On Wednesday, August 5, 2026, Dutch rider Demi Vollering won the sprint finish against her two main rivals to take stage five of the Tour de France Femmes. The stage featured a challenging 140-km route from Macon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, including eight categorized climbs, which caused expected shifts in the general classification.

Switzerland's Marlen Reusser finished second in the stage, allowing her to hold on to the overall race lead. Reusser had secured the yellow jersey by winning Tuesday's individual time trial and currently leads Vollering by 12 seconds.

Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney of Canyon-SRAM made a strong move with 300 metres remaining in the stage and appeared poised to take the win. However, Vollering, riding for FDJ United-Suez, surged in pursuit and overtook her close to the finish line. Niewiadoma-Phinney moved up from sixth to third place overall, now one minute and 17 seconds behind Reusser.

Despite the demanding course and competition, the top two positions in the general classification remained unchanged following stage five.

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