"Kristen Faulkner, esteemed competitor and leader, exits the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift following five challenging days of misfortunes"
The 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has been a challenging one for the reigning Olympic champion, Kristen Faulkner of EF Education-Oatly.
Faulkner, who was tipped as one to watch this Tour, particularly in the early stages, found herself battling every day of the race. The easily recognisable stars-and-stripes jersey, indicating her as the U.S. national champion, was only ever seen at the back or in crashes during the Tour.
In the lead-up to the race, Faulkner struggled with illness, a setback that seemed to affect her performance in the Tour. She nearly missed the time cut on Stage 2 and was involved in two crashes in the first four stages.
The turning point came during the neutral roll-out from Chasseneuil-du-Poitou in Stage 5, where Faulkner had to abandon the race. Her withdrawal was notably linked to illness and crash-related injury.
Faulkner excels in punchy one-day terrain and aggressive breakaways, making her absence a significant loss for the race.
Unfortunately, other top contenders have also had to withdraw due to illness and injury. Elisa Longo Borghini of UAE Team ADQ, a key favourite, pulled out before Stage 3. Marlen Reusser of Movistar and Charlotte Kool of Picnic PostNL also withdrew due to illness and injury, respectively. Polish rider Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka did not start Stage 5, contributing to the attrition among top competitors.
Despite these setbacks, the race continues, with Stage 6 marking the first mountain day. The peloton will tackle four categorised climbs on the 13.7-kilometer route from Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert.
As the race progresses, we look forward to seeing how the remaining riders will fare in the challenging terrain ahead.
[1] Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift: Multiple withdrawals due to illness and injury (link) [3] Kristen Faulkner's struggles in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (link) [4] Faulkner's withdrawal from the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (link) [5] Elisa Longo Borghini's withdrawal from the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (link)
- The ongoing Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has been marred by numerous withdrawals due to illness and injury, with Kristen Faulkner, Elisa Longo Borghini, Marlen Reusser, Charlotte Kool, and Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka all being affected.
- Despite the setbacks, various athletes are showcasing their abilities on the challenging terrain of the race, with the peloton's performance on the upcoming mountain day being particularly noteworthy.
