Demi Vollering beaten in sprint by strong Swiss rider Reusser after long two-woman time trial in Switzerland
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Follow us on GoogleMarlen Reusser won the opening stage of the Tour of Switzerland for Women on Thursday. In a somewhat atypical first stage in line, the Swiss from Movistar was ultimately the fastest in the streets of Gstaad after a very long duo time trial with Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez). In addition to the stage victory, Reusser also claimed the first leader's jersey.
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With Vollering, Reusser, Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto), and Gaia Realini (Lidl–Trek), several key general classification contenders were at the start of the Swiss stage race on Thursday. Lidl–Trek also had top sprinter Elisa Balsamo at the start, although it was uncertain whether stage one would suit her.
The opening stage featured a tough start, including the climbs to Saanenmöser (5.3 km at 4.5%) and Jaunpass (8 km at 8.4%). However, the summit of that final climb was still more than 60 kilometers from the finish. From there, the course flattened out, setting the stage for a win from a strong breakaway rather than a traditional bunch sprint.
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Kasia Niewiadoma
Race explodes early as Reusser shows fighting spirit
From the start it was climbing almost immediately. The pace in the peloton was high from the get-go, which meant no early breakaway had a chance to form. Instead, riders started dropping early on, just as the peloton was about to tackle the tough Jaunpass climb following the first ascent. That’s where the race really blew apart.
A relentless pace quickly thinned out the peloton, with the back door wide open. Attacks from Femke de Vries (Visma | Lease a Bike) and then Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance–Soudal) ensured things didn’t calm down for a moment, and more and more riders were dropped.
Vollering, Reusser, Gigante, Niewiadoma, and Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl–Trek) crested the climb together as a group of five, while more GC contenders followed not far behind. With over 63 kilometers still to go, the big question was what the top contenders would do next. For Reusser, there was no hesitation, the Swiss rider attacked on the descent.
Read more below the photo!
Marlen Reusser
Vollering ends up in two-woman time trial with Reusser
With an incredibly strong effort, Demi Vollering closed the gap to her Swiss rival Marlen Reusser, bringing the two riders together at the bottom of the descent. From that point on, the terrain was mostly flat until the final stretch, where the road would kick up again. It effectively turned into a two-woman time trial toward the finish, as Reusser and Vollering steadily extended their lead.
Behind them, Kasia Niewiadoma, Niamh Fisher-Black, and Urška Žigart (AG Insurance–Soudal) grouped up and began the chase as a trio. Further back, many riders rejoined one another, forming a small peloton. The gap between the Vollering–Reusser duo and the three chasers was one minute, with the main group trailing another minute behind them.
Read more below the photo!
Urska Zigart
Vollering and Reusser head to the finish line together
Little by little, Vollering and Reusser extended their lead, which caused some nervous energy in the chase group behind. At 15 kilometers from the finish, Niewiadoma jumped away from Fisher-Black and Žigart, but she was still over a minute and a half behind the leading duo. However, the Polish Tour winner was soon reeled back in by the other chasers.
Vollering and Reusser had plenty of room to play tactics, holding a lead of more than two minutes with five kilometers to go. Would it come down to a sprint, or would one of them try a late attack? It turned out to be the former, though Reusser did attempt a move with just over two kilometers to go, but without success.
In the final kilometer, Vollering stopped taking turns on the front, and the two riders were visibly arguing as they nearly came to a standstill. Still mid-conversation, Vollering launched the sprint first, but the Swiss rider came around her and surged past to take the stage win. Vollering was narrowly beaten and also saw the first leader’s jersey go to Reusser.
Results stage 1 Tour of Switzerland women 2025
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026
