Reusser holds yellow as Kim Le Court wins stage in Tournon-sur-Rhône
On August 6, 2026, Marlen Reusser kept the overall lead in the Tour de France Femmes after Kim Le Court claimed the stage victory in Tournon-sur-Rhône, outsprinting Cédrine Kerbaol and Puck Pieterse at the finish.
Le Court, riding for Mauritius, recovered from a mechanical on the climb of the Col de Lalouvesc to rejoin the day’s breakaway and take what the report describes as the second Tour stage win of her career. The stage ran through central France in high temperatures and included six classified climbs into the Ardèche.
Describing her final effort, Le Court said, "I was on the limit. I can’t believe I still had the legs to sprint. It was really hard, this close, before I could give up. I will never give up after the big effort my team did." She added, "I’ve been really struggling since the time trial day but I think this really makes our Tour. We’ve still got ambitions for the general classification, but winning a stage in a Tour de France is very special. People don’t really remember top ten or top five riders in Tour, but they do remember stage winners."
Puck Pieterse, leader of the Queen of the Mountains classification, finished on the podium and now has 47 points in that competition, which the article reports is the highest total ever recorded in the history of the Tour de France Femmes. Pieterse said, "I wanted to win the stage of course, but I think I did everything else today. I decided to gamble, but Kim was still the strongest in the sprint, so I don’t think I can be too sad."
Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot ended the day with the group of favourites alongside Reusser, Demi Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma, arresting a recent decline in form. The piece notes Ferrand-Prévot sits 15th overall, five minutes behind Reusser, and that she had conceded on Wednesday, "It’s over." On the subject of the upcoming climb, she said, "I think it’s the most iconic climb in France."
Tour de France Femmes director Marion Rousse commented on route selection, saying, "We try to align with the most mythical summits. They’re part of the history of the Tour and the history of the sport." The report states Vollering and Niewiadoma have previous experience of Mont Ventoux only from its less demanding north side, not the southern ascent, and records Reusser’s remark that "It’s proof that human beings aren’t always such a smart species" about those who had disparaged the women’s peloton.
The article recalls Nicole Cooke’s solo victory over Mont Ventoux in 2006 that delivered overall success in the Grande Boucle Féminine, noting Cooke won that stage by four minutes and the race overall by more than six. Cooke remembered, "I don’t suppose anybody wanted to chase me all the way up the Ventoux. The heat was a big factor. People don’t want to chase on a day when the heat is so debilitating," and later added, "After the finish, we went to a cafe and had ice-creams."
The next confirmed challenge for the peloton is Friday’s ascent of Mont Ventoux, a climb the report describes as a decisive and high-profile inclusion for the race and one expected to be influenced by continuing high temperatures.