Célia Gery completed her hat-trick of victories at the 2025 Tour de l’Avenir Femmes, powering to another sprint win in Val-Suran. The 19-year-old French rider beat Belgium’s Fleur Moors and Britain’s Millie Couzens to claim her third triumph of the race, adding to earlier wins in Saint-Galmier and Lugny. Isabella Holmgren finished safely in the bunch to retain the overall lead.
The fourth stage covered just 76.2 kilometres from Montagnat to Val-Suran, the shortest road stage so far. The route was largely straightforward, with the only categorised climb of the day, the Col de l’Aubépin, coming just under 30 kilometres from the finish. At 4 kilometres long and averaging 5.9%, the ascent was sharp enough to shake up the peloton. Where earlier days had seen mass finishes, this climb split the bunch down to a reduced group of about thirty riders, containing the strongest climbers of the race.
Once over the top, the action was far from settled. A series of attacks followed on the rolling run-in, with riders testing their rivals and looking to avoid a sprint. The most dangerous move came from France’s Julien Bego, who went clear in the closing kilometres and held a slim advantage into the final straight. But the peloton would not allow her the chance to spoil the script, and she was caught just before the flamme rouge.
From there, it was down to the legs of the fastest finishers, and once again Gery proved untouchable. She accelerated hard on the slight rise to the line and held off Moors and Couzens to secure her third stage win of the week. Behind them, Holmgren crossed in 26th place, conceding no time to her rivals and keeping control of the yellow jersey heading into the decisive mountain stages.
Gery’s dominance has been the theme of the week, with only Scarlett Souren managing to interrupt her winning streak back on Stage 2 at Vitry-en-Charollais. Her latest victory brought her both the green jersey in the points classification and, thanks to her efforts on the Col de l’Aubépin, the lead in the mountains classification as well. At just 19 years old and in her first season as an espoir, she has established herself as the standout rider of the race.
Attention now turns to the high mountains, where Holmgren will look to defend her lead on the daunting slopes around La Rosière. Two brutal stages remain: a 41-kilometre mountain stage on Friday, followed by a ten-kilometre uphill time trial. With Marion Bunel, last year’s winner, still within 45 seconds, the battle for the overall remains far from finished.
2025 Tour de l’Avenir Femmes Stage 4 result
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