Former German cycling champion Liane Lippert has missed out on her second stage win overall in the Women’s Tour de France. After a hilly 153.4-kilometre stage between Montbrison and Tournon-sur-Rhône, the 28-year-old finished sixth in the sprint of a seven-strong breakaway group on the sixth stage. Kim Le Court Pienaar from Mauritius won ahead of France’s Cédrine Kerbaol and the Netherlands’ Puck Pieterse.
For the three-time Giro stage winner from Friedrichshafen, it would have been another major career achievement, having already won a stage at the Tour de France in 2023. Lippert was part of the breakaway group for a long time, which successfully pulled away from the peloton. However, in the sprint, she was several bike lengths behind the stage winner, Pienaar.
Mont Ventoux awaits us on Friday
In the overall standings, Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser remains at the top, twelve seconds ahead of the Netherlands’ Demi Vollering and 1 minute 17 seconds ahead of Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma. Although Antonia Niedermaier defended her white jersey, she is now fifth rather than fourth, 2 minutes and 40 seconds behind Reusser.
Friday sees the eagerly awaited climb up the infamous Mont Ventoux. A 2,600-metre climb lies ahead before reaching the summit of this legendary Tour de France mountain. The stage race concludes on Sunday in Nice.
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