Race favorite Demi Vollering won a three-way sprint for stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes on Wednesday as Marlen Reusser held a slender 12-second overall lead on the day's winner.

Former champion Kasia Niewiadoma sprinted first as Reusser refused to attack, but a determined Vollering overtook the fading Pole at the line. Niewiadoma, however, is now third at 1 minute 17 seconds despite missing out on a first stage win.

Demi Vollering Wins Three-Way Sprint

"I somehow made it. I think it was a relief after the finish line," Vollering said of the cat-and-mouse finale.

The Dutchwoman was already looking to the days ahead.

"Marlen has not won a Tour de France Femmes yet, and she will have to work for it. I'm sure it will be a hard battle, because she is not the rider who you can beat easily, because she is very strong," she said of the Swiss overall leader.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's title defense took another battering over eight hills through the Beaujolais region.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot Loses More Time

The slightly built French climber dropped more than two minutes in Tuesday's time trial and another 2 minutes 35 seconds on Wednesday's stage 5, seriously damaging her hopes.

"There's no hiding from it, it's too much to get back by the look of it," said Ferrand-Prévot, who has one last roll of the dice in the high mountains.

"But I'm above all glad I got the time trial behind me and my Tour de France Femmes starts now, I'll give it everything," she said.

A less punishing rolling hill roster awaits the peloton Thursday, while Friday's monster climb of Mont Ventoux should clarify who takes the 2026 title when the Tour de France Femmes concludes on the Promenade des Anglais in Riviera city Nice on Sunday.