Court and proving her resilience following her earlier crash. With the sixth stage featuring multiple climbs, including the first-category Col du Béal, the riders now face a tough transition into the mountain stages, where the general classification could be shaken up even further.
