Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal) calmly leans her bright yellow bike against the roadside barriers and lowers herself to the hot pavement. Silently, stoically, the leader of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift takes some deep breaths as the media circus starts to descend.
Just to her right, two of her teammates arrive on the scene: Justine Ghekiere and Sarah Gigante. The two climbers embrace briefly as the sun beats down in Chambéry. Where Le Court-Pienaar is calm and composed, Ghekiere is breathing heavily and almost seems to be in a panic. The pair ask after their leader how she got on, and then Ghekiere is off.
The Belgian champion hands her bike to a team soigneur and lowers herself to sit on the ground too, a few paces away from Le Court-Pienaar. And then Ghekiere is lying on the ground, eyes closed, recovering from a monster day in the break.
Gigante slams down a small vial of ketones then some tart cherry juice; Le Court-Pienaar is sipping on a can of Fanta. And then SBS TV is on the spot, asking Gigante about a remarkable stage 7 for AG Insurance-Soudal.
Did we do a good job with this story?
