Franziska Koch missed a success as a runaway at the fourth stage of the Tour de France.
The two -time German champion and the Brazilian Ana Vitória Magalhães had started after around 50 kilometers, but the cyclists were put from the main field four kilometers before the finish. The victory in the mass sprint went to the Dutchman Lorena Wiebes.
The sprinter referred her compatriot Marianne Vos to second place. VOS successfully defended her yellow jersey and is now in the overall ranking twelve seconds before the Mauritier Kimberley Le Court Pienaar and Wiebes, who expanded her lead in the sprint rating with the stage victory. The Demi full ring, who fell yesterday from the Netherlands, co -favorite and winner of the Tour de Femmes from 2023, finished the main field.
Brewing in 13th place, award for Koch
Franziska Brauße took 13th place as the best German. The three-time German cycling champion Liane Lippert dropped a little before the mass sprint and finished 50th. “In the end it was too hectic and too much risk to print there,” she said after the race in the ARD interview.
Despite the failed escape, there was something to celebrate for the outlier Koch: the 25-year-old was named the most aggressive driver of the stage after the race.
For the pure sprinters, the trip from Saumur to Poitiers was the last chance of a stage win. The route profile will be more demanding in the coming days.