AMNEVILLE, France: Hungary’s Blanka Vas won the fifth stage of the women’s Tour de France on Thursday with Dutch teammate Demi Vollering losing the race lead after being caught up in a big crash.
Poland’s Katarzyna Niewiadoma finished second to take the leader’s yellow jersey from defending champion Vollering who dropped to ninth overall.
A pile-up with six kilometers to go involving 10 riders including Vollering decimated the peloton in the run to Amneville in northeastern France.
The Team SD Worx leader now trails 1min 19sec behind her main rival Niewiadoma who had started the stage 34 seconds behind Vollering.
Shocked, suffering back pain and cuts to her left thigh, the Dutch star took more than a minute to remount to finish the stage.
The fall split the peloton and in a four-way sprint, Vas dominated Niewiadoma, German Liane Lippert and American Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner.
“The last kilometers were really chaotic. Overall, this start to the Tour has been really nervous so it was important to be well placed at the front to avoid incidents,” said Niewiadoma.
“I’m really very happy to take the jersey, it feels exceptional.”
She added: “Now 1min 19sec in the mountains is not much, especially considering the profile of the last stage. Of course, I feel good and I’m confident but I also know that Demi is an incredibly strong champion.”
On Friday, the sixth stage covers 159km with a climb up the the Cote des Fins less than 15km from the line which could prove decisive.
The Tour finishes on Sunday with one of cycling’s most challenging climbs up Alpe d’Huez.
