Marlen Reusser won stage four of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes with a devastating individual time trial from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon, seizing the overall lead in the process.

The 34-year-old Swiss rider, who races for Movistar and holds the rainbow jersey of reigning world time trial champion, covered the 21-kilometre course in 27 minutes 30 seconds. Nobody could live with that pace. Lieke Nooijen of Visma-Lease a Bike came closest, four seconds back at 27:34. Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) crossed the line third, 18 seconds down on Reusser The Guardian.

A time trial is cycling's race of truth: each rider sets off alone against the clock, no team-mates to shelter behind, no drafting. The fastest time wins. And on the flat roads between two of Burgundy's wine capitals, Reusser's engine simply proved too big.

The win also handed her the yellow jersey — the garment worn by the race's overall leader, decided on cumulative time across all stages. She took it from Sigrid Haugset of Uno-X Mobility, who had claimed it just 24 hours earlier with a solo victory on stage three. Haugset is a gifted attacker, not a time trial specialist, and she lost more than three minutes to Reusser over the 21 kilometres, sliding from first to fourth overall.

That reshuffles the general classification — the GC, as the overall standings are known — into a tight and intriguing shape. Reusser leads Vollering by 14 seconds. France's Cédrine Kerbaol sits third. Haugset is fourth, over three minutes adrift but far from out of the conversation if the road tilts upward.

For Vollering, the stage was a double-edged afternoon. Eighteen seconds is a real deficit to a rider of Reusser's calibre against the clock, yet it could have been far worse. She limited her losses to the woman widely regarded as the finest time triallist in the women's peloton — the main field of riders — and remains well within striking distance as the race heads toward hillier terrain.

What gives the GC its spice is the contrast in styles. Reusser's strength is raw power on flat or rolling roads. Vollering climbs with the best in the world. Haugset thrives on aggressive, breakaway racing. With mountains still to come, 14 seconds is a foothold, not a fortress.

Stage five, a 140-kilometre hilly ride from Mâcon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, is scheduled for Wednesday. The Beaujolais roads rise and fall through vineyard country — terrain that should favour Vollering and Haugset far more than a flat time trial. Whether Reusser can defend her slim lead when the road goes up will shape the rest of this race.