Kim Le Court Makes History as First African to Win a Stage at Women’s Tour de France

Mauritian cyclist Kim Le Court made headlines on Wednesday as she became the first African rider to win a stage at the Women’s Tour de France, marking a historic milestone for African cycling on the global stage.

Le Court claimed victory on Stage 5, the longest leg of the competition, covering a challenging 166 km route from Chasseneuil-du-Poitou Futuroscope to Gueret. She triumphed in a high-intensity sprint, narrowly edging out Dutch rivals Demi Vollering and Anna van der Breggen.

Double Triumph for the 29-Year-Old Rider

The stage win also propelled Kim Le Court back into the yellow jersey, reclaiming her spot at the top of the general classification standings. She now leads French cyclist Pauline Ferrand-Prevot by 18 seconds.

Le Court had briefly worn the yellow jersey after Stage 2 but had relinquished it until her remarkable comeback in Stage 5. Overnight leader Marianne Vos lost her lead after finishing eighth in the stage, trailing by 33 seconds.

Speaking after the stage, Le Court described the experience as a dream. “It’s really been a dream start to the Tour. The stage win, the yellow jersey — I wasn’t even thinking about it when we started in Brittany.”

Competition Heats Up Ahead of the Mountain Stages

With her current position as overall leader, Le Court now faces the unknown as she heads into the mountainous segments of the race. “I don’t know my limits in the mountains. This is my first major stage race where I’m competing for overall classification,” she added.

Demi Vollering, the defending champion from 2023, sits in third place overall, 23 seconds behind, after recovering from a fall earlier in the week. Katarzyna Niewiadoma, last year’s winner, finished fourth in the stage and trails the leader by 24 seconds.

Stage 6 promises to test the contenders with a 123.7 km mountainous ride from Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert, including three major ascents and a category one climb up Col du Beal.

As the race moves into more demanding terrain, all eyes will be on Kim Le Court to see whether she can maintain her lead and create further history.