In the Champagne vineyard, where white and red grapes have been coming together since the 7th century to make the most select champagne in the world, the Swiss Marlen Reusser, gregarious member of the extremely powerful SD Worx, has flown solo over dirt and asphalt to win the fourth stage of the women's Tour de France.
In a dangerous day, marked in red on the favorites calendar, the peloton has crossed four sections of the dreaded
sterrato
, dirt roads where gravel, dust and stones abruptly collided with the wheels, thoroughly reinforced, and they hardened each pedal stroke towards Bar-sur-Aube.
In the almost 13 kilometers of unpaved sections, the Spanish Mavi García, mired in misfortune, suffered several punctures before being run over by her own team's car on the way to Bar-sur-Aube.
The Mallorcan, frustrated, did not want to make any statements upon reaching the coach at the finish line.
Three hours later, with the results of the medical tests, the cyclist's environment confirmed to EL PAÍS that she will continue on the Tour: “She's fine.
He doesn't have any broken bones, just a few bruises, but nothing to worry about."
💥 FALL OF MAVI GARCIA!
🚴♂️ The champion of Spain makes the sharpener with her own team car and goes to the ground #TDFF pic.twitter.com/FQ1RT38xbE
– Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) July 27, 2022
In the third of the sections, the longest of the day, García began his misfortune.
He stabbed into the gravel.
The Mallorcan, champion of Spain for the third consecutive year in June, was forced to change bicycles, taking that of her partner Maaike Boogard, 12 centimeters shorter than her.
Uncomfortable, the UAE took off the saddle to alleviate the damage.
Before returning to the asphalt, the team returned a bike to her size and, nervously, she was able to reconnect with the group of favorites.
Women's Tour de France 2022: calendar, stages and route
Women's Tour de France 2022: calendar, stages and route
Later, on the last unpaved road, 18 kilometers from the finish, Mavi looked strong and decided to pick up the pace.
But she played again.
Bad luck for the best Spanish in the general classification, who already warned of the danger of this stage before the starting gun in Paris.
“He gives me a lot of respect.
There are many stones.
It will be a day where luck will be needed to avoid punctures and crashes”.
It was not so.
With 13 kilometers to go, desperate to be away from the lead, now without teammates, García was hit by her own team's car, sealing the perfect tragedy.
After the incident, which given the circumstances could have been much worse, the 38-year-old runner fell sharply on the asphalt: a torn jersey and open wounds on her elbow, hands and back.
Head down.
Frustration.
It was not the day.
Ahead, far ahead, the Swiss Marlen Reusser, Demi Vollering's squire in the powerful SD Worx, went under the radar of the favorites and, aggressively, attacked to start shooting alone without looking back.
No one could remedy her pace in the main group and, pedal by pedal, Reusser's corpulence —1.80 meters—, 30 years old, double champion of Switzerland (2019 and 2021), began to make a difference.
Concentrated, aware of the differences, the SD Worx gregarious only slowed down in the fenced section, a few meters from the finish line.
There she, she smiling, she looked back and began to savor the triumph in the land of champagne, which she waited for, cold, in the highest drawer of the podium.
“We wanted to have a tough race and we have achieved it.
We are a very strong team and today I was the lucky one.
I'm very happy".
Almost two minutes behind, stiffened by the fear of falling, the favorites entered the finish line in a bittersweet stage, with too much control and few weight movements in the general classification.
However, the Dutch Marianne Vos continues as the leader of the general with 16 seconds ahead of Silvia Persico and Katarzyna Niewiadoma, equal in time.
After one of the worst days of her career, full of misfortunes, Mavi García, who started sixth this Wednesday, crossed the finish line a minute and a half behind the favorites and is now eleventh, 2m26s behind the lead.
This Thursday, transition stage – at least in principle – before the mountain stages: 175.6 kilometers between Bar-le-Duc and Saint-Dié-des-Vosges.
Cyclists Ellen Van Dijk of the Netherlands, left, and Marlen Reusser of Switzerland, right, lead the pack during stage four of the women's Tour de France in Bar-sur-Aube on Wednesday. PAPON BERNARD (Getty Images)
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