Greig Leach

She did it! Ricarda Bauernfiend (Canyon-SRAM) had left the grip of the peloton of favorites to grab bonus seconds some thirty kilometers ago. She quickly built a minute and a half on the groups she left (plus and eight second bonus) as she went solo to Albi. Despite the best efforts of some very celebrated riders, they were never able to reel her back into the fold. She was then chased by two national champions who couldn't get closer than ten seconds to the young German. Her efforts not only won her the stage (and the first win for her team) but she moved up to ninth place on the general classification. I would be surprised if she wasn't wearing the red bib numbers of the most combative rider of Stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes.