Stage 4 of the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche brought the riders to Vals-les-Bains for the race’s only individual time trial, a 20.1km loop of rolling roads. Coming the day after the drama of stage 3 – where Mischa Bredewold sprinted to victory and Lotte Kopecky crashed out – the test against the clock carried extra weight for the general classification. The gaps were still tight at the top, with Eleonora Ciabocco starting the day in the leader’s jersey just four seconds ahead of Bredewold.
The first riders to roll down the start ramp were those further down the standings, setting early benchmarks in warm, calm conditions. Romina Hinojosa Cruz of Lotto Ladies was the first to complete the course, but it was Océane Mahé of Arkéa-B&B Hotels who briefly raised the bar, stopping the clock at 29:47. Soon after, FDJ-Suez rider Eglantine Rayer Girault trimmed that time down to 29:11, a more competitive effort on the gently undulating course.
The competition began to sharpen as the stronger riders came through. Belgian rider Lotte Claes, who recently surprised with victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, took the provisional lead with a 29:00 ride. Her tenure in the hot seat lasted until Monica Trinca Colonel of Liv AlUla Jayco powered around the course. The Italian specialist was smooth and consistent, recording 28:40 at an average speed just over 42 km/h. For much of the afternoon, no one else could come close, and she sat in the lead as one rider after another fell short of her time.
Eventually, Maeva Squiban of UAE Team ADQ produced the first real challenge. The French rider, already enjoying a standout season after winning two stages of the Tour de France Femmes, confirmed her form with a strong, controlled effort. She crossed the line in 28:32, eight seconds faster than Trinca Colonel, to reclaim a time trial victory she had also taken at last year’s edition of the race.
Attention then turned to the riders high in the general classification. Femke de Vries of Visma | Lease a Bike delivered a solid ride to slot into the provisional top three, but it was Bredewold who dominated. The Dutch national time trial champion flew through the course, matching her climbing strength with sheer power on the flatter sections. She stopped the clock at 28:18, averaging 42.6 km/h and slashing 13 seconds from Squiban’s time. It was an emphatic performance, and her second victory in two days.
Finally, the last rider to start, race leader Ciabocco, had the difficult task of defending her slim advantage. Despite her consistency earlier in the week, the Italian struggled to find rhythm against the clock and bled time throughout the ride. She eventually finished more than a minute slower than Bredewold, tumbling from first to sixth overall.
At the end of the stage, Bredewold celebrated not only the day’s win but also the overall lead. She now holds a 26-second cushion over Squiban heading into stage 5, a mountainous 125.8km from Mende to Le Mont Lozère. Trinca Colonel’s effort also kept her in striking distance, but the momentum is firmly with Bredewold, who has seized control of the race just as it heads into its most decisive terrain.
2025 Tour de l’Ardèche Stage 4 result
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