Race Preview for Tour de France Femmes 2025 Stage 2: Will Marianne Vos Safeguard the Yellow Jersey in Another Hill-Filled Conclusion?
Tour de France Femmes 2023: Stage 2 Preview
The second stage of the Tour de France Femmes 2023 promises an exciting battle as riders take on a 110km route, featuring multiple climbs and a challenging uphill finish in Quimper.
Weather Forecast
The weather for Stage 2 is forecast to be warm, dry, and cloudy without much wind, setting the stage for a thrilling race.
Uphill Finish
The uphill finish in Quimper is expected to result in a breathless battle for victory. With its twisty roads in typical Breton fashion, even more so than during stage 1, the final kilometres are sure to test the mettle of the riders.
Top Contenders
Kim Le Court, who finished third on the stage and took the overall race lead after a strong performance, will be wearing the yellow jersey. Other top contenders include Lorena Wiebes, Mavi García, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Demi Vollering, Katarzyna Niewiadoma, and Niamh Fisher-Black.
Significant Climbs
The route includes four climbs, with Menez Quelerc'h (3km at 6.2%) being the first, located at 50.7km. This is followed by the Côte de Locronan (800m at 8.9%), which appears at 68.4km. The Côte du Chemin de Troheir (1.1km at 5.7%) is included twice, at 79.9km and 105.7km, and arrives with 5km remaining to the finish.
Stage Winner
Mavi García secured a solo win in Stage 2, with a strong sprinter presence behind. Lorena Wiebes, another rider to watch, performed well despite a disorganized SD Worx-Protime team in Plumelec.
GC Contenders
The GC contenders are expected to be actively involved in the competition on Sunday, as they were on Saturday. Defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and 2023 winner Demi Vollering finished in fourth and fifth, respectively, on the opening stage.
Notable Performances
Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) is in good form following a sixth-place finish in the opening stage, while Liane Lippert (Movistar) could perform well if she has recovered from her crash and a disappointing opening stage for her team.
Marianne Vos
Marianne Vos, currently wearing the yellow jersey, proved the strongest at the conclusion of the opening stage. With her teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prévot also in contention, the stage offers opportunities for both riders.
All riders chasing yellow will be aware of the importance of bonus seconds on these early punchy finals before the race reaches the mountains. For more precise information on the significant climbs of Stage 2 in 2023, consulting the official race guide or detailed stage profiles from the 2023 Tour de France Femmes would be necessary.
Riders can anticipate a challenging race on Stage 2 of the Tour de France Femmes 2023, with multiple climbs and a thrilling uphill finish in Quimper, as the weather forecasts a warm, dry, and cloudy day without much wind. The uphill battle is expected to be intense, especially with top contenders like Kim Le Court, Lorena Wiebes, Mavi García, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Demi Vollering, Katarzyna Niewiadoma, and Niamh Fisher-Black competing.
