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| Team DSM's Lorena Wiebes (C) and fellow Dutch rider Marianne Vos (L) dash to the line at Saint-Die-des-Vosges, eastern France. (Photo by=AFP/Jeff Pacchoud) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] Dutchwoman Lorena Wiebes of Team DSM won the fifth stage of the women's Tour de France on Thursday (Jul 28) with another powerful sprint to the finish line of the 176km flat ride from Bar-le-Duc to Saint-Die-des-Vosges - the longest stage of the race, Reuters reported.
Wiebes launched her sprint with Elisa Balsamo and yellow jersey holder Marianne Vos in hot pursuit and kept both at bay to claim her second stage victory after winning the opening stage on the Champs-Elysees. Vos, who nearly took a wrong turn at the final corner, came in third behind Balsamo but the Jumbo-Visma rider retains the yellow jersey. "I'm really happy, especially because Franzy (teammate Franziska Koch) did such a strong effort with controlling the race from the beginning," Wiebes said.
When asked if she was the best sprinter, she said: "I don't like to say I'm the best sprinter in the world. The stage was also marred by a big crash with about 50km to go, with many riders injured. Emma Norsgaard was forced to abandon the race with her Movistar team saying she had pain in her head, neck and left shoulder. She was taken to the hospital for further assessment.
