Charlotte Kool of DSM-Firmenich PostNL clinched her second consecutive stage victory at the 2024 Tour de France Femmes, outpacing fellow Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes of SD Worx-Protime in a thrilling sprint finish in Rotterdam. Marianne Vos of Visma-Lease a Bike secured third place.
The 68km stage commenced in Dordrecht and was marked by high speeds and early drama. Just 2km into the race, a crash involving Sarah Gigante and Amanda Spratt disrupted the peloton, splitting it into three groups. Both Gigante and Spratt managed to rejoin the main bunch after a concerted chase.
As the race settled, Audrey De Keersmaeker launched a solo attack around the 40km mark. The Belgian rider from Lotto-Dstny maintained a lead that fluctuated between 10 and 31 seconds, taking advantage of narrow and winding roads. However, her solo effort concluded 9.8km from the finish as the peloton, driven by sprint teams, reeled her in.
In the closing kilometres, teams Visma-Lease a Bike, Ceratizit-WNT, Uno-X Mobility, DSM-Firmenich PostNL, SD Worx-Protime, and Lidl-Trek vied for dominance. SD Worx-Protime seized control, setting up a formidable lead-out for Wiebes. Barbara Guarischi delivered Wiebes to the front with approximately 250 metres remaining. Wiebes launched her sprint down the right-hand barriers, with Vos in close pursuit.
Photo Credit: ASO-Thomas MaheuxKool, initially positioned behind Vos, showcased impeccable timing. As Vos began to lose ground, a gap emerged, allowing Kool to surge forward. Drawing from her impressive power reserves, she overtook Wiebes in the final metres, securing her second stage win in as many days.
With this victory, Kool extended her lead in the general classification from yesterday’s win, now standing 14 seconds ahead of both Anniina Ahtosalo of Uno-X Mobility and Wiebes. Vos trails by 16 seconds in fourth place.
Reflecting on the race, Kool remarked, “We were in control the whole day, but we heard some crashes, so I hope everyone is okay. It was a hectic course, but I like it. It was quite a chaotic sprint. We were a bit far, but I tried to stay as calm as possible. I just launched my sprint, and it was enough.”
Expressing her surprise at her recent successes, she added, “Dreams come true quite fast these days. First yesterday and today already winning in this jersey, it’s just really special. I did not expect this two weeks ago, but things can change fast.”
Wiebes, reflecting on her sprint, said, “I think that I just started a bit too early. The team did a really good job, but sometimes you just get beaten. I felt her coming up, and there wasn’t much more I could do.” She maintained a positive outlook, stating, “This feels different from yesterday. At least I was able to sprint. There are still plenty of opportunities to come.”
Vos acknowledged the intensity of the stage, noting, “I think it was a really nice sprint. It was 70 kilometres of lead-out and then a sprint. That was nice.” However, she admitted the challenge of navigating the hectic race, saying, “You just have to try to stay out of the chaos. That didn’t go so well.”
2024 Tour de France Femmes Stage 2 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: ASO-Charly Lopez
