Kim Le Court Swoops For Tour De France Femmes Stage Five Win And Yellow Jersey

Kim Le Court won shape 5 of nan Tour de France Femmes, becoming nan first African rider to triumph a shape of nan race. The Mauritian besides took nan yellowish jersey from Marianne Vos, who mislaid clip connected her rivals aft getting dropped by a breakaway.

Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) was portion of nan seven-rider breakaway that included respective GC contenders, which escaped nan peloton connected nan last climb earlier a melodramatic descent to nan decorativeness line. Le Court held disconnected a precocious surge from Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) to triumph nan last sprint successful Guéret, pinch Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) finishing third.

The defending champion, Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM), on pinch Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma Lease a Bike), Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceunick) and Le Court’s teammate, Sarah Gigante, each took conscionable complete 30 seconds from Vos, who dropped to sixth successful nan wide classification aft finishing successful nan 2nd group.

“We came into nan shape pinch a very clear plan,” Le Court told Eurosport. “If we decorativeness successful a mini group past effort to return nan shape victory. The sprint was faster than I expected … luckily my footwear is nan fastest successful nan group.

“Having a teammate pinch maine helped a lot,” Le Court added, aft hesitation among nan starring group connected nan last descent. “If I didn’t person Sarah [Gigante] pinch maine past possibly nan group down [including Vos] would person caught america up.”

Le Court leads nan wide title by 18 seconds pinch Ferrand-Prévot 2nd and Vollering a further 5 seconds back. Niewiadoma is fourth, 24 seconds down Le Court, pinch Van der Breggen a 2nd down successful fifth, 10 seconds up of Vos.

As nan GC title heats up, nan contenders will look nan first upland shape connected Thursday, a 123.7km limb betwixt Clermont-Ferrand and Ambert. The way features 4 categorised climbs, see nan Category 1 Col du Béal.

• Jeremy Whittle’s afloat title study will follow