Dutch sprinter Lorena Wiebes claimed stage two for back-to-back victories at the Tour de France Femmes.
Last year’s green jersey winner, Wiebes, who is widely considered the fastest female sprinter in the peloton, burst clear of the pack with 250 metres to go to win by several bike lengths and extend her overall lead.
Her victory came after a hilly 147.9km route from Aigle to Geneva in Switzerland, much of it by the lakeside.
The charging peloton had chased down Lidl-Trek rider Riejanne Markus, who had broken away on her own, inside the final kilometre.
“The girls were chasing full gas to bring back Riejanne Markus, so it is even more beautiful to finish it off in the yellow jersey,” Wiebes said.
“Every sprint is quite exciting – one small mistake and it is over.
“It will be hard to keep it [the yellow jersey] tomorrow, but we will try our best.”
The 27-year-old Team SD Worx-Protime rider has now claimed seven Tour de France Femmes stage victories, extending her record as the rider with the most stage wins since the race returned to the World Tour calendar in 2022.
Italy’s Elisa Balsamo finished second, while Netherlands veteran Marianne Vos, 39, crossed the line in third.
Great Britain’s Josie Nelson and Zoe Backstedt finished sixth and seventh.
The 2026 Tour de France Femmes features 147 riders battling across nine stages – with the event including a first ascent of the famous Mont Ventoux climb on stage seven.
Stage three on Monday takes in a steep 11km climb just outside Geneva but ends with a flat 15km stretch to the finish line at Poligny.
The climb will not favour sprint specialist Wiebes, but the flat distance might give SD Worx-Protime the opportunity to organise a chase.
