Netherland's Marianne Vos reacts as she crosses the finish line to win the first stage of the Women's Tour de France cycling race which starts in Vannes and finishes in Plumelec, Saturday, July 26, 2025 in Plumelec, Brittany, western France. (AP Photo/Mathieu Pattier)

Cycling great Vos wins 1st stage of women’s Tour de France with brilliant late attack

PLUMELEC, France (AP) — Cycling great Marianne Vos won the opening stage of the women’s Tour de France with a brilliant late attack on Saturday.

The 38-year-old Dutchwoman overtook her Visma–Lease a Bike teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prévot approaching the line, and then held off Mauritian rider Kim Le Court in the closing meters of a grueling uphill finish.

Ferrand-Prévot looked set to win the stage, but the Frenchwoman attacked too early from 600 meters and could not withstand the late surge from Vos, who punched the air with her left fist as she crossed the line.

Moments later, Vos hugged an exhausted-looking Ferrand-Prévot, the Paris-Roubaix winner.

“I didn’t now if Pauline was still hanging in the finish, but in the end I sprinted a bit with Kim,” Vos said, praising her teammate’s effort. “I’m really grateful to the team and to Pauline.”

The hilly 78.8-kilometer (48.9-mile) route from Vannes to Plumelec in Brittany featured two small climbs and was completed in 1 hour, 53 minutes, 3 seconds by Vos — a multiple world champion, a former Olympic road race champion and a silver medalist at last year’s Paris Games.

Former Olympic time-trial silver medalist Marlen Reusser was one of 10 riders to crash some 30 kilometers from the end. She continued for a while but was clearly struggling and had to abandon the stage.

Sunday’s second stage from the port city of Brest to Quimper stays in Brittany and is slightly more hilly and longer at 110.4 kilometers.

The nine-stage race, which ends Aug. 3, began a day before the end of the men’s Tour, set to be won for a fourth time by Slovenian star Tadej Pogačar by a comfortable margin.

The women’s race could be far closer.

Last year provided the smallest winning margin in the history of the women’s and men’s races, with Polish rider Kasia Niewiadoma beating 2023 champion Demi Vollering by four seconds, and Pauliena Rooijakkers only 10 seconds off the pace in third place.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Netherland’s Marianne Vos reacts as she crosses the finish line to win the first stage of the Women’s Tour de France cycling race which starts in Vannes and finishes in Plumelec, Saturday, July 26, 2025 in Plumelec, Brittany, western France. (AP Photo/Mathieu Pattier)
Stage winner Netherland’s Marianne Vos, left, is congratulared by teammate Freance’s Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, right, after the first stage of the Women’s Tour de France cycling race which starts in Vannes and finishes in Plumelec, Saturday, July 26, 2025 in Plumelec, Brittany, western France. (AP Photo/Mathieu Pattier)
Netherland’s Marianne Vos wears the overall leader’s yellow jersey after the first stage of the Women’s Tour de France cycling race which starts in Vannes and finishes in Plumelec, Saturday, July 26, 2025 in Plumelec, Brittany, western France. (AP Photo/Mathieu Pattier)
Netherland’s Marianne Vos wears the overall leader’s yellow jersey after the first stage of the Women’s Tour de France cycling race which starts in Vannes and finishes in Plumelec, Saturday, July 26, 2025 in Plumelec, Brittany, western France. (AP Photo/Mathieu Pattier)

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles