Stage 2 of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes delivered drama, emotion and a piece of cycling history. Under grey Breton skies, 110.4km of racing from Brest to Quimper ended with a sensational solo victory for Mavi García and a landmark moment as Kim Le Court pulled on the yellow jersey – the first African rider to lead the race.
The early kilometres saw a flurry of attacks as the peloton snaked through the rolling roads of western Brittany. Franziska Koch and Aude Biannic formed the day’s first meaningful break, earning Koch the intermediate sprint in Châteaulin, before they were swept up as the pace lifted on the climb to Ménez Quelc’h. There, Silke Smulders and Elise Chabbey broke clear, beginning a relentless sequence of aggression that would characterise the day.
Smulders took the QoM points on the climb and stayed away with Chabbey through Côte de Locronan, joined briefly by Maud Rijnbeek and later Maeva Squiban. Chabbey picked up more points to move into the polka dots, but their advantage never stretched much beyond 40 seconds. Lidl-Trek, Visma – Lease a Bike and FDJ-Suez kept the pressure high behind, keeping all options open as they entered the finishing circuit in Quimper.
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Pauline BalletMavi makes her move
The key move came with just under 10km to go, on the second ascent of the Côte du Chemin de Trohéir. Mavi García, who had lost over five minutes on the opening stage and posed no immediate GC threat, saw her chance. Attacking with power and commitment, the 41-year-old Spaniard quickly carved out a small gap on the technical descent.
At first, it looked like a classic late flyer – impressive but doomed. The peloton, still at high speed and packed with GC talent, hesitated. Riders looked at each other. Demi Vollering tried a soft attack. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Kasia Niewiadoma, and Kim Le Court all moved near the front. But no single team fully committed to the chase.
Inside the final 3km, García still held 12 seconds, pushing on with everything she had, her face etched with effort. Under the flamme rouge, the chasers were finally in full flight – Lorena Wiebes led the surge, with Vos, Le Court and Kopecky all in the mix. But it was too late.
García crossed the line alone, her hand on her helmet, unable to believe what she’d just done. The oldest rider in the race had pulled off her first Women’s WorldTour win since GP de Plouay in 2022 – and arguably the biggest victory of her long career.
“I can’t believe it,” García said post-stage, visibly emotional. “I’ve waited so long for this moment. The last few years have been so hard, but today everything came together.”
A yellow jersey for Africa
Behind García, Wiebes outsprinted Le Court for second, limiting her losses in the green jersey fight. But the bigger story was unfolding in the overall standings.
With time bonuses and gaps reshuffled by the late break and aggressive racing, Kim Le Court emerged as the new race leader. The Mauritian rider, who finished 2nd on stage 1 and 3rd today, became the first African rider to wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France Femmes.
Her AG Insurance – Soudal team were quick to react on the road when she suffered a mechanical mid-stage, helping her back into contention before the finale. That resilience paid off.
“It’s a dream I never thought possible,” said Le Court. “To wear yellow at the Tour de France – and to do it as an African rider – means so much. I hope it inspires others back home.”
Le Court will start Stage 3 in yellow, with Vos slipping to second overall and Wiebes climbing to third. The GC remains tightly bunched, but for one day at least, the spotlight belonged to a veteran winner and a history-making leader.
2025 Tour de France Femmes Stage 2 result
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