In a rain-soaked Liège, Dutch rider Puck Pieterse secured her first professional road victory by narrowly defeating Demi Vollering in a dramatic sprint finish on the fourth stage of the Tour de France Femmes. The 22-year-old Pieterse, who comes from a cyclocross and mountain biking background, managed to edge out the yellow jersey holder by a mere half-wheel after a tense wait for the official result.
The day’s stage, spanning 122 kilometres from Valkenburg to Liège, combined elements of both the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The peloton faced a challenging route featuring climbs like the Côte de la Redoute, Côte des Forges, and Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, with the latter proving decisive.
Photo Credit: ASO-Charly LopezThe action began in earnest on the opening climbs of the day, where Silvia Persico collected valuable mountain points by cresting the Bemelerberg, Cauberg, and Geulhemmerberg first. Despite these early skirmishes, the peloton remained largely intact until Spain’s Sara Martín made a solo move after 30 kilometres. Although she gained a lead of over a minute, her effort was short-lived as the peloton, led by SD Worx-Protime, brought her back before the Mont-Theux climb.
The next phase of the race saw the peloton thinning out significantly as it tackled the Côte de la Redoute. Fenix-Deceuninck took control, with Pieterse and her teammates driving a fierce pace. The increased tempo saw several big names, including recent Olympic time trial champion Grace Brown, dropping off the back.
Justine Ghekiere was active in this phase, taking mountain points on the Côte des Forges and even making a solo move. However, the decisive moment came on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, where Demi Vollering launched a powerful attack, taking Pieterse, Kasia Niewiadoma, and Pauliena Rooijakkers with her. The quartet quickly distanced the remnants of the peloton, with Pieterse securing the mountain points at the top.
As the race approached the final kilometres, the leading group was whittled down to just Pieterse, Vollering, and Niewiadoma. Niewiadoma attempted a late attack within the final kilometre, but Vollering closed the gap, setting the stage for a three-up sprint. Pieterse launched her sprint first, with Vollering responding late. The pair crossed the line side by side, and after a nail-biting wait, Pieterse was declared the winner in a photo finish.
Photo Credit: ASO-Thomas MaheuxRider reactions
After the race, Puck Pieterse reflected on her victory, expressing disbelief at her achievement. “It’s unbelievable. I had super good legs the last few days, and to win here against Demi is a dream come true. I knew that Kasia would attack and Demi would have to follow, so I just tried to keep a poker face and take it from a sprint.”
Demi Vollering, who retained the yellow jersey and extended her overall lead, acknowledged the closeness of the finish. “For a few seconds, I thought I had the win,” she said. “Although I had the feeling on the line that Puck had the advantage. The difference was small. Of course, you’re a bit disappointed then. But Puck definitely deserved this win too.”
Kasia Niewiadoma, who finished third, shared her thoughts on the tough day. “I knew that in the sprint I wasn’t the fastest, so I tried to attack. I just waited until Demi was in front so that it would be harder for her to react. In the end, I got caught 150 metres from the line, but I’m pleased with how I rode today.”
The race now moves on to stage five, a flat route from Bastogne to Amnéville, with the general classification still wide open as the peloton heads further into France.
2024 Tour de France Femmes Stage 4 result
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