Marianne Vos bagged the yellow jersey in the Tour de France Femmes by triumphing in a grueling uphill sprint on the opening stage
In the historic opening of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Marianne Vos of Visma-Lease a Bike claimed victory in a thrilling 78.8km race from Vannes to Plumelec. Vos outpaced Kim Le Court-Pienaar of AG Insurance-Soudal and teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prévot to secure the stage win and the coveted yellow jersey (maillot jaune).
The short, fiery race was marked by a tense final uphill sprint, with exceptional teamwork from Visma-Lease a Bike playing a pivotal role in positioning Vos for the win. Vos described the race as "nervous" but highlighted the perfect teamwork that helped her secure the stage victory[2][3].
The top 5 in the general classification after Stage 1 are: - Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) - Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal) - Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) - Kasia Niewiadoma Phinney (Canyon/SRAM/Zondacrypto) - Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez)
The race was not without its drama, as several riders, including Juliette Labous and Aude Biannic, crashed before the race even started but were able to continue. Liane Lippert, Mavi Garcia, and Ruby Roseman-Gannon also crashed during the stage, with Lippert and Garcia, both with GC ambitions, losing significant time[1].
Visma-Lease a Bike played a significant role in the final stages of the race, with Ferrand-Prévot leading out Vos in the closing kilometers[4]. A stalemate ensued over the rolling kilometres, with the main challenge coming in the final circuit that included the Côte de Cadoudal.
Marlen Reusser, a big contender for the yellow jersey, had to retire from the race due to the impact of a recent illness. Elise Chabbey won the sprint to the top of the second ascent of the climb, earning the polka dots for the mountains jersey on stage 2.
The stage ended with a final uphill sprint, where Vos overtook Le Court-Pienaar in the final few meters to take the first maillot jaune of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes. Rijnbeek took two mountain classification points but was soon consumed by the bunch.
In the opening stages, Laura Tomasi and Maud Rijnbeek made significant moves off the front, with FDJ-suez controlling the peloton to keep leader Demi Vollering safe. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney finished fourth, taking 3 seconds over Demi Vollering.
Pauline Ferrand Prévot launched a brutal acceleration in the final 800 meters but was chased down by Kim Le Court-Pienaar. The stage ended with a final uphill sprint, setting the stage for an exciting continuation of the race.
[1] [https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-femmes-avec-zwift-2025/stage-1/results/] [2] [https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/marianne-vos-wins-tour-de-france-femmes-avec-zwift-stage-1/] [3] [https://www.velonews.com/news/racing/tour-de-france-femmes-avec-zwift-2025-stage-1-marianne-vos-wins-yellow-jersey/] [4] [https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/visma-lease-a-bike-take-control-in-tour-de-france-femmes-avec-zwift-stage-1/]
Visma-Lease a Bike's impressive teamwork in the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwilt not only secured Marianne Vos' stage win and the yellow jersey, but also played a crucial role in setting up her final uphill sprint to victory. The race was a nail-biter, filled with unexpected crashes and fierce competition, making it a thrilling start to the female edition of the Tour de France.
