Marlen Reusser (Movistar) started the Tour de Suisse Women as the defending champion, wearing the bib number 1. Still, after an injury-marred spring, the Swiss star was cautious about her chances: She had just returned to racing at the Giro d’Italia Women but overestimated her form after two months out, losing more than 14 minutes on the final stage. Nevertheless, Reusser wanted to honour her home race.
“We said, like, ‘yeah, let's do it, it's Tour de Suisse and you never know’. And then, on the second day, when Elisa Longo suddenly got so much more time because we went the wrong way, I was thinking, it's almost impossible,” Reusser explained her state of mind.
She turned things around on the stage 4 ITT, taking the yellow jersey off Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) by ten seconds, and the final stage around Villars-sur-Ollon saw Reusser back at her best. This time, it was Longo Borghini who suffered in the heat, losing more than nine minutes while Reusser was in the front group and won the stage, confirming her third Tour de Suisse Women overall victory after 2023 and 2025.
Completing the comeback after fracturing a vertebra in the Tour of Flanders in early April, this victory is extra special for Reusser because it was unexpected.
“The other years, I came here knowing I’m in super good shape. This time, I knew I have quite some problems. We did a lot of work on my physical problems after the Giro, and I think it worked well. I mean, I still felt my back quite a lot in the end today, but my legs were pedalling way better. The same people that could drop me easily in the Giro, now I was dropping them. I’m really, really, really happy about that development,” she said.
Looking ahead to the Tour de France Femmes from 1 to 9 August, Reusser now sees herself on a good trajectory.
“When we look to the Tour, it gives me back some confidence. After the Giro, I didn’t feel super optimistic. I could see why all of this was, but it still doesn’t make you feel great. So the step I could make since then is super nice,” said Reusser before stepping onto the podium to receive the yellow jersey and the race winner’s trophy, with her sport director Kelvin Dekker fulfilling a promise by dressing up as the mascot of the yellow jersey sponsor and joining his rider on the podium.
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