- Vollering loses after falling yellow - Lippert stage three
Liane Lippert narrowly missed victory on the fifth stage of the Tour de France Femmes, finishing third in the sprint. The 26-year-old German was edged out in the final meters. The 152.5km stage from Bastogne, Belgium, to Amnéville, France, was marred by a crash involving the defending champion, Dutch rider Demi Vollering, who lost the yellow jersey as a result.
The stage win went to Hungarian Blanka Kata Vas, with Polish rider Katarzyna Niewiadoma in second, who also took the overall lead. Vollering dropped to ninth place, 1:19 behind. Lippert is in tenth place, 1:20 back.
The crash occurred around six kilometers from the finish, involving several riders, including Vollering, who finished with visible pain.
Lippert: Chaotic Finish
"It was a really, really chaotic finish with a crash that changed everything," Lippert told ARD. She admitted to attacking too early in the sprint.
On Friday, the riders head to the Jura for the sixth stage, a 159km ride from Remiremont to Morteau. The weekend's mountain stages, culminating in the climb to Alpe d'Huez, are the race's highlights.
During the chaotic finish of the stage, Lippert regretted her early sprint attack. Despite the crash disrupting her chances, she continues her strong performance, currently in tenth place.
Cycling through the challenging roads of the Jura on Friday, Lippert prepares for another opportunity to climb up the rankings.
