As it happened: Attacks in the Beaujolais hills shake up stage 5 and the GC as 2025 Tour winner falls out of contention

Bonjour and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes.

As for every stage, we will have the best, most detailed, updates from the stage.

We kick-off our live coverage before each stage and add reaction and analysis after the finish.

Stage 5 sees the Tour head south into the Beaujolais region for a gruelling up-and-down from Mâcon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais.

Eight classified climbs and several uncategorised ascents fill a 140km day that will be broadcast from start to finish. It all adds up to 2,900 metres of elevation gain - the second-most of the whole nine-day race.

All the stage rolls through vineyards and forests, making it a possible GC day. Will Marlen Reusser (Movistar) still be in yellow at the finish?

This is our full stage preview.

Tour de France Femmes 2026 stage 5: Eight climbs on tap to shake up GC in Beaujolais – preview

The stage roll out is 40 minutes away, with the official stage start at 14:00CET.

There are again huge crowds at the Tour.

Canyon-Sram are the latest team to sign-on in Macon.

All the riders are again wearing ice-vests, with temperatures at 29C and forecast to rise to 31C during the stage.

Dem Vollering and her FDJ United-Suez team are next to sign on.

Vollering produced a superb TT on Tuesday, as some of her GC rivals struggled. It will be fascinating to see if Vollering goes on the attack today, to try to gain more time.

'We don't expect that Marlen will explode' – FDJ United-SUEZ focus on keeping up the pressure after Demi Vollering moves into second overall at Tour de France Femmes

It's time for Marlen Reusser to show off her new yellow jersey on the sign-on.

She also has a yellow bike, helmet and sunglasses.

Marlen Reuser spoke briefly on the sign-on podium

Five minutes to the roll out and so the riders line-up at the start, with the jersey wearers on the front of the grid.

C'est Parti! The speaker does his usual countdown and announces 'They're off!'

The riders face a 140km stage in the hills.

Before that they have a 7.2km neutralised ride to Km 0, where the attacks will surely start.

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Here we go! The stage starts with a climb into the vineyards.

This is the stage map. The many climbs and twisting roads has sparked comparisons with Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

I sense it could be even harder.

The tension is already high, with an early crash. Demi Vollering was caught in it but did not go down.

Allez!

135km to go

The pace is high on the first climb, no attacks just yet, but sone of the sprinters are suffering at the back

The fear for the stage and the eight categorised climbs has perhaps convinced some riders and teams to race cautiously.

130km to go

We spoke too soon. As soon as we posted the update the first attack came.

Vallieres, Cavallar, Mavi García, Pieterse, Spratt and Wiebes tried to spark a spurge. They were soon caught but more attacks are likely near or over the top of the 9.6km Côte de Cenves climb.

Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly) surges again but is kept in check.

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) is near the front clearly trying to stay there until the intermediate sprint point, with 98km to race.

She will have to suffer for another 30km in the rolling hills.

The pace is steady but high, with 2km to climb, and so is hurting some riders. They are fighting to hold on but some have already lost contact.

A slow in the bunch has even forced some riders to stop and put a foot down.

Look at those views across the vineyards. Wow!

Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) is up front and fights for the QOM sprint atop the Côte de Cenves.

She kicks with 100m to go and nobody really challenges her.

Pieterse scores 5 more points and extends her lead in the QOM competition to 23 points.

Pieterse is covered from head to toe in red polka-dots.

A group of 20 riders have been dropped, including Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco) who is 16th on the GC.

She will have to try to fight to get back but the twisting descents are as testing as the climbs.

Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) launches an attack and other riders are going after her.

Race on.

Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) has opened a 10-second lead but nobody from the peloton has jumped across to her.

She seems to be doubting about staying out front alone but other riders seem ready to attack on the 2.1km Col de la Croix de l'Orme climb.

Indeed, other surges sweep up the Kiwi rider.

Crash! Consonni goes down.

The crash happened as some teams grabbed bidons.

Consonni called out in pain.

Polka-dot Puck strikes again.

Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) kicks away to score 2 more QOM points.

Nobody else seems to be challenging her so far today.

Fortunately Consonni is back riding after the pain of her crash.

Lets hope the Italian can rejoin the peloton.

109 riders are still in the peloton, with 27 riders in the gruppetto at 2:00.

Demi Vollering's sports director Lars Boom spoke to Eurosport at the start.

How hard is the racing so far?

Well Marianne Vos (Visma) has been dropped.

The riders are on the 2.7km Côte de Saint-Christophe climb.

It's no surprise that Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) sprints to the summit to score another points.

She admitted that she took the jersey almost by chance but is now racing to keep it.

100km ro go

The race has left the vineyards and are in the hills, with lots of Charolais bulls in the fields.

Carlotta Cipressi (Human Powered Health) has opened a gap but the peloton is chasing her, ready to set-up Wiebes for the intermediate sprint part way up the next climb.

Carlotta Cipressi (Human Powered Health) is first to the sprint point and so scores 25 points.

Lorena Wiebes takes second a few seconds later and so scores 20 points. Lotte Kopecky takes second, so taking points away from Wiebes green jersey rivals.

Wiebes now has 131 points and is dominating the green jersey compeition. However she has few chances to score more points and her biggest rivals are the GC contenders.

Cipressi is pulled back but there is a sense that more attacks will come vey soon.

90km to go

The riders enjoy a fast descent with some shade but the peloton is lined out.

The stage profile and country road make it difficult for riders and teams to feed from their cars.

Instead, riders are grabbing bidons and ice from team staff along the road in designated points.

After talking 20 points in the intermediate sprint, Lorena Wiebes is dropped and will surely slip back to the gruppetto.

The riders are on the Col de Fontmartin, the fourt of the eight categorised climbs.

There are many unclassificied climbs on the stage, with a total of 2900m of altitude gain.

That will hurt everyone.

Everyone is very serious in the peloton today.

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Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) was also first to the top of the Col de Fontmartin, taking more QOM points.

“It has grown on me and I hope to keep it,” the Dutch rider said this morning.

Puck Pieterse took maximum points at all four listed climbs we have crested. With just 15 points left at stake and a 16-point advantage on Nosková, Pieterse is sure to keep wearing the polka dot jersey on Thursday.

And just like that.... We have a break. 12 or so.

Rider got away on the descent and valley road. With so few riders left in the peloton, the GC riders do not want to go deep or use teammates to chase the attack.

With 65km raced and 75km to go, this is a key moment in the stage.

The attackers start the 4.6km long Col de Gerbet that climbs at 6.5%.

The peloton is trying to inspire a chase but the gap is up to 55 seconds.

These are the 19 riders in the attack.

This is a major move. In theory it is up to Movistar to lead the chase to protect Resusser's yellow jersey but they are playing bluff and so FDJ have picked up the work.

Femke de Vries, Sarah Van Dam (Visma | Lease a Bike), Juliette Berthet, Franziska Koch (FDJ United-Suez), Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//SRAM), Dominika Wlodarczyk, Maëva Squiban (UAE Team L’Imad), Nienke Vinke (SD Worx-Protime), Liane Lippert (Movistar Team), Amanda Spratt, Riejanne Markus, Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek), Lore de Schepper, Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) Madeleine Vallieres, Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech), Thalita De Jong (Human Powered Health), Célia Le Mouël (Ma Petite Entreprise)

There are 50 riders in the chase peloton, with FDJ having 4 riders in there, including Vollering.

Lidl-Trek are leading the attack , with three riders but FDJ have pegged their lead to 1:30.

70km to go

Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) kicks again and takes more QOM points on the Col de Gerbet.

She made sure she was in the big break of the day.

The peloton is at 1:40 but can FDJ control a 19-rider attack? Probably not.

The final climb with 120km to go will be decisive in every way.

After the short but steep Côte de Pruzilly climb, the 19 attackers now have 30km of valley roads to extend their lead.

This is a key point of the stage.

60km to go

At the top of the Côte de Pruzilly, the peloton is 1:40 down on the attack.

The riders are back in the vineyards of the Beaujolais.

Interestingly Movistar have started to work with FDJ with the chase of the attack.

The gap to the 19 is down to 1:35 as we watch carefully to understand if Reusser and Vollering want to fight for the stage win as well and so the time bonuses and as a consequence the yellow jersey.

Remember, Reusser leads Vollering by just 14 seconds, with 10, 6, 4 time bonuses awarded on the line.

It's a hard day in the saddle, with 30C weather making it even tougher.

50km to go

The 19 attack includes a number of riders who can nove up on the GC if they say away, or even take yellow from Reusser.

Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon) is the best placed on the GC at 1:43, with Femke de Vries (Visma) at only 1:47.

Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team L'IMAD) is at 1:59, with Nienke Vinke (SD Worx-Protime) at 2:30

There are five other riders at around 3:00.

This is the attack.

40km to go

The work from Movistar and FDJ is slowly pulling the attack back. The gap is down to 1:35 now.

The Col de Durbize climb starts in just 10km.

Someone will surely attack on the climb, probably from the break and perhaps from the GC peloton.

This is another shot of the attack. with world champion Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly) in there.

She could win the stage today.

40km to go

We have a blue train on the front of the GC group, with two FDJ riders and one Movistar rider leading the chase.

Behind them are Vollering in the white European champion's jersey and then Reusser in yellow.

35km to go

It's time for the next climb, the cat 3, 3.6km, 5.6%, Col de Durbize.

The Col de Durbize is hurting everyone, in the attack and the GC peloton.

FDJ are splitting the peloton and Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance - Soudal) is attacking the break.

There are riders everywhere, with only the best GC contenders left in the peloton.

There are only 10 riders in the yellow jersey group.

Reusser seems to be alone after losing several Movistar teammates.

They are only 1:00 behind the break now.

Wow, this is steep and Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team L'IMAD) suerges to blow-up the attack.

She was 4th overall in the 2025 Tour and could climb back up the GC today if the attack holds off the GC peloton.

The remains of the attack will work as satellite riders for the GC riders, if they have anything left in their legs.

The climb is hurting everyone, with Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx) dropped.

Boom. Vollering attacks and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) is dropped!!!

The remains of the break reach the summit of the climb but Vollering and others GC riders are only 35 seconds behind.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is timed at 40 seconds down on her GC rivals.

Franziska Koch has dropped back fromn the attack to help pace Vollering.

This could be a huge time loss for Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is losing time rapidly. She is now timed at 1:05.

25km to go

The racing at this year's Tour has not always been drammatic but it has always been fascinating.

It is today after Pauline Ferrand-Prévot cracked on the steep climb with 30km to go.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has her Visma teammate Sarah Van Dam with her in the chase, plus other riders but she seems destined to lose more time.

Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) is also with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and losing time. She has Noemi Rüegg with her but she was third overall in GC this morning.

The race has come together at the front, with a GC group of 20 riders, including Vollering and Reusser.

Elisa Longo Borghini, Paula Blasi and Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal) are at 35 seconds.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is at 1·10.

The bonus second sprint is coming up, offering more seconds for Vollering, Reusser and others.

There is still 17km to race, plus a final climb, so Pauline Ferrand-Prévot could lose a lot more time.

This will change the 2025 Tour.

This is the moment the Tour exploded.

FDJ ands Movistar are giving their all to drag the GC group away from Blasi, Longo Borghini and especially Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.

The Longo Borghini-Blasi group is 50 seconds down.

Sprint for the bonus seconds

Reusser takes six seconds and Vollering 4 seconds, Dominika Włodarczyk 2.

This seems to be the GC battle, at least for now.

The GC rider hit the 3km, 7.7% Mont Brouilly climb.

Surely Vollering will attack Reusser on the steepest part, while Pauline Ferrand-Prévot will surely lose more time.

Indeed, Vollering accelerates and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon) goes after her.

Resusser is still there, as are others.

Vollering is hurting everyone.

Only 7 riders can stay with her.

The climb is brutal, with the road switching through the vineyards with step corners and straight sections of road.

Vollering accelerates but Resusser seems to be able to march her.

Isabella Holmgren (Lidl) is there too, as are a select others.

The GC includes Niewiadoma-Phinney, Reusser, Wlodarczyk, De Vries, Holmgren, Fisher-Black and Niedermaie.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is at 2:00!

Near the summit, Vollering surges again.

Niewiadoma is on her wheel, Reusser is suffering but still there.

The three reach the summit together and dive down the descent.

They need to be careful on the descent.

5km to go

Niewiadoma, Vollering and Reusser are time trialing together to the finish.

Wow.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) is timed at 2:50 at the summit of the climb.

Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon), Włodarczyk and Holmgren are at 30 seconds.

Longo Borghini is at 1:40 and Blasi at 2:00.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is at 3:00

2km to go

This stage will shake-up the GC.

Reusser and Vollering are close but Niewiadoma-Phinney will rise to 3rd on GC.

1km to go

It's a three-rider sprint for the stage win and 10-second time bonuses: Reusser, Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney.

Niewiadoma-Phinney attacks!

Demi Vollering wins the stage!

Demi stops and takes deepth breaths.

She can hardly believe what has happened today.

The rest of the race comes in split into small groups.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) finishes and she loses 2:35. She is 5:00 down on GC now.

She might attack on the Ventoux on Friday but surely can't pull back 5:00!

This shot says so much about today's stage.

This is the sprint.

This is the last kilometre that shows Niewiadoma-Phinney's late attack.

We love this sequence of finish shots.

Demi Vollering was emotional and happy after her victory, hugging her teammates and thanking them.

"Today, it was just a really cool race," she said.

"The whole team, every single riders of the team was part of it, and I enjoy those victories the most. When everyone puts their hard work into it, it's even more special and beautiful because you do it all together.

"I think also, the way I managed to win that sprint. I thought that I was not going to make it anymore and I somehow made it. I think it was a releif after the finish line."

Vollering also talked about the sprint.

"I knew Kasia would go early, because she always does. I knew Marlen would gamble, so I let her gamble a bit to try and make her work, but she didn't. I was like, 'OK, if you don't do anything than Kasia is going to win.'" she explained.

"So, I had to try and maybe Marlen would come over me, but at least I tried. I gave it everything until the final sprint and I needed every single metre in the last finish straight. I managed to do it, so I'm very happy about that."

Marlen Reusser still leads the Tour but Vollering is ready to challenger all the way to Nice.

"The only good thing is that I won already a Tour, and Kasia as well. Marlen has not won a Tour yet, and she will have to work for it as well.

"I'm sure it will be a hard battle, because she is not the rider who you can beat easily, because she is very strong. Of course, I will try to do that."

All but one of riders who started the stage finished inside the time limit, with Alison Jackson last to cross the line. Her St Michel - Preference Home - Auber93 teammate India Grangier was unable to finish.

To understand all the action, read our full stage report.

Tour de France Femmes: Demi Vollering wins climbing skirmish on stage 5 in three-rider sprint

There was a lot of action and a lot of GC changes but Marlen Reusser (Movistar) stayed in yellow.

She leads Vollering by 12 seconds, with Niewiadoma-Phinney up to third on the GC at 1:17.

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Thanks for joining us for our full live coverage. Well be back tomorrow with more for stage 6