Stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes culminates in a thrilling sprint finish, with Kim Le Court-Pienaar clinching victory over Demi Vollering, reclaiming the yellow jersey in the process.
In a thrilling display of endurance and tactical skill, Kim Le Court-Pienaar of AG Insurance-Soudal clinched the victory in Stage 5 of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes. The 165.8km stage from Chasseneuil-du-Poitou Futuroscope to Guéret was the longest of the nine-day race and proved to be both challenging and tactically demanding.
Le Court-Pienaar's triumph came after a masterful team strategy, which saw her winning the sprint despite initially being slightly out of position. She attributed her success to having the fastest kick in the group that helped secure the win.
The top finishers for Stage 5 were:
- Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) - 3:54:07
- Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez)
- Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime)
- Kasia Niewiadoma Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto)
- Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Le Court-Pienaar's win elevated her to the race leader, taking the yellow jersey. The general classification after Stage 5 had Le Court in the lead with a total time of 15:07:14, followed by Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (+18 seconds) and Demi Vollering (+23 seconds).
The stage was marked by several notable withdrawals due to illness and crashes, including Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner and Elisa Balsamo, which affected the peloton dynamics early on.
The stage saw several breakaways, with Francesca Barale (Picnic PostNL) making a solo attack to form the initial breakaway. She was later joined by Anneke Dijkstra (VolkerWessels), Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly), Catalina Soto (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi), and Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ). A group of seven riders eventually formed on the Maupuy climb, including Le Court-Pienaar, Ferrand-Prévot, Vollering, van der Breggen, Niewiadoma-Phinney, and Pauliena Rooijakkers.
Van der Breggen attempted a sprint attack on the final kilometre but was shut down by Le Court-Pienaar, who went on to win the stage and reclaim the GC lead.
In summary, Kim Le Court-Pienaar's Stage 5 win was a testament to her endurance on the longest stage and her tactical acumen within the final sprint, establishing her as a serious contender for overall victory in the 2025 Tour de France Femmes.
Kim Le Court-Pienaar's victory in Stage 5 of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes showcased her success in sports, demonstrating both endurance and tactical prowess. Analyzing the general classification after Stage 5, Le Court-Pienaar leads with a total time of 15:07:14, indicating her dominance in the competition.
