Paris Soir - Bauernfeind holds off pack to win women's Tour stage 5

NYSE - LSE

CMSD	-0.09%	21.98	$
CMSC	-0.3%	21.725	$
BTI	1.84%	60.96	$
GSK	1.19%	51.35	$
BP	-0.25%	43.82	$
RBGPF	-1.11%	66	$
RIO	-0.32%	91.22	$
VOD	-0.66%	15.15	$
BCE	0.42%	21.3	$
RYCEF	-1.05%	18.17	$
NGG	-0.09%	82.3	$
BCC	1.77%	77.84	$
AZN	0.58%	169.26	$
JRI	1.23%	13.06	$
RELX	4.5%	34.41	$

Bauernfeind holds off pack to win women's Tour stage 5

SPORTS 27.07.2023

Bauernfeind holds off pack to win women's Tour stage 5 / Photo: Jeff PACHOUD - AFP

Rookie Ricarda Bauernfeind broke away to take the fifth stage of the women's Tour de France on Thursday as Lotte Kopecky finished at the front of the chasing pack to keep the overall lead.

Text size:

"It's fantastic. Wow!" the 23-year-old German told Eurosport at the finish, after becoming the youngest stage winner in the two-year history of the event.

In her first season at the elite professional level she broke away on a short climb with 36km to go and then held on as the main contenders in the chasing pack waited for others to lead the pursuit.

Bauernfeind finished 22 seconds ahead of Swiss rider Marlen Reusser and compatriot Liane Lippert. Leader Belgian Kopecky was fourth, another 10 seconds back, at the head of the pack.

Demi Vollering fell from second to seventh, penalised 20 seconds for drafting behind the team car after dropping back from the peloton early in the stage. She slipped 12sec behind her great Dutch rival Annemiek van Vleuten, who is fifth.

South African Ashleigh Moolman jumped to second, 49sec behind Kopecky.

Bauernfeind, just 1.66m (5-foot-4) tall, also gave her Canyon team a first big win after they had hunted down an early breakaway.

"An incredible team ride we had to chase the first group because I missed it," she said. "Then it was up to me and I tried to attack and it worked out."

The day after the longest stage of the race, several riders dropped out.

Dutch sprinter Lorena Wiebes, the winner of stage three on Tuesday, was unable to start stage five complaining of digestive problems. Swede Jenny Rissveds and Norwegian Mie Bjorndal Ottestad, both victims of crashes the day before, also did not start.

French rider Evita Muzic, eighth overall last year and 14th this time, gave up after just a few kilometres with stomach pains. Canadian Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin also withdrew.

On Friday, the peloton will travel from Albi to Blagnac on a largely flat 122km route that should favour the sprinters.

S.Denis--PS

Featured

Joshua survives knockdowns, stops Prenga

Two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua survived two early knockdowns on the way to a second-round knockout of Kristian Prenga on Sunday, his triumphant ring return paving the way for a blockbuster all-British bout with Tyson Fury.

Ohtani delays throwing session over knee 'regression'

Japanese batting and pitching star Shohei Ohtani postponed a planned bullpen throwing session on Saturday over what Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called "regression" in his left knee injury.

Hiltz extends US 1,500 streak, Lyles advances in 200

Nikki Hiltz captured her fourth consecutive 1,500-meter US outdoor title while Noah Lyles and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden cruised into the 200m finals on Saturday at the US Athletics Championships.

Hodge, Hope give West Indies edge in rain-impacted Pakistan Test

Kavem Hodge's dogged unbeaten 83 and the support of Shai Hope in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand took the West Indies to 194 for three at the end of a rain-shortened first day of the first Test against Pakistan at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad on Saturday.