Swiss rider Marlen Reusser set the fastest time in the fourth stage of the Tour de France Femmes on Tuesday, dominating a 21-kilometer individual time trial from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon. French contender Pauline Ferrand-Prévot lost significant time on the Côte-d'Or course and was reported to be struggling from the opening kilometers of her ride.
The stage marked the return of the time trial to the women's Tour after a two-year absence. Instead of racing shoulder to shoulder in a pack, the overall contenders were forced to ride alone against the clock, with the day's ranking decided over a distance long enough to reward sustained power and an efficient position on the bike.
According to live reports from the race, Reusser was the clear reference point of the afternoon, posting the best time at the finish in Dijon as the remaining riders rolled down the start ramp in Gevrey-Chambertin. The same reports described Ferrand-Prévot's effort as difficult, with the Frenchwoman losing ground in a stage where even small mistakes can carry a heavy price.
The outcome was significant for the general classification. The Tour de France Femmes has often been decided by narrow margins, and the fourth-stage time trial was one of the first major selection points of the 2026 edition. For Ferrand-Prévot, losing time on this kind of stage leaves less room for error in the days ahead, when the race will move on to stages with different challenges.
Reusser's performance underlined her standing as one of the leading time trial specialists in the women's peloton. The Swiss rider has repeatedly shown her ability to produce a long, controlled effort in solo races, and Tuesday's ride gave her an important early result in this year's Tour.
The course linked two landmarks of eastern Burgundy. Riders left Gevrey-Chambertin, a village known for its Grand Cru vineyards, and headed toward the historic center of Dijon, covering 21 kilometers where each rider had to manage her own pace. With no teammates around them, judgment and pacing were as important as raw power.
Tuesday's action came early in a race that has grown into one of the most important events on the women's cycling calendar since the Tour de France Femmes was brought back. For 2026, organizers scheduled the time trial in the opening week, a decision that made it clear the overall contenders could not afford a single bad day.
Once the last riders crossed the line in Dijon, the focus turned to the general classification. Reusser had set the day's benchmark, but the overall race remained open, with the roads ahead expected to produce more shifts before the Tour reaches its conclusion.
