Three-time individual time trial World Champion Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) proved unbeatable in her specialty and won the opening stage of the Tour de Normandie Féminin on Thursday.
She took the hot seat after 62 other riders completed the 10.3km course in a time of 13:32 and secured a second ITT win in two efforts this season. She took the first leader’s jersey for the four-day stage race.
The Visma-Lease a Bike duo of Riejanne Markus and Lieke Nooijen completed the podium, with Markus 19 seconds back and Nooijen 24 seconds back.
The Lidl-Trek rider recently returned to racing after taking 18 months away from the sport to give birth to her first child. In her first event this season at Vuelta Extremadura Féminas, Van Dijk won the 17.2km time trial and finished sixth in the overall.
The 10.3km route took riders on a counter-clockwise circuit on the west side of Bagnoles-de-l’Orne, with the sharpest climb in the opening 500 metres followed by a series of two tight corners on the sloping descent. The course provided for long, flat stretches, with only four 90-degree turns over the middle sections and a series of technical turns in the final kilometre.
The first rider to complete the course was Britain Tamsin Miller (DAS-Handsling Bikes), who set the marker of 14:24.
French TT champion and 2023 Normandie winner Cédrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling) finished sixth, 39 seconds down on Van Dijk.
The Tour de Normandie Féminin introduced an individual time trial for the first time this year for the second edition of the stage race, expanding from three to four days. Friday’s stage 2 takes in 138.2km from Le Neubourge to Pavilly.
Results
Results powered by FirstCycling
-
Cyber Monday bike deals LIVE: The 10 very best deals in the final hours of the sale
As the clock runs down on the Cyber Monday bike deals, here are the unmissable deals -
Oceania to get its first gravel champions in 2026 with continental title chase to play out at RADL GRVL in January
'Adding gravel to the Championships creates new pathways for emerging talent and elite athletes alike to qualify for the world stage' says Tiffany Cromwell -
'We're working on it' - Giro d'Italia organisers soften 2026 route in strategy to tempt Vingegaard, Evenepoel and other big names
"We're trying to set up a real battle between some 'grande campione" RCS Sport CEO Paolo Bellino tells Cyclingnews -
Cyber Monday gravel deals - Our personal pick of the best gravel deals from the weekend sales
We've picked a handful of our favourite Cyber Monday gravel deals for you to enjoy
