De Vries concludes Tour de l’Ardèche in second place, Bunel wins youth classification

# De Vries Clinches Second Place at Tour de l’Ardèche, Bunel Triumphs in Youth Classification

In a thrilling conclusion to the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche, Femke de Vries secured a commendable second place overall, while teammate Marion Bunel celebrated victory in the youth classification. The final stage presented a formidable challenge with five categorized climbs, testing the riders’ endurance and strategy.

De Vries entered the stage with a 30-second lead over her closest rival, Trinca Colonel from Liv AlUla Jayco, following an outstanding team performance on Saturday. However, during the steep final climb, Trinca Colonel unleashed an attack that De Vries and Bunel struggled to counter, ultimately allowing the Italian to distance herself by a full minute. De Vries and Bunel crossed the finish line in fourth and fifth places respectively, maintaining their positions at second and fourth in the overall rankings.

Reflecting on the race, De Vries expressed mixed feelings: “I was impressed by how everyone committed to the plan. I went into this stage feeling very confident. I had a nice thirty-second lead and actually expected to be able to stay with her (Trinca Colonel). On the climb, she rode so fast that I had to let her go. I rode well myself, but she was just stronger today.” Still, she concluded that the team had experienced a “superb week,” demonstrating their potential for future victories.

Sports director Jos van Emden praised De Vries, highlighting her significant progress in the competition. “Of course we would have liked to win the classification, but Trinca Colonel was clearly the best today. Femke can be very satisfied with what she has shown this week. She has taken a big step forward and will now realize that she can also win races.”

With Bunel’s stage victory, as well as her achievements in the youth classification and overall standings, Team Visma | Lease a Bike returns home positively. “It was a good week for us. Of course, some things went wrong, but if you look purely at the results, we can certainly be satisfied,” concluded Van Emden.

Overall results from Stage 6 show:

1. Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco) – 02:35:43
2. Évita Muzic (FDJ – SUEZ) – +00:00:58
3. Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) – +00:00:58
4. Femke de Vries (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:01:04
5. Marion Bunel (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:01:25

And the final overall ranking:

1. Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco) – 13:16:49
2. Femke de Vries (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:00:34
3. Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) – +00:00:59
4. Marion Bunel (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:01:51

As the competition concludes, the team looks forward to future races with newfound confidence and determination.