The Swiss powerhouse delivered a resounding statement in her first individual time trial in 20 months, clocking 12:51 on the sharp and technical 9.4km course from Villasana de Mena to Lezana de Mena — six seconds faster than Juliette Labous (FDJ-Suez) and eight ahead of Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ).
“Today was a nice one because I felt good, and also, this time trial here is really nice. It’s sharp, 9km, and it was really interesting with the technical aspect. It was hard, so it was a really nice comeback on the individual time trial,” Reusser said.
With two stage wins and a second-place finish, Reusser didn’t just win — she obliterated the field. Her final margin in the general classification was 1:47, a testament not only to her individual strength but to Movistar’s team cohesion.
“We came here with the idea that I could win the overall, but we couldn’t expect that it would be this clear, so of course we are super happy. I think I showed a nice shape, but the whole team did really great work,” Reusser said.
“Both in the race, but also today, I’m doing an individual time trial, but the preparation and support is a big team behind, they do a lot of things and do it so well, so I could really focus on my task.”
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Stage 4 recap: technical course, ruthless pace
The time trial course was anything but straightforward. Riders faced tight corners, bumpy tarmac, narrow roads, and a punchy 100 metres of elevation gain — a route that rewarded both power and technical precision.
Rebecca Koerner (Uno-X Mobility) set the first benchmark at 13:24 before Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-SRAM) dropped a scorching 13:05. That time held until Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) slipped in at 13:03. Then Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Uno-X Mobility), fresh off a stage 2 win, raised the stakes with 13:01 — only to be immediately dethroned by Labous, who dipped under 13 minutes with 12:57.
Longo Borghini came heartbreakingly close with 12:59, but Reusser, the final rider down the start ramp, was simply on another level.
🕒 Stage 4 – ITT results (9.4km)
- Marlen Reusser (Movistar) – 12:51
- Juliette Labous (FDJ-Suez) – 12:57 (+0:06)
- Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) – 12:59 (+0:08)
- Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Uno-X Mobility) – 13:01 (+0:10)
- Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) – 13:03 (+0:12)
🏁 Final General classification (GC)
- Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team) – 9h 25′ 40″
- Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) – +1′ 51″
- Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) – +1′ 58″
- Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) – +2′ 46″
- Juliette Labous (FDJ-Suez) – +2′ 47″
