Lorena Wiebes wins opening stage of Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift as SD Worx-Protime star takes first yellow jersey of the race

Lorena Wiebes sprinted to a 132nd career victory as she won the opening stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and claimed the first yellow jersey of the race.

While the race organisers labelled the rolling 138km stage in Lausanne, Switzerland as a flat stage, it was far from ideal for the pure sprinters of the bunch with four categorised climbs, including a punchy finish.

Ultimately, the SD Worx-Protime rider once again proved herself as one of the best sprinters in the world as she targets back-to-back green jerseys having claimed the points classification in 2025.

There was no surprise to see a flurry of early attacks and it was the duo of Idoia Eraso (Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi) and Maud Rijnbeek (VolkerWessels Cycling Team) who were the first to escape the clutches of the peloton with 132km to go.

They would be quickly joined by Nikola Noskova (Cofidis) and Oceane Mahe (Ma Petite Entreprise) as the breakaway turned into a quartet.

Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93), who became a prominent breakaway protagonist during the 2026 Giro d’Italia Women, once again looked to find the breakaway and came within touching distance of the breakaway quartet before calling off her attack alongside fellow Canadian Kiara Lylyk (Mayenne Monbana My Pie).

The four-rider breakaway were allowed to grow their advantage to six minutes at times and Mahe would claim maximum points across the first two climbs to guarantee the first polka-dot jersey of the race.

With 55km to go, the Cote de Villars-le-Comte saw early exits from the back of the peloton as Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech), Amber Kraak (FDJ United-Suez) and Paris-Roubaix Femmes champion Franziska Koch (FDJ United-Suez) were surprisingly distanced.

As the breakaway’s advantage tumbled to 1’43”, a new spell of attacks from the peloton occurred with Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) managing to bridge across before Noskova launched a move on the penultimate climb in an ambitious solo effort.

A flurry of crashes throughout the day saw the first abandonment of the race in Uno-X Mobility’s Laura Tomasi, while Fenix-Premier Tech’s Christina Schweinberger will be monitored overnight because of a wrist injury.

General classification contender and Swiss star Marlen Reusser (Movistar) was also victim of a crash just outside the closing 20km, although she was able to return to the peloton with 16.3km to go.

Noskova was joined by Eraso, Spratt and Rijnbeek at the head of the race with 17.8km before the break was eventually caught with 6.8km to go.

With 3km to go, AG Insurance-Soudal took to the front of the peloton to work as Kimberly Le Court launched a move in the closing 1.5km, looking to repeat her 2025 heroics as the first rider from Mauritius to wear the yellow jersey.

However, she was quickly countered by the attack of French national champion Celia Gery (FDJ United-SUEZ), whose move was once again shut down.

GC favourite Demi Vollering launched a move of her own with 800m to go but was unsurprisingly quickly followed by Le Court, before Wiebes dug deep to close the gap.

The Dutch powerhouse launched her sprint with 250m to go and take victory, ahead of Le Court and Vollering to claim the first yellow jersey of the race.

Speaking after the race, Wiebes said: ”I almost cannot believe it. The team worked super hard today and they got me to the front with 1km to go but then Demi [Vollering] attacked and I needed to follow. It was just a long sprint but I'm super happy with this.”

Another flat stage, although there are still five categorised climbs. Thankfully for the sprinters, they occur much earlier in the race and the run-in to the finish should be much easier.

Will Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) make it back-to-back victories? You wouldn't count against her.

And she has a brilliant chance to keep the yellow jersey for another day tomorrow.

What a way to win the first stage at the fifth edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and claim the first yellow jersey.

There are too many words to describe Lorena Wiebes so I'll just leave it to you to enjoy...

1. Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) 3:29:01

2. Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) 4"

3. Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) 6"

4. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) 10"

5. Noemi Ruegg (EF Education-Oatly) "

6. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team L'Imad) "

7. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM) "

8. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) "

9. Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) "

10. Marlen Reusser (Movistar) "

1. Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) 3:29:11

2. Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) "

3. Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) "

4. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) "

5. Noemi Ruegg (EF Education-Oatly) "

6. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team L'Imad) "

7. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM) "

8. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) "

9. Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) "

10. Marlen Reusser (Movistar) "

She had to dig deep, but what a way to claim your 132nd win of your career.

The other teams might be regretting not making it hard enough to drop Wiebes, but she continues to be more than just the best sprinter in the woman's peloton.

She had to go up against some of the best climbers and puncheurs in the world on a stage labelled as "flat" by the organisers.

"A once in a generational talent", says Dani Christmas.

Launching her sprint with 250m to go, Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) takes the first stage and the first yellow jersey of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

There's no contest as she beats Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) by several bike lengths. Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) finishes third.

The SD Worx-Protime rider closes the gap on her own to Vollering and Le Court, but then there's another move and this time it's by EF Education-Oatly.

Wiebes is digging deep.

It's none other than Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) who attempts an attack of her own. She's quickly chased by Kim Le Court, who gets onto her wheel alongside Elisa Longo Borghini.

The French national champion attacks but once again, it's quickly shut down.

There's a crash with Dominika Wlodarczyk (UAE Team L'Imad) and and Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco).

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) has survived the climb.

Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) attacks after a big effort from her teammates to take things up at the front but her move is quickly diluted.

And she's got Elisa Longo Borghini right on her wheel.

But that doesn't last long as AG Insurance-Soudal's Shari Bossuyt moves to the front to work for Kim Le Court.

That is the end of the breakaway's day out and we are all together again.

Lidl-Trek are leading things at the front of the peloton, with Elisa Balsamo eyeing the yellow jersey.

The gap is tumbling and it looks like the catch is about to be made.

You can sense the peloton are playing this exactly how they want and keeping the breakaway within reach as and when they want to make the catch.

The bunch are spread across the road, with teams getting in order as we approach the final climb.

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) has made it over the climbs. One to go.

The peloton has been significantly reduced, but there are plenty of riders who will be favourites to win the first yellow jersey of the race.

Here's a look at today's finish in Lausanne, which will see riders tackle maximum gradients of 8.9%.

There are so many possibilities of how this will unfold.

With the help of her two teammates, Marlen Reusser (Movistar) is back with the peloton upon the approach to the finish line.