De Vries rushes to fourth place in time trial and retains third place in Tour de l’Ardèche classification
# De Vries Secures Fourth Place in Time Trial, Maintains Third in Tour de l’Ardèche Standings
In the picturesque setting of Vals-les-Bains, France, riders faced an intense time trial stretching over twenty kilometers during the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche. Femke de Vries, starting second to last as the third-ranked rider in the classification, showcased her endurance by completing the course in a commendable 28 minutes and 44 seconds. This performance placed her fourth for the day, yielding only to Mischa Bredewold, Monica Trinca Colonel, and Maeva Squiban.
Reflecting on her race, De Vries expressed satisfaction, stating, “I can definitely be satisfied with this.” She discussed her initial struggle to find her rhythm, particularly on the climbs, but credited her sports director, Jos van Emden, for encouraging her to maintain a strong pace. “At the end, I still had a lot of power left to race as fast as possible to the finish. All in all, I’m happy with how it went,” she added.
As for her overall standings, de Vries retained her position in third place in the general classification, with teammates Viktória Chladoňová (ranked seventh) and Marion Bunel (tenth) also performing well for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. “We have a good position for the coming days. Tomorrow’s stage suits us well, so we’re going to make the most of it. I think there’s even more possible than we’ve shown so far,” she concluded, hinting at a strong strategy for the upcoming stages.
### Stage 4 Time Trial Results
1. **Mischa Bredewold** (Team SD Worx – Protime) – 00:28:18
2. **Maeva Squiban** (UAE Team ADQ) – +00:00:13
3. **Monica Trinca Colonel** (Liv AlUla Jayco) – +00:00:22
4. **Femke de Vries** (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:00:26
### General Classification Standings
1. **Mischa Bredewold** (Team SD Worx – Protime) – 06:50:00
2. **Maeva Squiban** (UAE Team ADQ) – +00:00:26
3. **Femke de Vries** (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:00:32
7. **Viktória Chladoňová** (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:01:08
10. **Marion Bunel** (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:01:28
As the tour progresses, all eyes will be on De Vries and her team as they look to capitalize on their current standing and possibly secure a podium finish.
