First Swiss Woman in Yellow: Marlen Reusser Wins Tour de France Time Trial

Marlen Reusser made history by becoming the first Swiss woman to don the yellow jersey at the Tour de France, clinching the overall lead after winning the fourth stage's individual time trial. The time trial world champion demonstrated her prowess, though the victory was nearly jeopardized by strong winds and a treacherous descent into Dijon. Reusser navigated the challenging conditions, reaching speeds over 70 kilometers per hour, where she appeared hesitant and avoided risky maneuvers, prioritizing safety over outright speed. This cautious approach, however, did not prevent her from achieving her goal. Reusser, 34, had set her sights on the overall victory for the first time in her career. Her journey to this point has been marked by setbacks, including abandoning last year's Tour due to illness and a crash on the opening stage of this year's race. Despite these challenges, she managed to finish 18 seconds ahead of her closest competitor, Demi Vollering, securing the coveted Maillot jaune. The race's fourth stage was also overshadowed by a controversy regarding the use of aerodynamic aids, specifically special inserts in sports bras, which some teams suspect provide an unfair advantage. The UCI has responded by implementing urgent checks following reports and calculations suggesting potential time gains of up to 17 seconds on the time trial course.

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It was not a perfect race. I had problems with the bike and the wind.