Reusser wins Tour de France Femmes stage four time trial, takes yellow jersey

Marlen Reusser of Switzerland won the individual time trial on stage four of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, riding the 21-kilometer course from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon in 27 minutes, 30 seconds, according to ESPN. The victory delivered the yellow jersey to Reusser, the world time trial champion who rides for Movistar, ahead of the race's expected decisive mountain terrain.

Reusser's stage win displaced Norwegian rider Sigrid Haugset, who had held the yellow jersey after her long solo attack to victory on stage three. Haugset finished 3 minutes, 6 seconds behind Reusser and dropped to fourth overall, 56 seconds behind the new leader. Defending Tour champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot lost more than two minutes to Reusser and sits 14th overall, more than two minutes off the pace, per ESPN.

Reusser, 34, finished 4 seconds ahead of Lieke Nooijen and 18 seconds faster than Demi Vollering, the 2023 Tour champion. Vollering now stands second in the general classification, 14 seconds behind Reusser. Cédrine Kerbaol rounded out the top three, 54 seconds off the lead.

Reusser described the stage as "Project Dijon," saying after her victory that "I'm super, super happy" and that "everything had gone to plan," according to ESPN. The stage showcased her specialization in individual time trials, where her world championship credentials define her. She has won stages in the Tour de France Femmes in 2022 and 2023 as well.

The race, in its fifth edition, covers 1,175 kilometers over nine days. Two demanding mid-mountain stages are yet to come in Belleville-en-Beaujolais and Tournon-sur-Rhône before the anticipated mountaintop finish on Mont Ventoux, according to ESPN. Reusser's 14-second advantage enters terrain where climbing strength, not time trial prowess, often determines outcomes.