Wiebes secures consecutive victory at Tour de France Femmes

Lorena Wiebes underlined her dominance at the Tour de France Femmes on Sunday, August 2, 2026, powering to a second straight sprint victory in Geneva to tighten her grip on the race leader's yellow jersey. Wiebes, riding for Team SD Worx-Protime, won the second stage of the fifth edition of the Women’s Tour de France cycling race, which spanned 147.9 km from Aigle to Geneva in Switzerland.

The race, which took place along a lakeside route, saw Wiebes also win the first stage on Saturday. Sporting the yellow jersey, she burst clear from the pack with 250m to go and crossed the finish line several bike lengths ahead of her competitors. Notably, the two previous winners of the race, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Kasia Niewiadoma, along with race favorite Demi Vollering, finished with the main pack, as Wiebes showcased her exceptional speed and agility.

In the final 39 kilometers, Dutch time-trial specialist Riejanne Markus led the race alone but was overtaken by the chasing pack less than 500m from the finish line. The race was physically demanding, especially with temperatures reaching 34 degrees Celsius. A five-rider breakaway attempted to maintain their lead over the initial hills, adding to the challenge of the day.

"We were chasing all day," Wiebes reflected on the grueling three-hour and 42-minute race. "And then Reijanne added to that. In the end, I managed to get a clear run and gave it all over the last 250m," continued the 27-year-old star, who set a women's record with seven stage wins on the Tour de France.

Notably, Wiebes previously faced challenges at the Giro d'Italia earlier in the year, where she was disqualified after her bike was found to be 20g too light after winning the opening stage. On this occasion, she extended her lead in the yellow jersey with a 14-second advantage over Kim Le Court and a 16-second lead over Vollering, thanks to securing bonus seconds with her two victories.

Italian rider Elisa Balsamo finished second in the stage, and Dutch veteran Marianne Vos, aged 39, completed the podium in third place. Looking ahead, the peloton will continue into France for the third stage on Monday, which will incorporate a steep 11km climb just outside Geneva before concluding with a flat 15km stretch to Poligny, where 35 degrees Celsius is forecasted. The race's two pivotal stages are anticipated on Tuesday with an individual time trial and on Friday when riders will tackle Mont Ventoux.