Vollering wins stage 5 as Reusser clings to Tour de Femmes lead

Race favourite Demi Vollering won a three-way sprint for stage five on the Tour de France Femmes on Wednesday as Marlen Reusser held a slender 12-second overall lead on the day's winner. Former champion Kasia Niewiadoma sprinted first as Reusser refused to attack, but a determined Vollering overtook the fading Pole at the line, Niewiadoma however is now third at 1min 17sec despite missing out on a first stage win. Read moreWiebes wins Tour de France Femmes opener to win first yellow jersey "I somehow made it. I think it was a relief after the finish line," Vollering said of the cat-and-mouse finale. The Dutchwoman was already looking to the days ahead. "Marlen has not won a Tour yet, and she will have to work for it. I'm sure it will be a hard battle, because she is not the rider who you can beat easily, because she is very strong," she said of the Swiss overall leader. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot's title defence took another battering over eight hills through the Beaujolais region. The slightly-built French climber dropped over two minutes on the time-trial Tuesday and another 2min 35sec on Wednesday's stage five, seriously damaging her hopes. "There's no hiding from it, it's too much ...