AMNEVILLE, France (AP) — Demi Vollering’s chances of winning consecutive women’s Tour de France races was in jeopardy Thursday after the defending champion crashed at high speed in the final moments of the fifth stage from Bastogne, Belgium to Amnéville in France.
Vollering was descending into Amnéville and coming out of a roundabout when more than 10 riders crashed around her. After a few moments, she was able to continue but her three closest rivals in the overall standings — Puck Pieterse, Kasia Niewiadoma and Kristen Faulkner had raced on to the finish.
Vollering’s 22-second overall lead on her Dutch compatriot Pieterse was gone. Niewiadoma, third overall in the 2022 and 2023 races, sprinted across the line in second and took the overall lead while Blanka Vas of Hungary won the stage.
Vollering was in ninth overall.
The race will continue to wind through eastern France to finish Sunday at the top of the punishing climb of the Alpe d’Huez’s famous 21 hairpin bends.
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