Team Visma | Lease a Bike delivered a crushing display on the queen stage of the Tour de l’Ardèche, pulling off a 1-2 on Le Mont Lozère and seizing the leader’s jersey from Mischa Bredewold. Marion Bunel won the stage ahead of teammate Femke de Vries, who now leads the general classification with just one stage remaining.
The 125.5km stage from Mende to Le Mont Lozère stacked up a daunting profile with two first-category climbs, two categorised as second, and three more rated third. Bredewold had started the day in pink after her stage wins on Thursday and Friday, holding a slender 25-second advantage over Maeva Squiban, with De Vries at 32 seconds.
The race quickly fractured on the early ascents, with Bredewold present in an elite move of around ten riders. FDJ-Suez then lit up the middle phase of the stage, first through Nina Buijsman, who forged clear and summited Mount Jalabert alone, then through Églantine Rayer Girault, who continued the pressure as the gap hovered at under two minutes.
The pivotal attack came after the Col du Goulet when Bunel and De Vries accelerated alongside Monica Trinca Colonel of Liv AlUla Jayco. The trio carved out a lead over the reduced peloton, where SD Worx-Protime worked to defend Bredewold’s jersey. The gap held firm, and on the final climb the outcome was sealed.
As the road tilted up on Mont Lozère, Trinca Colonel slipped back, leaving the two Visma riders to press on together. Bunel claimed the stage honours, while De Vries moved into the overall lead thanks to the time they gained on Bredewold, who tried to rally from the chasing group but fell short and conceded her position at the top of the standings.
It was a perfectly executed plan from Team Visma | Lease a Bike: selective pressure on the climbs, a decisive strike at the right moment, and a composed two-up finish that turned stage dominance into control of the general classification.
2025 Tour de l’Ardeche Stage 5 result
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Main photo credit: Getty
