Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) confirmed that she was placing every thing into profitable the inexperienced jersey on the Tour de France Femmes, shifting into the factors lead after profitable the dash for second place on stage 6 into Morteau.
Distanced on the final climb, Côte des Fins, Vos fought desperately to rejoin the choice on the descent, reconnecting within the last kilometres of the race. But whereas she was the quickest sprinter within the group, the win went to late-race breakaway rider Cédrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT).
“It’s a disgrace Cédrine had already opened up a giant hole; in any other case, I may need sprinted for the win. Unfortunately, that was past my management,” Vos stated.
“After the ultimate climb, I used to be relieved to reconnect with the peloton. I achieved the absolute best outcome at present. I actually wish to deliver the inexperienced jersey to the end of the Tour de France Femmes, however first, I have to get better from this gruelling effort.”
Charlotte Kool (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) began the stage within the lead of the inexperienced jersey factors classification with 120 factors, Vos in second place with 95 factors.
To safe extra factors, Vos bridged throughout to the day’s breakaway with 87km to go after which gained the day’s intermediate dash in Sancey to equal the factors tally to Kool.
Although three riders had cut up off the entrance of the group within the final climbs, they had been caught within the closing kilometres and the choose group raced into the Côte des Fins, Juliette Labous (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) launching an assault that lowered the group even additional.
Vos was distanced simply 500 metres from the highest, visibly struggling to regain contact with the leaders.
“I made a decision to make the crossing and I succeeded. From that second on it was a battle. It was actually powerful,” Vos stated.
She desperately tried to reconnect with the entrance group on the descent, doing so simply in time to catch her breath after which dash for the end line, taking second place and sufficient factors for the inexperienced jersey lead.
“Over the final climb, I used to be glad I might nonetheless see the tail finish of the peloton and will return to it. That somebody was away already; I could not do a lot about it. So the utmost [sprint] factors was then the best achievement doable,” Vos stated.
Vos now leads the factors classification with 145 factors, whereas Kool slipped to second with 120 factors. Vos aimed to maintain the jersey over the ultimate two mountain phases. If she maintains her lead on Sunday’s finale atop Alpe d’Huez, she is going to win her second inexperienced jersey since 2022.
“I do not know if there have been many pictures of me struggling and attempting to struggle again, however I struggled fairly a bit. I used to be simply attempting to outlive till the end,” Vos stated. “I wish to defend it, however I’m going to get better from this primary.”
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