Second stage, second victory for Charlotte Kool at the 2024 Women's Tour de France. The sprinter and team-mate of German champion Franziska Koch from Team dsm-firmenich PostNL came out on top on Tuesday morning ahead of Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx - Protime) and Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike).
After Wiebes was put out of action on Monday due to a broken rear derailleur in the final sprint, this time it was a direct duel with Kool. Things initially went according to plan for Wiebes. Her team, SD Worx - Protime, pulled the sprint along in exemplary fashion and the Dutchwoman took the lead, but Kool was already lurking on her rear wheel, shooting past in the final metres and catching her compatriot. The rest of the fast women around Marianne Vos were unable to intervene in the duel at the front.
Dreams come true very quickly these days. Winning first yesterday and then in the yellow jersey is something very special - Charlotte Kool
Kool thus also extends her lead in the overall standings and goes into the final race 14 seconds ahead of Anniina Ahtosalo (Uno-X Mobility) and Wiebes. 6.3 kilometre long individual time trial in the afternoon.
Tour de France Femmes 2024 - Results: the top 10 of stage 2
- Charlotte Kool (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) 1:32:49
- Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx - Protime) +0:00
- Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike) +0:00
- Lotta Henttala (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) +0:00
- Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) +0:00
- Rachele Barbieri (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0:00
- Mylene de Zoete (Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team) +0:00
- Maggie Coles-Lyster (Roland) +0:00
- Martina Alzini (Cofidis Women Team) +0:00
- Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) +0:00
Tour de France Femmes 2024: the current overall standings
- Charlotte Kool (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) 4:20:09
- Anniina Ahtosalo (Uno-X Mobility) +0:14
- Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx - Protime) +0:14
- Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike) +0:16
- Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) +0:16
- Lotta Henttala (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) +0:20
- Mylene de Zoete (Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team) +0:20
- Emilia Fahlin (Arkea-B&B Hotels) +0:20
- Kathrin Schweinberger (Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team) +0:20
- Kimberly Le Court (AG Insurance - Soudal) +0:20
How the 2nd stage of the Tour de France Femmes 2024 went
The first part of the stage was characterised by a hectic pace due to the windy roads. Shortly after the start, there was a crash at a road narrowing that held up many riders. Among others, the German Liane Lippert (Movistar) was stuck in a rear group. However, like all the other riders held up by the crash, she was able to rejoin the front peloton. Nevertheless, it remained extremely nervous in the peloton.
Breakaway attempt by De Keersmaeker
Things only calmed down a little 40 kilometres before the finish. Audrey De Keersmaeker (Lotto-Dstny Ladies) took advantage of the short lull and pulled away. She didn't have a chance. More than 30 seconds ahead was not possible for the Belgian. De Keersmaeker was caught ten kilometres before the finish.
The sprinters' trains formed up in the street canyons of Rotterdam. SD Worx - Protime wanted revenge for stage 1, when top sprinter Lorena Wiebes tore off her rear derailleur in the finale. The Dutch team started the last kilometre from the front. Wiebes was launched into the sprint by Barbara Guarischi, but was too early in the wind. Charlotte Kool (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) sucked up her rear wheel and pushed her front wheel past her compatriot in the final metres.
TOUR at the Tour de France Femmes 2024
TOUR editor Sandra Schuberth will be there live at the start of this year's Tour de France Femmes before cycling back to Munich. Her bikepacking tour is being organised under the name Deutschland-Trail Gravel-Edition. If you want, you can accompany them for a while.
