The 2024 Tour de France Femmes began with a flat 124 km stage from Rotterdam to The Hague, offering the sprinters an early chance to shine. The route featured a 40 km loop with two crossings of the Maasdeltatunnel under the River Scheur and a single categorised climb: a short 1 km at 3.1%, earning points for the Queen of the Mountains classification. The flat terrain also brought challenges, with technical urban sections, road furniture, and exposure to wind making it a nervy day for the peloton.
The day started with 154 riders and saw a series of crashes, including one involving Puck Pieterse during the neutral start and others affecting Fem van Empel, Grace Brown, and Lizzie Deignan later in the race. Cristina Tonetti took the first QOM jersey after a clever move on the Maasdeltatunnel “climb,” though the flat course discouraged meaningful breakaways.
In the closing kilometres, the sprint trains failed to fully organise, and the finale was chaotic. Defending champion Demi Vollering rode on the front to position Lorena Wiebes, but a late mechanical left Wiebes out of contention. Barbara Guarischi led out the sprint for SD Worx, but it was Charlotte Kool who launched early and delivered an unmatched acceleration to secure the stage win. Anniina Ahtosalo surprised with second place, and Elisa Balsamo rounded out the podium.
2024 Tour de France Femmes Stage 1 Photos
