Tears for a river stage and a few drops of champagne. Yara Kastelijn intends to celebrate her surprise victory with a few bubbles. The Dutchwoman won, on Wednesday July 26, the fourth stage of the Tour de France Women, between Cahors and Rodez. By leading her breakaway, over more than 150 kilometers, the runner from Fenix-Deceuninck succeeded where her teammate Julie Van de Velde had failed the day before.

The Dutchwoman got out of the peloton, with thirteen other riders, from the 29th kilometer of a stage – the longest this Tour – which counted 177, before going on the offensive 20 kilometers from the goal. Only the French Audrey Cordon-Ragot resisted for a time on the Moyrazès coast, before letting Kastelijn slip away towards a solo triumph in the Aveyron prefecture.

“It’s incredible, I can’t believe it,” says the cyclo-cross specialist at the microphone of France Télévisions. (…) I wanted to fight every second, the last few meters were incredible. At first we [his team] wanted to be in the breakaway to gain some points overall, but I was fit and relaxed, and the time was ten minutes ahead [of the peloton] so I started to believe in. »

First explanation between favorites

Arriving more than a minute after the winner of the day, the candidates for the final podium of the Tour had a first explanation. The Dutch Demi Vollering (SD Worx) took second place after a battle in the last kilometers with her compatriot Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar), fourth – and deprived of a bonus by third place on the wire by Anouska Koster (Uno-X). The two favorites in the general classification are already only 43 seconds and 51 seconds behind the Belgian Lotte Kopecky. A time behind, the yellow jersey had to work to keep its place as leader.

On the side of the Tricolores, we wanted to see a sign in this passage to Cahors. Indeed, in the history of the Tour, the medieval city has often smiled on the French. Jacky Durand won there in 1994, as did Sandy Casar in 2007, despite a collision with a Labrador. Luc Leblanc and Christophe Laporte raised their arms when the city of Lot served as a departure city, respectively in 1994 and 2022.

Cahors smiles at the tricolors

Victory this time eluded the French, but they undeniably animated the day. Audrey Cordon-Ragot virtually wore the yellow jersey for more than 140 kilometers. Breakaway with the winner of the day, the Frenchwoman was still more than ten minutes ahead of Lotte Kopecky 60 kilometers from the goal. Last runner to keep pace with Kasteljin on the final climb, the Frenchwoman stalled in the final and finished 16th in the stage.

An encouraging result for the six-time French time trial champion, who has suffered repeated problems this season. First expected as leader of the new B team

Juliette Labous has also played her card. After a disappointing first stage, the DSM-Firmenich rider attacked in the last difficulty to try to outrun the yellow jersey group under the red flag. The initiative failed, but Labous is now in the top 10, one minute from the podium. The climber will find favorable ground in the coming days, culminating in the ascent of the Tourmalet on Saturday. Finally, Celia Le Mouël (Saint-Michel-Mavic-Auber 93), best Frenchwoman today, finished in a good eighth place.