Vollering outsprints Reusser to win stage five; Reusser keeps yellow
Demi Vollering beat Marlen Reusser in a sprint to win stage five of the Tour de France Femmes on 5 August 2026 on the 140km route from Macon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, close to Lyon, and Reusser retained the overall yellow jersey.
Vollering, the Netherlands rider who won the Tour de France Femmes in 2023, finished just ahead of Movistar's Switzerland-based Marlen Reusser after the trio of Vollering, Reusser and Poland's Kasia Niewiadoma had escaped late in the race. The breakaway formed on the category two Mont Brouilly climb, which featured sections up to 14% and from which they pulled clear with about 10km to go. Reusser carried the yellow after winning Tuesday's time trial to Dijon, finishing 12 seconds ahead of Vollering, with Niewiadoma a further one minute five seconds behind in that stage.
FDJ United-Suez's Vollering crossed the line ahead of Reusser following an earlier launch to the line by Niewiadoma of Canyon-Sram; the three riders contested the latter stages of the demanding day. The stage covered 140km from Macon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, and the decisive move came on the steep slopes of Mont Brouilly. The sprint for the finish was long and contested between the pair who had arrived together after the climb.
"Today it was really cool race," said Vollering. "The whole team, every single rider was part of it. I enjoy those victories the most, when everybody put their hard work into it, it makes it more special and beautiful. "I gave it everything to the line. It was a very long sprint and I needed every single metre in the finish straight, but I managed to do it - I am very happy about that."
The report says it is increasingly likely the overall race will be decided among Vollering, Reusser and Niewiadoma, with Vollering described as being in the best form with 11 wins this season. Reusser is described as "the most improved" and Niewiadoma "potentially in the best position to win Friday's much-anticipated climb up to Mont Ventoux."
Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot of Visma-Lease a Bike lost more than two and a half minutes midway through the stage after already losing over two minutes to her main general classification rivals in the time trial, and she now sits five minutes down, 17th overall. Anna van der Breggan of SD Worx-Protime also lost more than two and a half minutes on the stage, dropping out of contention for yellow and sitting more than four minutes down.
The Netherlands' Lorena Wiebes remains in the green points jersey with 131 points, while compatriot Puck Pieterse retains the polka dot climber's jersey despite losing ground on the stage. Germany's Antonia Neidermaier of Canyon-Sram takes over the white young rider's jersey from Spain's Paula Blasi of Team UAE L'Imad. Stage five results listed: 1. Demi Vollering (Ned/FDJ United-Suez) 3hrs 53mins 54secs, 2. Marlen Reusser (Swi/Movistar) same time, 4. Dominika Wlodarczyk (UAE Team-L'imad) +45secs, 5. Isabella Holmgren (Can/Lidl-Trek) same time, 7. Nienke Vinke (Ned/SD Worx-Protime) +1min 12secs, 8. Femke de Vries (Ned/Visma-Lease a Bike) same time, 9. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZ/Lidl-Trek) +1min 15secs, 10. Thalita de Jong (Ned/Human Powered Health ). General classification after stage five: 1. Marlen Reusser (Swi/Movistar) 15hrs 41mins 18secs, 2. Demi Vollering (Ned/FDJ–Suez) +12secs, 3. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol/Canyon–SRAM) +1min 17secs, 4. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger/Canyon–SRAM) +2min 40secs, 5. Dominika Wlodarczyk (Pol/UAE Team-L'imad) +2min 54secs, 6. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita/UAE Team-L'imad) +2min 58secs, 7. Isabella Holmgren (Can/Lidl-Trek) +3mins 5secs, 8. Femke de Vries (Ned/Visma-Lease a Bike) +3min 11secs, 9. Cedrine Kerbaol (Fra/EF Education-Oatly) +3min 41secs, 10. Paula Blasi (Spa/UAE Team ADQ) +3min 51secs.
Italy's Chiara Consonni crashed on the stage, and Thursday's stage six is another hilly challenge.