Marlen Reusser turned a Reusser time trial favourite’s status into victory on stage 4 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, taking both the stage win and the yellow jersey in Dijon.
The Movistar rider, already world and European champion against the clock, completed the 21km route from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon in 27:30. Lieke Nooijen of Visma | Lease a Bike took second after setting an early benchmark, while Demi Vollering of FDJ United-Suez placed third.
Reusser’s ride reshaped the general classification as well as the stage result. She now leads Vollering by 14 seconds overall, with Cédrine Kerbaol of EF Education-Oatly third at 54 seconds.
The result also added another milestone to Reusser’s career. It was her third stage victory at the Tour and her 40th professional win.
Reusser time trial power proves decisive
Nooijen was the first major reference point on the course, stopping the clock at 27:34. Her time quickly stood apart from the rest of the early finishers.
Zoe Bäckstedt, the British time trial champion, then emerged as a serious challenger. The Canyon//Sram rider matched the fastest mark at the intermediate checkpoint and looked capable of moving ahead.
Bäckstedt could not hold that speed through the second half of the course. She reached the finish 15 seconds slower than Nooijen, leaving the Dutch rider still in control of the standings.
Reusser changed the race at the first checkpoint. She passed that point 19 seconds faster than Nooijen, setting a pace no other contender could match.
She then carried enough speed to the finish to replace Nooijen at the top of the leaderboard. The performance confirmed her position as the rider to beat in the stage’s individual test.
Behind her, several general classification names also started strongly. Elisa Longo Borghini and Vollering were among the five fastest riders at the intermediate point, sitting 21 and 22 seconds behind Reusser respectively.
Longo Borghini faded compared with the very fastest riders over the back half of the route. Even so, she remained on course for a top-10 finish on the stage.
Vollering produced the more important ride for the overall race. Her third place, 17 seconds behind Reusser, moved her firmly into second on general classification.
Yellow jersey changes hands before hilly stage
Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset began the day in yellow for Uno-X Mobility, holding a 2:02 advantage over Kim Le Court of AG Insurance-Soudal. That cushion came under immediate pressure once the time checks started.
At the first checkpoint, Haugset was already 2:05 slower than Reusser. That split placed her race lead in danger before the route reached Dijon.
Haugset was the last rider to finish, wearing the yellow jersey as she crossed the line. Her effort could not protect the lead, and Reusser moved into first overall.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot finished 2:13 behind Reusser, while Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney ended 1:08 down. Niewiadoma-Phinney’s ride placed her provisionally inside the stage top 10 at the time.
The Tour de France Femmes now turns toward a hilly fifth stage on Wednesday. Reusser will start in yellow, but Vollering remains close enough to keep the overall race open.
Kerbaol’s third place overall gives EF Education-Oatly a strong position before the terrain changes. The next stage should test whether Reusser can defend her new lead beyond the discipline she dominates.
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