Reusser times it perfectly to win stage 5 in Switzerland

Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team) gave the home crowd a victory to celebrate, attacking in the final kilometres to win stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse Women 2026. The Swiss star timed her move to perfection, emerging from a select group that had formed on the day's major climb to take a solo win.

Behind her, Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) won the sprint for second place ahead of Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (CANYON//SRAM), with both riders crossing the line seven seconds in arrears. Niewiadoma-Phinney's explosive attack on the final climb had created the decisive selection and set the scene for the tense finale.

The 128 km stage began with an early breakaway featuring Nina Buijsman (Human Powered Health) and Julie De Wilde (Fenix-Premier Tech). The peloton kept their advantage pegged at around two minutes before the race ignited on the day's main category 2 climb.

As the breakaway was neutralised on the climb, Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) set a punishing pace that created a select group of favourites. From this group, Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney launched a blistering attack, cresting the summit alone with a significant gap.

On the descent and run-in, a chase group containing Marlen Reusser and Cédrine Kerbaol worked to bring her back. With the gap falling inside the final 5 km, Reusser launched her winning counter-attack, bridging across to a tiring Niewiadoma-Phinney before powering away for a solo victory.

• Marlen Reusser's stage was a tactical masterclass. She conserved energy by letting others animate the race on the climb, then launched a single, perfectly-timed attack in the finale.
• Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney's attack on the climb was the defining move of the stage. While she was caught, it proved her excellent form and forced a reaction from all the contenders.
• The final climb established a clear hierarchy, with the chase group containing the main GC contenders. Any rider who missed that split lost significant time.
• Cédrine Kerbaol's second place was a strong confirmation of her versatility. She stayed with the favourites on the climb and still had the speed to win the sprint for second.