Marlen Reusser, one of the leading contenders for the general classification at the 2025 Tour de France Femmes, was forced to abandon midway through the opening stage from Vannes to Plumelec. The Swiss rider had been unwell in the days leading up to the race and was unable to complete what was already proving a bruising first day in Brittany.
Reusser started the stage despite showing clear signs of illness since arriving in France. She had been suffering from food poisoning, having eaten something that left her vomiting and exhausted in the days before the Tour began. While her team had initially hoped she might recover enough during the early flatter stages to mount a GC challenge later in the week, that prospect was quickly dashed once the racing began.
The opening stage was only 78.8 kilometres long but was far from easy. The riders faced a hilly route with multiple ascents of the Côte de Cadoudal – a 1.7 kilometre climb at 6.2% – including a summit finish in Plumelec. The short stage was raced at high intensity, with early attacks forcing splits and exposing those without full strength.
Reusser never looked comfortable in the bunch and was already sliding backwards as the peloton began the first circuit. She lost contact completely not long after and was later seen climbing into the team car before the final lap, her race already over.
It’s the second time this summer that illness has wrecked her Grand Tour ambitions. At the Giro d’Italia Women in June, Reusser was sitting second overall before being struck down in the final days and losing her GC position. That disappointment followed what had been a dominant performance at the Tour de Suisse, where she won the general classification and two stages.
Her withdrawal on day one here removes a key contender from the GC equation and deals a blow to Movistar’s ambitions. Reusser had been tipped as a realistic challenger to Demi Vollering, particularly given her strength in both time trials and long climbing stages. Now, with her out, the team’s GC hopes may shift to another rider, though few have Reusser’s all-round ability.
It also marks a significant tactical loss in the battle for yellow. Reusser would have been one of the few riders capable of attacking Vollering in the high mountains, and her presence might have forced rival teams to be more proactive later in the week. With her gone, the balance shifts further in favour of SD Worx-Protime and other GC favourites.
Whether Reusser can recover in time to race again this season remains to be seen. For now, her Tour is over before it really began.
