Valiant yellow jersey defence from Charlotte Kool comes up just short in Tour de France Femmes TT

After this morning’s incredible ride which saw back-to-back victories for Team dsm-firmenich PostNL at the Tour de France Femmes, this afternoon saw the peloton take on a short six-kilometre time trial around the streets of Rotterdam. With a few technical twists and turns, there were also plenty of long straights where putting down the power would be important.

All of the Team dsm-firmenich PostNL squad set out to do their best on the fast course. Franziska Koch, Pfeiffer Georgi and GC finisher Juliette Labous all produced good early rides, keeping a consistent pace and setting good times at the finish with Koch and Labous crossing the line in seven minutes and 40 seconds, while Georgi crossed it one second later. It was then all over to yellow-jersey wearer Charlotte Kool who could only concede 20 seconds to the stage winner if she was to hold onto the yellow jersey. Almost pushed along the road by the incredible local Dutch support, Kool rode out of her skin and left everything she had on the road in the time trial but unfortunately, she came up five seconds too short at the finish and cedes the jersey. However, she and the team will be resplendent in the green sprint points jersey tomorrow as leaders of that competition.

Kool said: “I knew that it was going to be a hard effort and quite early I could feel my legs, but I really gave it my all. I can’t blame myself for anything, we did what we could. I’m already very proud of what we were able to achieve in the first two stages as a team with the two wins, and to then be able to ride around in yellow for two stages in the Netherlands, it has been a dream start to the Tour. Now we’ll keep fighting in the next days.”

Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach Kelvin Dekker added: “We had two goals in the time trial; to have a good time trial with Juliette and try to defend the yellow with Charlotte. Defending the yellow would have been a bonus if we could have kept it, but it doesn’t matter in the end with how happy we can be with the first two days; it has really been a dream start for the team. Charlotte wasn’t too far off in the TT in end, only five seconds down on the time she needed, so we really fought for it. Juliette did what she is good at in the time trial. It wasn’t an easy ride with the wind coming off the water and it being shorter than what might have suited us. It was a good start with her in the GC and we are in a nice spot at the moment. We can be pleased with that ahead of what’s to come; so overall we can be happy with the TT.”