Charlotte Kool (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) took a superb win on the opening stage of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift yesterday August 12th in Rotterdam. Kool powered to the finish line in The Hague ahead of her sprint rivals to secure a dream Yellow Jersey on home territory. The Dutchwoman clearly outpaced second placed rider Anniina Ahtosalo (Uno-X Mobility) to the line, with Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), Lotta Henttala (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) and Marianne Vos (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) completing the top five. Kool would then wear the cherished Yellow Jersey in front of the Dutch crowds on Stage 2, making the first ever Grand Départ to take place outside France even more special for the local fans.
A sunny start in Rotterdam
There were 153 riders present on the start line for this 3rd edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, after New Zealander Kim Cadzow (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) unfortunately tested positive for Covid and her team decided not to replace her. A 14km neutralised start through the streets of cycling-mad Rotterdam started the day, followed by the real racing over a 123km route through the tulip fields and urban areas on the roads to The Hague. There was an early attack from Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (Canyon//SRAM Racing), Gaia Masetti (AG Insurance – Soudal Team) and Iurani Blanco (Laboral Kutxa – Fundacion Euskadi) who created a 20″ gap by km 22, but were soon reeled back in by the bunch. Ekaterina Knebeleva of Tashkent City Women Professional Cycling Team unfortunately abandoned the race after less than 35km of racing.
Tonetti goes clear
Cristina Tonetti (Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi) found an opening to attack 79 km from the finish and 6 km later she had established a 50″ gap over the peloton. A crash in the bunch on a bridge with just over 70 km to go held up several riders, with Victoire Berteau (Cofidis Women Team) and Grace Brown (FDJ – SUEZ) among the riders involved. Gaia Realini (Lidl – Trek) was also forced to stop shortly after the crash and lost two minutes, chasing back after a bike change. Tonetti was first to the line in the only categorised climb of the day at Maasdeltatunnel (1km at 3.1%, Cat. 4), sitting up and letting the bunch catch her after securing the two points to also claim the polka dot jersey, with Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco) taking one point in second place. After Knebeleva, two additional riders from the Tashkent City team abandoned in the second hour of racing – Mohinabonu Elmudorova and Asal Rizaeva – with the Briton Natalie Grinczer (Roland) also leaving the race on the first day.
Over to the sprinters
Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) showed her ambitions for the green jersey by winning the intermediate sprint at Groeneweg (km 85.1), ahead of Roseman-Gannon, with Marthe Truyen (Fenix-Deceuninck) in third. Over the final flat 30 km in the heat of over 30°C, the bunch were grouped together despite the numerous changes of direction on the course, with the sprinters’ teams working to keep their star riders in position. Kool delighted the local fans in The Hague with her brilliant finish, outsprinting her rivals to the line, winning by a clear margin from Ahtosalo with Balsamo close behind in third place. A Dutch winner in the Yellow Jersey was the dream finish for the Rotterdam start.
