Back-to-back sprint opportunities are rare in a race like the Tour de France Femmes, but stage 4 provides exactly that. The 128km route from Saumur to Poitiers is the shortest road stage of this year’s Tour and likely the last proper chance for the pure sprinters before the climbing begins in earnest.
With wide roads, rolling terrain, and just a single classified climb on the route, the expectation is a fast, controlled race. After Lorena Wiebes won convincingly in Angers, all eyes will be on her again, but the finale in Poitiers may not be as straightforward as it looks on paper.
The route – short climb mid-stage, false-flat drag to the line
Starting from the historic Loire town of Saumur, the peloton rolls south-east across the Vienne and Deux-Sèvres departments. The terrain is not completely flat – there are plenty of long, gentle rises throughout the day – but there’s very little to disrupt a motivated sprint lead-out.
The only categorised climb of the stage comes at km 96, with the Côte de Marigny (900m at 5.4%) offering a short effort but nothing severe enough to split the field. The final 30km are largely flat, with a few exposed roads that could cause trouble if the wind picks up, but current forecasts suggest echelons are unlikely.
The finish in Poitiers resembles the 2020 men’s Tour finish, with a drag up Rue du Faubourg du Pont Neuf in the final kilometres before a slight rise to the line on Boulevard John Fitzgerald Kennedy. It’s a false flat more than a climb, but it could suit a powerful sprinter with good timing.
What’s on offer
Date: Tuesday, 29th July
Distance: 128km
Start/Finish: Saumur – Poitiers
Climbs:
- Côte de Marigny (cat. 4, km 96.4)
Prediction
Lorena Wiebes will be looking to go back-to-back after dominating stage 3, and there’s no reason to doubt her form. The drag to the line suits her strength, and even a disrupted lead-out likely won’t derail her. Elisa Balsamo and Marianne Vos are best positioned to challenge, while Ally Wollaston is riding consistently well and could sneak a podium. But if SD Worx-Protime control the final kilometres again, Wiebes should take win number two.
