Why a resurgent Marlen Reusser should be a real worry for Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot at the Tour de France Femmes – Analysis

While the men's Tour de Suisse told us little we didn't already know for the Tour de France, the result of the women's race held much more weight for what might happen in August, with Marlen Reusser (Movistar) romping to a dominant win at her home race.

On the surface, it shouldn't say much, given that this is the third time Reusser has won her home race, adding to titles from 2023 and 2025, but that is without taking into account the context.

Prior to the start in Sondrio, Reusser was fresh off the back of a decent but not world-beating Giro d'Italia performance, having only just made her return from a spinal fracture she suffered in a crash at the Tour of Flanders. There were signs of the star rider's best throughout the nine stages, but as she lined up for the Tour de Suisse, even Reusser didn't quite know where she was form-wise.

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"What happened in the last months makes it really a bit difficult, and the Giro, it's not a boost of confidence, and I came out with quite some struggles in my body, which we tried to fix," said Reusser before the race.

"If it was not the Tour de Suisse, maybe we would wait a bit longer, but I also think if things are better, which we don't really know, I still can be quite good, so we'll see.

"I mean, I used to be quite good," she added, bursting out into laughter at her unknown form, "so of course, I hope to find back in my shape."

"Of course, I couldn't train so much for the last four months, and each race I do, each week I pass with training will make me stronger, so I hope I'll be better and better again."

Five days of tough racing later, Reusser's hopes had turned into reality, as she scorched to overall victory and stage wins in the time trial and on an exhilarating queen stage in the baking heat to Villarus-sur-Ollon.

Those signs from the Giro had turned into confirmations that Reusser was back to her best, as an elite TT specialist, an underrated climber on the longest ascents, and one of the hardest riders in the sport to pry from the top spot once she gets into the race leader's jersey.

Try as top riders Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE ADQ), Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM) and Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) did throughout the five difficult stages, none were particularly close to Reusser at the conclusion, the latter coming second overall 1:31 down.

"Elisa and also Kasia actually are really riders that are like the best in these small punchy climbs, [and that's] what we have in the first three days," said Reusser of how the battle unfolded before the final two stages.

"Normally, if it's a longer climb, it's a bit harder for them and better for me. Elisa didn't have the best day [on stage 5]. Kasia had a good day, and she was really strong in the end, [but] usually these kinds of days are actually really in my favour, because when I'm fully in shape, I'm a really good climber for long, hard climbs."

It was Niewiadoma who kept attacking throughout the stage as riders were spread all over the road on the thrilling finale, but even with a full rep and quarter going up the Col de la Croix (19.2km at 7%) in the legs, she couldn't shake Reusser on the final ascent, forced to concede when the Swiss rider made a late sprint for victory.

With the Tour De France Femmes fast approaching at the start of August, Reusser has completed that spinal fracture comeback fully. But satisfied as she was with the originally unplanned five days of extra racing, she still believes there is more to come.

"It was really tough this year. I had two fractures in my back in Flanders, and then I tried to recover as fast as I could to be able to participate in the Giro," said Reusser.

"Everybody could see it was not the easiest. I really had quite some troubles there, especially with my nerves in my left leg, and, actually, the plan was to do a little bit of holiday after the Giro, but we skipped the holiday, and I was really working with therapists, osteopaths, physio, and medical doctors on this problem.

"I think we got a lot further there, but still it was early to compete in the Tour de Suisse, and I think it's not all 100% solved, but when I see what step I could make in this short time, I'm super happy about it."

A warning to Vollering and Ferrand-Prévot

Reusser has enjoyed a very successful career up to this point already. As a time trial expert, Classics star, and top GC rider, she is the latest in a long line of ultra-versatile riders in the women's peloton who seem to have almost no weaknesses.

Even at the Tour de France, she's enjoyed triumphs, winning two stages, but luck hasn't gone her way at cycling's biggest race in recent times. Just 12 months ago, Reusser had her best period of GC racing approaching the big appointment, finishing second at the Giro and Vuelta, but her Tour bid never got off the ground when stomach issues on the opening day forced her to abandon.

It looked as though she was going to head into the 2026 Tour, which starts in her home country, Switzerland, with 13th at the Giro as her in-race build-up, but this display of strength at the Tour de Suisse has steadied the ship and put her right among the top contenders for the yellow jersey.

"When we look to the Tour, it gives me back some confidence. After the Giro, I didn’t feel super optimistic," she said. "I could see why all of this was, but it still doesn’t make you feel great. So the step I could make since then is super nice."

Looking at the Tour route, there is every reason for the big favourites Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) and Pauliné Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) to really consider Reusser as the next best challenger.

Yes, Mont Ventoux's vicious and barren slopes will likely decide the race for yellow, where those two elite climbers should be in a different league than Reusser, but the rest of the eight stages should play mostly into the Swiss rider's favour.

Of course, there is the 21km stage 4 time trial in Dijon, where there is a climb, but World Champion Reusser will still be the heavy favourite to win and take time on all of her rivals. Vollering's ability against the clock should limit her losses to a minimum, but Ferrand-Prévot – if she can return to the form she dominated with last year – has shown few signs that she won't concede major losses to Reusser on this important day.

When the race does go uphill, though, on every day that isn't Ventoux, there are no other mountaintop finishes to be seen. The second hardest uphill run to the line comes on the opening day in Lausanne, where 2.6km at 4,6% will bring the riders to the line.

Stages 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9 are filled with climbs along their routes, but with a series of downhill and flat runs to the finish, anyone trying to really beat Reusser will not only have to distance her uphill, but stay away from her when she gets back onto favoured gradients and terrain.

And she's no slouch on the climbs as a start, anyway, which she showed at the Tour de Suisse, while still improving in form and against top competition in Longo Borghini and former Tour de France Femmes winner Niewiadoma-Phinney.

There's every chance she could be in yellow after the time trial and hold it until the race reaches the storied slopes of Ventoux. From there, defence could be her best attack as the top climbers all scramble to try and gain the time back. But after the 16 kilometres are up, it could well be too late.

Could 2026 be the year of Marlen Reusser? The Tour de France Femmes has thrown up relative surprises in the race for yellow in the past, just as Vollering proved. But from everything she's shown on the comeback road from injury, the Swiss rider is signposting her best performance yet ahead of the August Grand Départ.

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