Favorites stage 4 Tour de France Femmes 2025 | Wiebes going for two in a row during flat stage

The riders will start on Tuesday in Saumur, a town with a population of just under 30,000 inhabitants. From there, we head east, and after just over 40 kilometers, in the picturesque village of l'Île-Bouchard, we turn right towards the south.

After 86.7 kilometers, the riders will encounter the intermediate sprint in Soudun. The only climb of the day then quickly appears. Just after passing the 100-kilometer mark, the Côte de Marigny is on the agenda. With a length of 900 meters and an average gradient of 5.4%, it is anything but an exciting climb.

At the top, it is just under 30 kilometers to the finish line. The final stretch is virtually flat and features few corners. Upon entering the finish town of Poitiers, we turn left, after which the riders have to negotiate a few speed bumps at high speed. The final corner is about 1,500 meters from the finish. From there, it is straight to the finish on Avenue John Kennedy.

Climbs
101.6 km: Côte de Marigny (900 meters at 5.4%)

Times
Start: 2:45 PM local time (8:45 AM EDT)
Finish: 5:40 PM local time (11:40 AM EDT)

Nothing to worry about for the riders on Tuesday. The forecast in Poitiers is good, with maximum temperatures of around 25 degrees Celsius. No rain and virtually no wind, so it looks like it will be a fantastic day for cycling!

With a sprint on the program, all eyes will be on Lorena Wiebes. The SD Worx-Protime sprinter is once again the top favorite on Tuesday, especially after Charlotte Kool's earlier withdrawal.

Who can beat Wiebes? That is once again the question. Two names quickly come to mind: Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek). The Dutch rider sprinted magnificently to the first leader's jersey on Saturday, while former world champion Balsamo has yet to win in the Tour de France. However, she was involved in a crash in stage 3: will she be fit to compete for the victory?

Tour of Britain winner Ally Wollaston (FDJ-SUEZ) is another woman who can finish fast, although the New Zealander seems to prefer the more difficult sprints. She did finish third in the first sprint from UAE Team ADQ, Lara Gillespie appears to be the woman for the sprints, the Irish rider who finished fifth in the Classic Brugge-De Panne earlier this year.

Other notable women at the start include Linda Zanetti, Susanne Andersen (both Uno-X), Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto), Marjolein van 't Geloof (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Amalie Dideriksen (Cofidis), and Eline Jansen (VolkerWessels). Gladys Verhulst-Wild (AG Insurance - Soudal) and Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) could also excel on a day like Tuesday, but the Frenchwoman riding for a Belgian team crashed on Monday.

Top favorite: Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)
Outsiders: Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike), Susanne Andersen (Uno-X) and Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ)
Long shots: Ally Wollaston (FDJ-SUEZ), Marjolein van 't Geloof (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Amalie Dideriksen (Cofidis), Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto), Lily Williams (Human Powered Health), Eline Jansen (VolkerWessels) and Gladys Verhulst-Wild (AG Insurance - Soudal)