Tour de France Femmes 2023: Bauernfeind solos to victory, Kopecky still in yellow

foto: Cor VosRicarda Bauernfeind attacks from a decimated peloton with roughly 40 kilometres remaining. The young German rider solos to victory, while Marlen Reusser outsprints Liane Lippert for second place. Lotte Kopecky stays in yellow. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 5th stage 2023 Tour de France Femmes

1. Ricarda Bauernfeind (ger)
2. Marlen Reusser (swi) + 0.22
3. Liane Lippert (ger) s.t.
4. Lotte Kopecky (bel) + 0.32
5. Soraya Paladin (ita) s.t.
6. Riejanne Markus (nld) s.t.
7. Ana Santesteban (spa) s.t.
8. Ashleigh Moolman (rsa) s.t.
9. Elisa Longo Borghini (ita) s.t.
10. Coralie Demay (fra) s.t.

GC after stage 5
1. Lotte Kopecky (bel)
2. Ashleigh Moolman (rsa) + 0.49
3. Elisa Longo Borghini (ita) + 0.51
4. Kasia Niewiadoma (pol) s.t.
5. Annemiek van Vleuten (nld) s.t.
6. Yara Kastelijn (nld) + 1.00
7. Demi Vollering (nld) + 1.03
8. Liane Lippert (ger) + 1.29
9. Ricarda Bauernfeind (ger) + 1.38
10 Juliette Labous (fra) + 1.48

Race report
In a fast opening a group of 11 riders gets clear. Paula Patiño, Mischa Bredewold, Amber Kraak, Olivia Baril, Loes Adegeest, Justine Ghekiere, Claire Steels, Hannah Ludwig, Clara Koppenburg, Ella Wyllie and Clara Emond open up a 50 seconds lead.

The attackers are caught on the Côte de Najac, while pre-stage favourites Emma Norsgaard and Marianne Vos are dropped. Yara Kastelijn takes the maximum amount of QOM points at the top, thus matching Anouska Koster’s tally of 19 points.

Kastelijn is the first rider over the Côte de Laguépie and moves into the polka dot jersey. The Norsgaard/Vos group is trailing at 2.30 minutes.

Ricarda Bauernfeind attacks with Claire Steels on the climb to the bonification sprint. She drops her companion and widens the gap to 1.35 minutes.

The lone attacker enters the last 5 kilometres with a 35 seconds lead. Marlen Reusser and Liane Lippert jump away from the peloton on a short descent, but they don’t catch the 23-year old German. Bauernfeind solos to victory before Reusser outsprints Lippert for second place.

Lotte Kopecky wins the group sprint and retains the yellow jersey, while Demi Vollering drops from second to seventh place overall, as she is penalised for stayering behind the team car after a puncture.

Another interesting read: route 5th stage 2023 Tour de France Femmes.