“Even I had some doubts” - Lorena Wiebes follows Demi Vollering attack before winning Tour de France Femmes opener
Cycling
Lorena Wiebes followed an attack from Demi Vollering before launching a long uphill sprint to win Stage 1 of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes and take the first yellow jersey in Lausanne.
The Team SD Worx – Protime rider survived four categorised climbs and a final 2.5-kilometre ascent averaging 4.6 per cent, on a day when Charlotte Kool and teammate Lotte Kopecky were among those distanced.
Wiebes nevertheless admitted that she had questioned whether the finish would prove too demanding. “I almost cannot believe it,” she said after the stage. “The team worked super hard today and they got me to the front with one kilometre to go, but then Demi attacked and I needed to follow. It was just a long sprint, but I’m super happy with this.”
Anna van der Breggen drove the reduced peloton into the final kilometre before Celia Gery launched the first attack. Vollering accelerated soon afterwards, with Kim Le Court-Pienaar moving onto her wheel as Wiebes fought to remain in position.
“I need to go now”
Wiebes had expected attacks on the uphill run to the line, but briefly found herself blocked when EF Education – Oatly moved forward on the right-hand side.
“I felt good and then I was like: ‘It’s one kilometre to go, I need to hold on, I cannot drop anymore,’” she explained. “Then I was a bit blocked as EF started on the right side and I found my way. I started a bit early, but I was like: ‘I need to go now.’”
Once the road opened, Wiebes accelerated from distance and overhauled Le Court-Pienaar and Vollering. Le Court-Pienaar took second, Vollering finished third and Puck Pieterse completed the top four.
The victory came after SD Worx continued working for Wiebes despite the selective route and Kopecky losing contact on the Cote de Vulliens. Van der Breggen remained alongside her into the finale and ensured she began the final climb near the front.
SD Worx belief overcomes Wiebes doubts
Wiebes credited both her teammates and the SD Worx staff for maintaining confidence in her chances throughout the stage.
“I’m really happy with the support from our team and it gave me extra energy,” she said. “I also had the support of the staff. They fully believed in me. Even I had some doubts, but I’m super grateful for this.”
Wiebes collected the full 50 points at the finish and moved into the lead of both the General Classification and Points Classification. The ten bonus seconds for victory gave her a four-second advantage over Le Court-Pienaar, with Vollering six seconds behind heading into Stage 2.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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