Swiss cyclist Marlen Reusser secured the first yellow jersey of her career by winning the 21km fourth stage time trial at the Tour de France Femmes. Racing from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon, the 34-year-old world champion finished the course in 27 minutes and 30 seconds.
This performance places Reusser 14 seconds ahead of Demi Vollering in the general classification. Lieke Nooijen finished four seconds behind the winner, while young British talent Zoe Backstedt earned a notable fourth-place finish. Previous leader Sigrid Haugset struggled in the heat, dropping to fourth overall after finishing three minutes behind the stage winner. Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot also faced difficulties, losing over two minutes to Reusser.
Reusser expressed her delight, noting that she and her team had identified this specific stage as a primary goal for the season. She jokingly referred to their strategy as Project Dijon, aiming to earn the yellow jersey through a strong time trial effort.