Marianne Vos has continued her dominating performance in the
Tour de France Femmes. In the fifth stage, she finished in the third position.
She couldn't beat
Lorena Wiebes in the sprint in the final kilometer of the stage. "She was definitely the fastest today," Vos told NOS. She continued to praise Wiebes, "When she attacked, she immediately made a gap. You then try to resist, but she was definitely the fastest today. I certainly did not ride a bad sprint. The team protected me well, and we came through the last corner well. Then you try to time it well, which was chaotic. But in the end, I can be satisfied."
The fifth stage saw four breakaway riders keeping their lead till the last two kilometers of the race. Then there was a major crash 45 kilometers before the finish line. "It was straight ahead the whole day, but from about fifteen kilometers before the finish, it suddenly turned and turned, on narrow roads. If you then try to ride next to each other with all the lead-out trains,” said Vos.
Elisa Longo Borghini was leading the peloton in the final kilometer, but she made a wrong turn which cost her potential stage victory. “Then there was a bend with 1.7 kilometers to go and a distraction 500 meters from the line. Elisa Longo Borghini I think, took the turn. I do think it all went well otherwise, but it was chaotic," concluded Vos. She continues to hold the top position in GC.