Marlen Reusser won the 5th stage and her third Tour de Suisse Women with an attack in the finale
Marlen Reusser concluded the 2026 Tour de Suisse Women in the most convincing possible way: by winning the 5th stage in Villars-sur-Ollon and taking the overall classification of the Swiss stage race. According to the officially published race results and data from the specialized ProCyclingStats database, the Movistar rider completed the final 100.4-kilometre section in 3:07:20, after a decisive attack in the final kilometre. Cédrine Kerbaol of EF Education-Oatly was second, and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney of Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto was third; both reached the finish seven seconds behind the winner. Reusser thereby confirmed the yellow jersey, recorded her second stage victory in two days and claimed the third overall Tour de Suisse Women title of her career. The available results and historical overview also show that this was Reusser’s third overall victory in this race and her second consecutive one, following her triumph in 2025.
The final stage was ridden on 21 June 2026 around Villars-sur-Ollon, an Alpine destination in the canton of Vaud, on a route that had been announced from the beginning as the key test for the overall standings. In its calendar, the UCI lists the race as a 2.WWT-category event within the UCI Women’s WorldTour, which means it is one of the most important multi-day races in international women’s road cycling. The 2026 Tour de Suisse Women was held from 17 to 21 June, and the five-stage edition aimed to bring the women’s race closer to the format and visibility of the men’s Tour de Suisse. According to information from the organizers and race reports, the finish in Villars-sur-Ollon was the mountain culmination of the week, with more than 3000 metres of climbing and the final ascent toward the finish. It was precisely on that section that Reusser showed she could defend her lead not only in the time trial, but also on demanding terrain where attacks from rivals were expected.
The final kilometre decided the battle for the stage victory
According to Cyclingnews’ report from the final stage, Reusser made the key move after Kerbaol and Niewiadoma-Phinney tried to take the initiative in the finale. The Polish rider had attacked earlier on the final climb, and Reusser managed to stay with her in the hardest part of the ascent toward the finish. Kerbaol returned to the leading group in the final kilometre after being distanced, but that comeback was not enough to turn the race around. When the pace briefly dropped, Reusser attacked from behind and separated herself from both rivals. She held the advantage to the finish line and achieved a victory with double value: it brought her stage success and confirmed her overall victory in the general classification.
The dynamics of the stage were more complex than the finale alone. Cyclingnews states that the section around Villars-sur-Ollon included several major climbs, including the Col de la Croix, and that by the middle of the stage a selective situation had already formed in which only the strongest contenders for the top of the overall standings remained. Megan Arens of Picnic PostNL stood out in the early phase, after which Franziska Koch of FDJ United-SUEZ launched a solo break and built a significant advantage. Movistar worked for Reusser in the key moments, while Liane Lippert and Sara Martín helped control the pace when the main group began to break apart. After attacks and tempo on the long climb reduced the number of favourites, the race gradually became a showdown between Reusser, Niewiadoma-Phinney, Kerbaol and the most resilient climbers.
The situation in the overall standings also played an important role in the final part of the stage. Niewiadoma-Phinney had to look for time to move up to a higher position, Kerbaol was defending second place, and Reusser could ride more patiently tactically because she entered the stage as the leader. According to the race report, Reusser emphasized after the finish that she could take advantage of the balance of power in the general classification and the fact that other competitors had to assume a larger share of responsibility. This was especially visible when Niewiadoma-Phinney worked at the front of the group, trying at the same time to threaten Kerbaol and keep distance from the chasers. Reusser turned that development of the race into an advantage and timed her final blow at the moment when her rivals had already spent much of their energy.
The overall classification was decided after a turnaround over the final two days
Reusser’s overall victory was not only the result of the final attack in Villars-sur-Ollon. The key turnaround happened the previous day, in the 4th stage, the individual time trial in Aarburg. According to Cyclingnews’ report, Reusser then won on the 23.7-kilometre course with a time of 29:36 and took the lead in the overall standings. Zoe Bäckstedt of Canyon//SRAM was 11 seconds behind, while Loes Adegeest finished third, with a larger deficit, and the previous leader Elisa Longo Borghini failed to retain the yellow jersey. Ahead of the final mountain stage, Reusser had a ten-second advantage over the Italian, which made the final day open and tactically demanding.
The context of her return toward the top is additionally interesting because of the events from the 2nd stage in Locarno. Cyclingnews reported that Reusser and Niewiadoma-Phinney then lost precious time after missing a turn in the finale, while in full pursuit of Elisa Longo Borghini. Longo Borghini won that stage with a solo attack and took the lead in the overall standings, while Reusser and Niewiadoma-Phinney had to make up the deficit in the rest of the race. This detail shows how much Reusser’s final triumph was the result of a gradual return to contention, and not just one dominant ride. After the mistake in the 2nd stage, victory in the time trial and control of the final mountain stage shaped one of the race’s most important turnarounds.
In the final classification, according to ProCyclingStats, Reusser finished ahead of Kerbaol, who was 1:31 behind, and Niewiadoma-Phinney, who completed the race with a deficit of 2:02. Kim Le Court-Pienaar of AG Insurance-Soudal was fourth, and Femke de Vries of Visma | Lease a Bike was fifth. Elisa Longo Borghini, who after the 2nd stage looked like one of the main contenders for overall victory, finished lower in the standings after a difficult day in the mountains. Such an outcome confirms that the final stage had real selective power and was not merely a formality for the leading rider. The race, especially over the final two days, rewarded a combination of time-trial strength, mountain endurance and tactical calm.
Results of the 5th stage and final classifications
According to the available results, the final stage of the 2026 Tour de Suisse Women had the following top of the standings:
- 1. Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team) – 3:07:20
- 2. Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) – +0:07
- 3. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto) – +0:07
- 4. Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) – +0:37
- 5. Femke de Vries (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +1:01
In the overall classification, Reusser finished as the winner, Kerbaol took second place, and Niewiadoma-Phinney third. According to Cyclingnews’ report, Reusser won the points classification in addition to the yellow jersey, while Kerbaol finished as the best young rider. The mountains classification was won by Femke de Vries, and the team classification went to AG Insurance-Soudal. Such a distribution of jerseys shows that the race had several parallel battles, although the attention on the final day was focused on Reusser’s defence of the overall lead. It is particularly important that Reusser, traditionally recognized for her exceptional strength in the time trial, reached victory in Villars-sur-Ollon on terrain that required both prolonged climbing and explosiveness in the finale itself.
The Tour de Suisse Women received the strongest possible ending
The UCI lists the 2026 Tour de Suisse Women as a top-level stage race in women’s road cycling, and this year’s format further emphasized its sporting weight. According to information from Cyclingnews, the 2026 edition brought a new schedule in which the men’s and women’s races were held during the same five days, with similar host locations and stronger programme integration. Such a model increases the visibility of women’s cycling and allows the audience to follow two races in the same week with clear sporting logic. According to published information, the organizers based the concept on greater interaction with the public, circuit stages and an emphasized Swiss identity of the race. The finish in Villars-sur-Ollon fit into that idea because it brought an Alpine scenario in which the overall classification and stage victory were decided directly on the road.
The sporting significance of Reusser’s victory goes beyond the fact that she won in Switzerland. After the time trial in Aarburg and the mountain stage in Villars-sur-Ollon, she showed the profile of a rider who can dominate in different conditions. This is especially important in the context of the rest of the season, because after the Swiss race the women’s WorldTour calendar continues toward the biggest summer challenges, including the Tour de France Femmes. In its post-race analysis, Cyclingnews assessed that Reusser’s third title at the Tour de Suisse Women brings a new level of confidence ahead of the next major goals. Although one result does not guarantee continued form, the way she controlled the final two days shows that Movistar has one of the most stable contenders for stage races in the current part of the season.
For Kerbaol and Niewiadoma-Phinney, the final stage also had great value. Kerbaol confirmed second place in the overall standings and the white jersey, while her return to the leading group in the final kilometre showed her resilience in the hardest part of the race. Niewiadoma-Phinney tried to change the standings with aggressive riding, which contributed to the attractiveness of the finale and forced Reusser to remain fully concentrated until the very end. Kim Le Court-Pienaar further strengthened her status after returning to racing rhythm, and Femke de Vries, winner of the first stage and the mountains classification, confirmed that she did not mark the race with only one surprise at the opening. For that reason, the 2026 Tour de Suisse Women cannot be reduced only to Reusser’s victory, but also to the broader picture of a race in which several riders had clearly recognizable moments.
Reusser confirmed her status as one of the key riders in stage races
The third overall title at the Tour de Suisse Women places Reusser among the most successful riders in the short but increasingly important modern history of that race. Cyclingnews recalls that the Tour de Suisse Women in its modern form was launched in 2021, that it has been part of the Women’s WorldTour since 2023, and that Reusser had already won the race before. In the 2026 edition, her victory carried additional weight because it came after a variable start, time lost in the 2nd stage and great pressure on the final mountain section. Unlike a clean scenario in which the leading rider merely defends an acquired advantage, Reusser had to respond to attacks in the finale and conclude the race herself with an attack. Such an outcome gave the victory a more convincing sporting framework.
For Movistar, the final day in Villars-sur-Ollon confirmed that the team successfully handled the most important moments of the race. Although Reusser had to respond on her own to the moves of her rivals in the finale, the earlier work of her teammates helped ensure that the selection happened at a moment that suited the leading rider. According to reports from the stage, Movistar’s tempo and later attacks by other teams broke up the main group before the final decision. Reusser then combined patience, positioning and finishing strength, which proved decisive in the battle for the stage victory. Thus the 2026 Tour de Suisse Women ended with an image that best summarizes the entire race: the leading rider did not merely survive the mountain test, but turned it into confirmation of her own superiority.
Sources:
- UCI – official calendar and race status of the 2026 Tour de Suisse Women in the 2.WWT category of the UCI Women’s WorldTour (link)
- Tour de Suisse – official results page and race organizer information (link)
- Cyclingnews – report from stage 5, race course, final attack and context of Marlen Reusser’s overall victory (link)
- Cyclingnews – overview of the 2026 Tour de Suisse Women, dates, format, route and historical context (link)
- Cyclingnews – report from stage 4 and the time trial in Aarburg, in which Reusser took the lead in the overall standings (link)
- ProCyclingStats – results of stage 5 and final overall classification of the 2026 Tour de Suisse Women (link)