Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift: Lorena Wiebes claims second stage win and climbs general classification after Poitiers masterclass

Lorena Wiebes held off the yellow jersey-wearing Marianne Vos to sprint to her second 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift victory on Stage 4. Wiebes proved strongest in the final straight on the final day for the sprinters before the Grand Tour takes to the mountains of France. Lara Gillespie impressed as she claimed a podium place in third, with the race continuing on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) claimed her second stage win at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift on Tuesday, holding off Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) over the line after another fierce head-to-head between the two sprint powerhouses.

On a day reminiscent of Monday's Stage 3, it would end in similar fashion as the Dutch rider proved too much for her compatriot in a thrilling finale in Poitiers, with Lara Gillespie (UAE ADQ) putting in a strong performance to claim a podium place in third.

A consolation for runner-up Vos was that she continues to hold the yellow jersey, but Wiebes gained ground in that regard as she climbed three places into second in the GC standings, just 12 seconds behind Vos.

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After a series of attacks failed to come to fruition, one rider who was able to escape with 92km to go was Maud Rijnbeek (VolkerWessels Pro Cycling), who would shortly be joined by the duo of Franziska Koch (Picnic PostNL) and Ana Vitoria Magalhaes (Movistar).

The trio would grow their advantage to just over 1'30", with the peloton keeping a firm hold on proceedings on the final flat stage of the Tour.

Rijnbeek was caught with 54km to go after struggling to maintain distance on an uncategorised uphill sector, with the remaining duo lasting until the 4km mark. In the meantime, they would pick up the maximum points on offer at the intermediate sprint in Soudun, with Koch taking 25 points.

Ana Vitoria Magalhaes and Franziska Koch do battle during Tuesday's Stage 4

Image credit: Getty Images

The remaining points were swept up by the peleton as Wiebes and Vos went head-to-head again, with the 38-year-old being pipped to third place in the competition by her compatriot after a brief leadout.

The breakaway would also pick up the limited points on offer at the only categorised climb of the day (Cote de Marigny, Cat. 4, 0.9km at 5.4%), with Elise Chabbey (FDJ-SUEZ) set to fend of challenges for the polka-dot jersey in the stages ahead.

A surge of pace from SD Worx-Protime, Visma-Lease a Bike and FDJ-SUEZ with 20km to go would cut the breakaway's advantage to 45 seconds, with American road race champion Kristen Faulkner (EF Education–Oatly) hitting the deck in the jostle for positions.

The catch was made with just 4km to go as the sprint trains gathered pace ahead of the finale in the city of Poitiers, with Koch picking up the combatitivity award for her efforts to get in the initial breakaway.

Whilst a slight uphill finish might have appealed to the punchy riders of the bunch to pinch a win from the sprinters, it would be a heroic leadout from Wiebes' teammates Lotte Kopecky and Anna van der Breggen, who appears to have dismissed ideas of a challenge at the general classification, that would keep Wiebes primed and ready in the final kilometres.

The slight drag would give an opportunity for Stage 2 maillot jaune wearer Kimberley Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) to attack with 0.3km to go to no avail, with Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) opening her sprint early and unknowingly providing the slipstream for Lorena Wiebes.

Starting her sprint with 0.2km to go, the SD Worx-Protime powered to the front as she did the previous day, holding off the three-time world champion and beating her by half a wheel length on the throw in a tighter affair to that of 24 hours before.

Wiebes 'does it again' with Stage 4 triumph ahead of Vos

Video credit: TNT Sports

"It was definitely not easy because there was a lot of chaos with trying not to get boxed in," Wiebes said. "Anna did a really good job, we said in the meeting that it would perfect if she could do the uphill part with three kilometres to go so she was there and then Lotte took over and then Anna again. It was super strong from her and I’m happy that she did it.

"I went pretty early, I followed Dygert and I was a bit afraid that if she moved to the right that I’d be boxed in so I had to go a bit early because you don’t want to take the risk and get boxed in.

"We’ll have to see how hard tomorrow is and hopefully I can get some points again [in the points classification] and then for the day’s after, I need to try to be in the breakaway."

Elsewhere, UAE-ADQ's Lara Gillespie picked up a historic third place to become the first Irish woman to finish on the podium.

Lorena Wiebes celebrates her victory in Stage 4

Image credit: Getty Images

Vos will spend her third day in yellow during the 2025 edition of the race, having picked up six bonus seconds on the line to retain her 12 seconds advantage in the general classification, with Wiebes overtaking Le Court in the standings.

Speaking about her battle with Dutch compatriot, Vos lauded the SD Worx-Protime rider, who picked up her 109th win in her career.

"It is nice to get closer but Lorena was very fast on the line. It's nice [to still be in the yellow jersey] on such a chaotic day, not only in the final but from the start, it was fast.

"It was constantly a high pace in the bunch, and to stay in the front, in a good position, that is pretty tough and thanks to team that worked really well so I'm really happy.

"She's just the best sprinter in the world, phenomenal in the sprint and everytime she shows again, she's very hard to beat. She's a tough competitior but it's good to have her."

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