Le Court becomes first African woman to win Tour de France stage

Mauritian rider Kim Le Court-Pienaar was first over the line on the fifth stage of the Tour de France Femmes on Wednesday, becoming the first African victor in the world’s biggest cycling race.

With the success, 29-year-old Le Court also retakes the yellow jersey, signifying that she is the overall leader in the race.

The 166 km stage – the longest in this year’s edition - ended in a sprint royal between some of the Tour’s biggest favourites, including Dutchwoman Demi Vollering and Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma.

"It's really been a dream start to the Tour. The stage win, the yellow jersey," Le Court said, "I wasn't even thinking about it when we started in Brittany".

Le Court began cycling from an early age in Mauritius, inspired by her parents and older brother. Yet, coming from a tiny island state in Africa, the dream of turning pro in Europe, for a long time, seemed distant.

"I came to Europe in 2015-16, and it was honestly extremely hard for me. My teammates now still laugh about my results back then," she told BBC Sport Africa.

Le Court’s stay in Europe was short-lived after financial difficulties and the lack of support structures took their toll. She moved back to Africa, where she rediscovered her form in South Africa and a newfound fondness for mountain bike racing.

Yet the dream of elite road racing never fully subsided. She secured a contract with the Belgian team AG Insurance–Soudal for 2024 and got her first big break when she became the first African to win a stage in the Giro d'Italia Donne in July that year.  

"I'm super hungry for more and for new beginnings," Le Court said.

The Tour de France Femme 2025 will be the first time the Mauritian aims to win the overall classification in a stage race.

"As for what happens next, we'll see, since I don't know my limits in the mountains, she said.

Cyclists in this year's Tour will ride a record-breaking 1165 km with 17,2 km elevation gain during the 9 stages before an overall winner is crowned on Sunday.