Kool clinches opening stage of Tour de France femmes

AMSTERDAM: Dutch rider Charlotte Kool of Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL claimed victory in the opening stage of the Tour de France Femmes, a 123-km race from Rotterdam to The Hague in the Netherlands, securing the first yellow jersey of this year’s edition on Monday. Kool’s triumph was hard-fought, as she battled through a chaotic final sprint to cross the finish line ahead of Uno-X Mobility’s Anniina Ahtosalo, who took second, and Elisa Balsamo of Lidl-Trek, who finished third.

The race saw Marianne Vos win the intermediate sprint at Groeneweg, earning her the green jersey. A mass crash in the peloton with 69 km to go involved several riders, though none suffered severe injuries.

Kool expressed her elation after the race, stating, “It’s unbelievable, it’s a dream coming true. It was not an easy season, but this is where it is all about… It was really hectic, but I like it. So, I kept on thinking – I like hectic, I like chaos. I went so early and I thought it’s too long and it hurt so bad, but it was enough in the end, so no words.”