Reusser Flies Into Yellow With A Sensational Aarburg Time Trial As Longo Borghini Loses The Lead
Marlen Reusser reminded everyone why she is the world time-trial champion, scorching the 23.7km Aarburg course to win Stage 4 of the Tour de Suisse Women and ride into the overall lead with one stage remaining. On home roads and in front of a partisan Swiss crowd, the Movistar rider was in a class of her own against the clock, overturning her overnight deficit to Elisa Longo Borghini and pulling on the yellow jersey.
Reusser had started the day trailing Longo Borghini but always looked the favourite for a flat, technical test perfectly suited to her engine. She delivered, posting a time that none of the GC contenders could approach and turning a small overnight gap into a meaningful advantage. Longo Borghini fought hard for UAE Team ADQ but conceded over a minute on the stage, dropping to second overall at 10 seconds.
The podium behind the winner underlined how specialist the day was. Young Briton Zoe Backstedt confirmed her growing time-trial pedigree with second on the stage, while Loes Adegeest rounded out the top three on a course where pure power was rewarded over climbing legs.
The general classification was significantly reshuffled. With Reusser and Longo Borghini separated by just 10 seconds, the race for the overall title is poised on a knife edge. Cedrine Kerbaol climbed to third at 1:20, with Sarah Van Dam fourth and stage 1 winner De Vries fifth, as the time trial sorted the contenders from the pretenders before the decisive mountain stage.
It was a difficult afternoon for some of the pre-race favourites. Kasia Niewiadoma lost 1:46 to Reusser, a result that leaves the Canyon-SRAM climber needing a major performance on the final stage if she is to fight for the overall. The gaps mean the queen stage will decide everything, with the climbers forced to attack from distance to claw back the seconds the time-triallists have banked.
For Reusser, the win is a statement of intent in a season where she has balanced road and time-trial ambitions. Holding a slender lead over a rider of Longo Borghini's calibre on a summit-finish day will be a stern examination, but the Swiss star has put herself in pole position to win her home tour and add another marquee result to a glittering year.