Marlen Reusser sealed overall victory at the 2025 Tour de Suisse Women with a dominant solo attack on the final stage to Küssnacht, dropping Demi Vollering on the last climb and powering away to win by 28 seconds. The stage was always likely to decide the general classification, with two ascents of the steep Michaelskreuz climb, and it did not disappoint. Along with her earlier Stage 1 victory, Reusser also secured the GC win in her home race.
The action began almost immediately after the neutral zone, with Henrietta Christie forcing an early selection. She was later joined by Julia Borgström and Steffi Häberlin, and the trio formed the day’s main breakaway. They built a lead of over a minute thanks to smooth cooperation and a relatively relaxed chase behind. With the hardest climbing saved for the final 40km, the peloton was in no rush to shut things down too early.
There was added tension around the intermediate sprints. Demi Vollering took a single bonus second early on to close the GC gap to Reusser to three seconds, but the breakaway mopped up the remaining points, preventing further changes. That kept the overall situation tight heading into the key climbs.
The first ascent of Michaelskreuz saw the GC favourites move to the front and force the issue. Reusser, Vollering, Kasia Niewiadoma and Niamh Fisher-Black pulled clear over the top, with a few others bridging on the descent. The group briefly swelled, but the decisive selection had already taken shape.
On the second and final time up Michaelskreuz, Reusser lit the race up. She set a brutal tempo, first dropping Fisher-Black and then Niewiadoma. Vollering was the last to crack, holding Reusser’s wheel until just over 9km to go. When the Swiss rider accelerated again, the gap opened instantly and continued to grow.
Reusser flew down the descent and into Küssnacht with clear air behind her, riding the final kilometres alone to take her second stage win and the overall title on home soil. Vollering, spent from the effort, was overtaken by Niewiadoma inside the final kilometre and had to settle for third on the stage and second overall. Fisher-Black lost time on the final climb and slipped off the podium, overtaken in GC by Niewiadoma.
Elise Chabbey finished fourth overall after a solid final climb, while Juliette Labous, Ane Santesteban and Sarah Gigante were also in the top ten.
Reusser was emotional at the finish, soaking in the win with family and fans lining the barriers. “I was confident, but you never know how it will go. I waited for my moment and when I attacked, I felt really good. It’s amazing to win like this in Switzerland.”
She hinted at how meaningful the win was after a disrupted 2024. “I’m back in life. That’s what matters.”
Vollering, by contrast, was visibly frustrated and admitted she had been ill all week. “I’ve felt bad since stage 1. I had stomach problems and couldn’t recover. I went over the limit today, and I’m completely empty.” She now plans to skip the Giro and refocus on the Tour de France Femmes.
Niewiadoma was pleased with her podium despite a difficult day. “I had a puncture and a couple of bike changes early on, but the team was great. On the last climb I tried something, but when Marlen went, there was no following her.” She added, “I’m not at 100% yet, but I’m close. Getting on the podium here shows we’re going in the right direction.”
Photo Credit: Getty2025 Tour de Suisse Stage 4 result
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2025 Tour de Suisse GC result
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Main photo credit: Getty
