Charlotte Kool Retains Yellow Jersey in Thrilling Second Stage Victory

Charlotte Kool secured her position as the leader by winning the second stage of the Women's Tour de France, beating fellow Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes and passing Olympic silver medallist Marianne Vos. Kool now leads by 14 seconds over Anniina Ahtosalo, with Wiebes third.

Charlotte Kool beat fellow Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes on the line Tuesday to defend her leader's yellow jersey in the second stage of the Women's Tour de France. Racing for the DSM-Firmenich PostNL team, Kool notched her second win out of two stages, completing the race in 1 hour, 32 minutes, and 49 seconds. Olympic road race silver medallist Marianne Vos finished third.

'Today, I had a really good sprint in my legs,' Kool said.

The first of two stages Tuesday covered 69.7 kilometers (43.3 miles) from Dordrecht to Rotterdam, traversing flat Dutch landscapes and historic windmills. Kool initially secured her leader's yellow jersey by winning Monday's opening stage in The Hague. She now leads the general standings by 14 seconds over Finland's Anniina Ahtosalo, with Wiebes in third. Defending champion Demi Vollering trails by 20 seconds.

Following Tuesday's initial stage, riders faced a 6.3-kilometer individual time trial around Rotterdam. The tour starts in the Netherlands, heading south into Belgium, and concludes Aug. 18 at the iconic Alpe d'Huez.