The Tour de France Femmes is gearing up for an intense stage five, a 140km journey from Mâcon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, with eight categorised ascents and many more uncategorised ones. This stage promises to be a challenging one, with a total of 2,900m climbing, despite not being the most punishing day on paper. The race is expected to be a fierce battle, with GC teams controlling the race and overall contenders like Demi Vollering potentially attacking on the final climbs. The neutralised start at 13.45 CET/12.45 BST adds an extra layer of complexity to the race dynamics, as riders will be suspecting a hectic day ahead. The question remains: will a breakaway be allowed to form and fight for the stage, or will the GC teams dominate? Only time will tell as the race unfolds.
