Lorena Wiebes is the first woman to wear the yellow jersey of the Tour de France Femmes.
The top favorite from the Netherlands prevailed in a mass sprint on the Parisian Champs-Élysées on Sunday ahead of her compatriot Marianne Vos and the Belgian Lotte Kopecky. The best German on the 82-kilometer stage that started at the Eiffel Tower was Lisa Brennauer in 19th place.
The stage was overshadowed by a serious crash by Alana Castrique. The Belgian fell 13 kilometers from the finish on the cobblestones of the Champs-Élysées and had to be taken away by ambulance. Five kilometers from the finish, Laura üßmilch also fell, but was able to continue the race.
The second stage on Monday will cover 136.5 kilometers from Meaux to Provins. Expect another sprint on the completely flat section to the east of Paris. The tour ends on July 31st in the Vosges on the Planche des Belles Filles.
The previous version of the women’s Tour de France was held from 1984 to 2009. At that time there was already starting help from the tour organization ASO, which organized the race parallel to the tour. But the company withdrew after five years. Gradually, the tour lost its importance under other names. Last year there was already a mini comeback as a one-day race as part of the tour.