Vollering wins stage five, Reusser keeps Femmes lead

In a dramatic sprint finish, 2023 champion Demi Vollering won the fifth stage of the Tour de France Femmes on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, while Marlen Reusser of Switzerland defended her overall lead by a narrow margin. The Dutch rider outsprinted Reusser and Poland’s Katarzyna Niewiadoma in a three-way dash to the line in Belleville-en-Beaujolais, securing her first stage victory of this year's race.

The 140-kilometer stage from Mâcon through the Beaujolais region featured eight categorized climbs that reshuffled the general classification. Niewiadoma launched a powerful attack with approximately 300 meters remaining, but a determined Vollering chased her down and surged ahead in the final meters to claim the win. Reusser, the world time trial champion who took the race lead the previous day, finished second.

Vollering described the tense finale as a relief, adding that she had anticipated Niewiadoma's early move. She also acknowledged the challenge posed by the race leader. "Marlen has not won a Tour yet, and she will have to work for it as well," Vollering said. "I'm sure it will be a hard battle, because she is not the rider who you can beat easily, because she is very strong."