The China Mail - Veteran Vos takes Tour de France yellow after Wiebes stage win

Three-time former world champion Vos, 38, moved six seconds ahead of Mauritius' Kim Le Court in the general classification after a flat 163.5km ride from La Gacilly to Angers in western France.

France's Olympic cross-country champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot completed the top three, 12 seconds behind, with last year's Tour winner Katarzyna Niewiadoma fourth.

One-day expert Vos has made an impressive start to this year's edition of the Tour, having won Saturday's opening stage in Vannes.

Despite her incredible list of achievements, including 2012's Olympic gold, the women's Giro d'Italia and countless Classic success, she has yet to win the Tour, but wore the yellow jersey in 2022 for five days.

The end of the stage on the banks of the Loire river, best known for wine production, was marred by a crash as pre-stage favourite Demi Vollering fell.

Vollering, who finished second overall last year, remains fifth in the overall standings despite the incident.

After the crash, two-time former European champions Wiebes, 26, held on to secure her fourth Tour stage win, adding to her 15 success so far this season.

Tuesday's fourth of nine stages on the fourth edition of the women's Tour is another flat ride, stretching 130.7km south from Saumur, also on the Loire river, to Poitiers.

C.Fong--ThChM