Marlen Reusser takes Tour lead with Dijon time trial win

Reusser converts the clock into yellow

Marlen Reusser took the Tour de France Femmes lead by winning the 21km time trial to Dijon on the fourth stage, giving the Swiss rider the first yellow jersey of her career.

The significance is straightforward: a time trial does not just decide a stage, it sorts the race by each rider's ability to produce and pace a sustained effort without the cover or tactical buffering of a bunch. Reusser winning here means she did not simply benefit from race circumstances - she imposed herself directly against the clock and converted that performance into the race lead.

For the wider shape of the Tour, this result matters because yellow after a time trial carries a different weight than yellow taken through a breakaway or sprint bonus. It reflects measurable separation created rider against course, which makes it a clearer signal of current form and immediate control of the race.

Full details are at the linked BBC News source.