Tour de France Femmes: Marianne Vos takes opening stage vitory

Dutch cyclist Marianne Vos won the first stage of the Tour de France Femmes for her 258th career victory.

She overtook Visma-Lease a Bike team-mate Pauline Ferrand-Prevot in the final metres of the 78.8km route, which began in Vannes and ended with a climb on the Cote de Cadoudal in Plumelec.

Vos then outpaced Mauritian Kim Le Court-Pienaar to win the stage with Frenchwoman Ferrand-Prevot finishing in third.

The 38-year-old said to take the yellow jersey was “really special”, and added: “It’s the Tour de France, it’s the first day, you really can’t describe what it means.”

Defending champion Katarzyna Niewiadoma Phinney finished the day in fourth place.

Swiss rider Marlen Reusser, who was expected to be among the challengers following her runner-up finishes at the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta, abandoned the race with stomach problems following a crash at the foot of the Cote de Cadoudal.

Sunday’s second stage takes in a 110.4km route from Brest to Quimper.