Kim Le Court won stage six of the Tour de France Femmes in a sprint finish in Tournon-sur-Rhône, recovering from a mechanical problem on a decisive climb to claim her second career Tour stage victory.

The 153.4-kilometre stage from Montbrison to Tournon-sur-Rhône sent riders over six classified climbs in the Ardèche, including the Col de Lalouvesc — where Le Court's race nearly unravelled. The Mauritian rider, who rides for AG Insurance-Soudal, lost ground after a mechanical issue on the ascent and at one point trailed the front group by 35 seconds. She fought her way back, joined the breakaway, and then outsprinted France's Cédrine Kerbaol and Queen of the Mountains leader Puck Pieterse to take the win, which the official race website described as "emphatic" (Tour de France Femmes).

It was a hard-earned reward for a rider whose general classification (GC — the overall standings on total time) ambitions had taken a hit earlier in the race. Le Court lost ground in the individual time trial earlier in the Tour and now sits ninth overall, 3 minutes 26 seconds behind the leader.

That leader remains Marlen Reusser. The Movistar rider retained the yellow jersey after stage six, holding a 12-second advantage over Demi Vollering of FDJ United-Suez — a margin tightened and loosened by bonus seconds picked up on the road, with Reusser claiming 6 and Vollering 4 during the stage (Tour de France Femmes).

Behind them, Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney of Canyon//SRAM sits third at 1 minute 17 seconds. Elisa Longo Borghini, Antonia Niedermaier, Dominika Wlodarczyk, Isabella Holmgren and Kerbaol fill positions four through eight, all within 3 minutes 7 seconds. Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot finished the stage in the group of favourites but sits 15th overall, five minutes adrift of Reusser.

Puck Pieterse, already in the polka-dot jersey as the race's best climber, pushed her mountain classification total to 47 points — the highest tally in the Tour de France Femmes' history. Lorena Wiebes leads the points classification with 144 points.

The race now turns toward its most fearsome test. Friday's stage features an ascent of Mont Ventoux, the bare, wind-scoured giant of Provence that has decided Tour campaigns for generations. With just 12 seconds between Reusser and Vollering at the top of the standings, and a clutch of contenders within three minutes, the Ventoux stage could reshape the entire race.

For Le Court, the stage win is a standalone triumph — proof that a mechanical and a 35-second deficit on a climbing day are surmountable if the legs and the timing are right.