The Dutch festival at the Tour de France Femmes 2024 continues. After the victories of Charlotte Kool (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) on stages one and two and the success of Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx - Protime), stage 4 also had a Dutch winner with Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck). The best German was Liane Lippert (Movistar) in 17th place, 1:15 minutes behind.
Trio sprints for victory on stage 4
The 22-year-old cross and mountain bike specialist Pieterse won after 122.7 rainy kilometres between Valkenburg and Liège out of a leading group of three ahead of Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM Racing). The trio had broken away on the Cote de la Roche-aux-Faucons in the finale, which included several climbs from Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Pieterse took the sprint early on, Vollering came back strongly, but in the end it was just enough for Pieterse's first professional victory on the road.
The first day I had good legs, the second day I had good legs and today I didn't feel my legs at all - Puck Pieterse
Vollering, meanwhile, underlined her position as the top favourite for overall victory in the Tour de France Femmes 2024 with a strong performance. The only rival who was able to stand up to her was Kasia Niewiadoma from the German team Canyon//SRAM Racing. However, the Polish rider is already 34 seconds behind Vollering in the overall standings.
Tour de France Femmes 2024 - Results: the top 10 of stage 4
- Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) 3:12:28
- Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx -Protime) +0:00
- Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM Racing) +0:00
- Kimberley (Le Court) Pienaar (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) +0:29
- Noemi Rüegg (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) +0:29
- Thalita de Jong (Lotto-Dstny Ladies) +0:29
- Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez) +0:29
- Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek) +0:29
- Niamh Fisher-Black (Team SD Worx - Protime) +0:29
- Mareille Meijering (Movistar) +0:29
The overall standings
- Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx -Protime) 07:40:10
- Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) +0:22
- Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM Racing) +0:34
- Kristen Faulkner (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) +0:47
- Juliette Labous (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0:56
- Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) +1:03
- Kimberley (Le Court) Pienaar (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) +1:03
- Thalita de Jong (Lotto-Dstny Ladies) +1:04
- Cedrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team) +1:04
- Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek) +1:07
How the 4th stage of the Tour de France Femmes 2024 went
The first four mountain classifications of the day on Bemelerberg (4th category - 2 points), Cauberg (3rd category - 3 points), Geulhemmerberg (4th category - 2 points) and Bemelerberg (4th category - 2 points) were all won by Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ). Sara Martin (Movistar) then broke away from the peloton. The Spaniard opened up a lead of around a minute on the peloton and briefly had a chaser in Laura Tomasi (Laboral Kutxa - Fundacion Euskadi), but she quickly gave up her endeavour.
At the intermediate sprint 55 kilometres before the finish, the duel between Charlotte Kool (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx - Protime) was renewed. As on stage 2, Kool retained the upper hand and took 20 points, extending her lead in the points classification.
Railway barrier down, peloton has to wait
51 kilometres before the finish, the race had to be briefly neutralised. The reason for this was a closed railway crossing. After the short, involuntary breather, the peloton broke up at Mont-Theux (3rd category) and the breakaway rider Martin was caught. Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) took the three points on the crest.
On the Cote de la Redoute, the Fenix-Deceuninck team pushed hard - with success: Puck Pieterse took five points in the mountain classification. Around 30 riders were still together in the first group after the Redoute - the German Liane Lippert (Movistar) was also often in the front positions. On the Cote des Forges (3rd category), Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) took the points with her and continued alone at the front. While the Belgian was 25 seconds ahead of the peloton, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-Suez) crashed on the wet road. The Dane finished more than three minutes behind.
Preliminary decision at the Cote de la Roche-aux-Faucons
On the Cote de la Roche-aux-Faucons (2nd category), Team SD Worx - Protime increased the pace with Niamh Fisher-Black, before Demi Vollering ignited the turbo and caught up with Ghekiere. The pace became too fast for Liane Lippert. The rider from Friedrichshafen dropped back and finished in 17th place, 1:15 minutes behind the best German.
Three riders were able to follow Vollering on the Cote de la Roche-aux-Faucons: Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM Racing), Puck Pieterse and Pauliena Rooijakkers (both Fenix-Deceuninck). Pieterse took the five points on the crest of the Falkenfelsen and thus rides in the mountain jersey on stage 5. A few kilometres later, Rooijakkers dropped back into the first chasing group at the bonus sprint, while Vollering gained six seconds at the front.
Pieterse wins the sprint
There was no unity among the chasers, which is why the gap to Vollering, Niewiadoma and Pieterse grew to 30 seconds. The trio decided the day's victory among themselves. Niewiadoma tried to surprise her rivals with an attack well before the finish, which didn't work. Pieterse therefore took the initiative and won the sprint just ahead of Vollering.
