Demi Vollering takes Stage 5 after epic day at Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift as Marlen Reusser hangs onto yellow jersey

Demi Vollering won Stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift for FDJ United-Suez as she outsprinted her rivals at the end of a gruelling 140km day. 

Vollering broke the race apart on the final climb, with only Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) and yellow jersey holder Marlen Reusser (Movistar) able to go with her.

That trio went all the way to the line together, with Niewiadoma opening her sprint first, only to get pipped by Vollering, who powered to victory to pick up maximum bonus seconds.

She is now just 12" behind Reusser in the standings, with Niewiadoma up to third, 1'17" back.

But many riders lost out today, on a stage that was only classed as "hilly" but was utterly exhausting with constant climbing and descending, and very little respite from either the terrain or the hot weather. 

The pace was relentless from word go, with a crash almost immediately involving Vollering, who fortunately was only caught up and did not hit the deck. 

Meanwhile, Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) was picking up Queen of the Mountains points at every opportunity, her summit sprints all uncontested over the first handful of climbs. 

With 79km to go, a break finally got away, and it was a good one with 19 riders involved, including two from the top 10 in the GC standings. 

Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) and Femke de Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike) went up the road, and that break wound up with nearly two minutes on the bunch - leaving Niedermaier briefly as the virtual leader on the road.

It was on the slopes of the penultimate climb, the Col de Durbize that the next move came - Evita Muzic putting her foot down for FDJ and whittling the peloton down to a very elite group on behalf of Vollering. 

Then team-mate Celia Gery took a turn - and that pace did for Visma-Lease a Bike’s Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) and Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime). With 30km to go, the GC was getting a very big shake up in Beaujolais. 

With 25km to go, there was just 30" in it between what remained of the break, and a very elite group around Reusser and Vollering. 

But as the race approached the final climb, the two groups came together - the remnants of the break, and the yellow jersey group. 

Attack after attack came in from Vollering, and she broke the final group near the summit of Mont Brouilly. She got clear, with only Niewiadoma and Reusser able to stay with her. 

Noemi Ruegg (EF Education-Oatly) had a horrible moment over the top of the last climb, deviating across the road with tiredness and clipping the back of a motorbike and going down. She got back on and rode to the finish, appearing unscathed from what could have been a nasty crash. 

But in the end, the day was all about the GC battle, with it becoming increasingly clear who the three strongest riders are in this year’s Tour.

As to who will win, that may well go all the way to the final day.

But Vollering looks in the form of her life, as does Niewiadoma. Both know what it takes to win the yellow jersey, but based on today's showing, they will need to put in something very special to steal it from Reusser.

1. Marlen Reusser (Movistar) 15:41'18''

2. Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) +12”

3. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) +1’17”

4. Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) +2’40”

5. Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team L’Imad) +2’54”

6. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team L’Imad) +2’58''

7. Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) +3'05''

8. Femke de Vires (Visma-Lease a Bike) +3'11''

9. Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) +3'41''

10. Paula Blasi (UAE Team L’Imad) +3'51''

"Today like, it was just a really cool race. The whole team, every single rider was part of it. And I enjoy those victories the most. It is more special and beautiful when you do it together," Vollering just said.

"And the way I managed to win the sprint, I thought I was not going to make it and I somehow made it. 

"I knew Kasia would go early, I knew Marlen would gamble. And I was like okay, if I do nothing Kasia will win, so I had to try - I gave it everything to the line and I needed every metre.

"I am very happy about [the result]. 

"For [Reusser] it looks very bright now. But I won already a Tour and Kasia as well, Marlen is the one who has not won it yet, so she has to work for it.

"It will be a hard battle. She is not a rider you can beat easily as she is very strong, but I will try to do that."

"It was relentless, we knew that from start to finish. It was always going to test your form, how well you are coping with the heat and everything that goes into being one of the best GC riders in the world.

"It has taught us quite a lot today."

Rowe adds that she does not believe Ferrand-Prevot can win this now.

This is how Vollering won Stage 5:

1. Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) 3:53'54''

2. Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team) ST

3. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM) ST

4. Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team L’Imad) +45”

5. Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) ST

6. Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM) ST

7. Nienke Vinke (SD Worx-Protime) +1'12''

8. Femke de Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike) ST

9. Thalita de Jong (Human Powered Health) ST

10. Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) +1'15''

Dani Rowe has just said how impressed she is with the top three today - especially Reusser, who was "not on terrain that suited her as much as the other two."

Rowe continued to say that this version of Niewiadoma is the strongest we have ever seen.

As for Vollering... She is back to her very, very best.

The gaps are sizeable today as the rest begin to come in.

Vollering got the maximum bonus seconds from Reusser and Niewiadoma there too.

Ferrand-Prevot is in - she is over two and a half minutes back. Ouch.

Vollering is off the back, looking for her team mates - and she looks much fresher than she did after her TT efforts.

What a ride from her today.

Niewiadoma goes! She goes for it from afar!

The other two are caught napping - here comes Vollering, she gets the wheel, pulls out and takes the stage on the line. Reusser takes second, nothing between the three.

What a finale.

But what are the time gaps?

Reusser pulls across and lets Vollering take it out, as the trio negotiate some road furniture.

Vollering drops back, Niewiadoma is out front, she flicks her elbow and Reusser leads it out.

Fair play - these three are working together.

Vollering, Niewiadoma, Reusser.

Niewiadoma has arguably the worst sprint of the three.

As for the other two, Vollering has looked the strongest today, but Reusser has the most to lose.

Even if the yellow jersey does not change hands today, there is still a stage win up for grabs.

The front three are 1'25'' ahead of Pieterse and her group, 1'40'' ahead of Longo Borghini, 2'00'' ahead of Blasi and 2'54'' ahead of Ferrand-Prevot.

The other top 10 riders - Niedermaier, de Vries - are with Pieterse.

What an elite bunch this is.

Two winners of the Tour de France Femmes, and the current yellow jersey.

Reusser led Vollering by 14'' coming into today, and has picked up two extra seconds thanks to that bonus sprint.

This is pretty much downhill and flat to the finish.

Reusser is back with the other two, so we have three leaders out there.

But behind, plenty of GC riders are losing big, big time. Including last year's winner Ferrand-Prevot, who is 2'50'' back. The white jersey is 2'00'' back, Blasi struggling out there.

The front three are not letting anyone come back, they are pushing the pace.

Bonus seconds on the line too today...

Vollering wants this today. Niewiadoma is with her. Reusser is just, just holding the wheel.

Those three are out front.

Vollering gets a bike length. Niewiadoma is on her wheel instantly.

Reusser loses another length, but here comes a technical descent, and the time trial expert could get this back.

Five riders from the top 10 going into today's stage are still up there.

Who is taking this?

Vollering is still on the front, with Reusser on her wheel. Niewiadoma is there, as are Niedermaier and de Vries.

Fisher-Black is hanging on in here too.

But it is Vollering doing all the work.

Here comes the final classified climb. Reusser is second wheel. There are now just 13 riders in this lead group, as team-mates begin to fade, especially those who positioned themselves in the break.

And now Vollering takes it on, riding to the front and setting the pace...

The 18 riders in the lead group at 35'' ahead of the white jersey group - containing Blasi, Longo Borghini and Le Court.

Ferrand-Prevot's group is 1'25'' back.

Up front, Lippert has just buried herself for Reusser. She fades, as Reusser goes for the bonus seconds - and takes them! Was Vollering caught napping there? Looks a little like it - she takes 4'', Reusser 6''.

We knew this would be an epic stage finish and that is what beckons.

There is now 4.2km to go until the bonus sprint. Is Vollering going for this today, or is she keeping her powder dry for the mountains? Given how hard her team mates worked to break this race apart... Surely she wants to give this a go.

There is still Mont Brouilly to come, and at the moment, Movistar are on the front and pulling hard to prevent Blasi's group catching back on.

It is all back together at the front.

The yellow jersey group and the remnants of the breakaway have joined up.

Reusser is in there, so is Vollering, Niewiadoma, de Vries, Niedermaier...

That leaves a group of around 19 riders at the front, but the white jersey is not with them - Blasi is 35'' back. So is Longo Borghini.

Ferrand-Prevot is 1'04'' off the front, in a third group.