Should Reusser’s rivals have worked harder to drop her? Fired-up Swiss star in ‘challenge accepted’ mode

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Demi Vollering may be the two leading favourites for the Tour de France Femmes, but there are several other contenders waiting to pounce. One of them is clearly raring to go. With the race starting in Switzerland and one major objective ahead of her, Marlen Reusser will reach a crucial moment in Tuesday’s stage-four time trial. Speaking to IDL Pro Cycling, she explained what she hopes to achieve.

Reusser’s 2026 season began with a major setback following a heavy crash at the UAE Tour. For a while, it looked as though her entire spring campaign could be derailed, but she returned with an immediate statement by winning Dwars door Vlaanderen. Just a few days later, however, she crashed again at the Tour of Flanders. It has made for a strange and badly disrupted season so far.

Two significant setbacks in such a short period can be mentally exhausting, but the usually cheerful Reusser explained why she was able to cope with them. “The injuries I had were relatively manageable compared with some of the more serious injuries I’ve suffered in the past. I’ve broken my pelvis and my back, and I’ve had nerve damage… What happened this time was so much easier by comparison. I’m now in ‘challenge accepted’ mode: let’s go. I’ve had plenty of training when it comes to getting better after injuries like these.”

Even so, the second crash caused serious damage. “I broke two vertebrae in my back in that second crash. We immediately knew that the Vuelta, which had originally been my major objective, was no longer possible. After that, I started dreaming about the Giro, but I rushed things too much and paid the price for it. I simply wasn’t ready yet. The rest of my preparation went very well, though. Whatever kind of Tour I end up riding, I’m proud of how quickly I have managed to return to a good level.”

The Swiss Movistar leader will begin the Tour de France Femmes with genuine general-classification ambitions for the first time. “Last year, my main target was the Giro, not the Tour. I was never really in the race during last year’s Tour, and then I got food poisoning. But it had never been my major objective. This time, it’s even more special because we are starting in Switzerland. The atmosphere is already incredible.”

Tuesday’s time trial should provide the world champion with her first real opportunity to make a difference. She found Monday’s explosive climbs more difficult, but hesitation among her rivals allowed her to regain contact and avoid losing ground to the other major general-classification contenders. Their failure to take advantage of that moment could soon prove costly.

Reusser is delighted that the Tour finally includes another proper race against the clock. “I used the recovery period after my crash in Flanders to complete some reconnaissance rides, including one on the time-trial course. In previous years, I was a little disappointed that the biggest stage race of the year did not have a time trial on its route. Of course, it is easy for me to say that because I’m so good at it, but even if I weren’t, I would still believe that a time trial makes the race complete.”

Despite her considerable ability in the discipline, she will not risk absolutely everything in an attempt to build an advantage. “It is quite technical, with a climb and a fast descent. It fits this Tour de France very well. I’ll give everything, but I won’t take too many risks because that would be stupid. I’ll ride it at 98 percent. The other riders are also extremely strong, so I can’t say too much about what the result will be. But you can count on me giving everything I have.”

Whether Reusser will finish the day wearing the yellow jersey remains to be seen. The opposition is exceptionally strong, but she did not want to offer an extensive assessment of her rivals. “You probably know that better than I do. I haven’t raced for a while, but they are the names we all know. Anna van der Breggen looked good, Pauline won last year, Demi… You know the list. I don’t think I can say anything particularly new or special about my rivals.”

Whoever takes yellow in Dijon after the time trial will have an excellent chance of spending at least several days as race leader. The hilly fifth and sixth stages will then be followed by the queen stage to Mont Ventoux, where the most important differences in the general classification would normally be expected to emerge.

Reusser is prepared for that challenge but warned against placing too much importance on one climb. “I had never seen Ventoux before, but I had heard so much about it. I know it is something very special. I think it is wonderful. It is great to have these kinds of iconic climbs in our Tour. The climb can create significant differences, but there are many other stages where big gaps could also open. Perhaps we should not focus too much on Ventoux alone.”

She is therefore not afraid of losing a substantial amount of time on the mountain. “Well, what does being afraid really mean? I’m just as afraid of Ventoux as I am of the time trial, because the challenge is to give everything every single day. There will be plenty of difficult moments, and you have to face them head-on. I’m also a very good climber, and I have shown that in the past. I wouldn’t say I’m more afraid of any particular stage. The race will be extremely difficult, and the competition is very strong.”