After nine days of challenging action over a variety of terrain at the Tour de France Femmes, Team Picnic PostNL can proudly leave the race having won their first ever distinctive jersey at the event with their Women’s program; securing the white jersey with Nienke Vinke.
Navigating the tricky and treacherous opening stages Team Picnic PostNL put in some good performances, making trips to the podium twice with Franziska Koch as the most combative rider, while also taking top tens on different stages with Megan Jastrab, Pfeiffer Georgi and Rachele Barbieri.
Biding their time in the battle for the white jersey, Nienke Vinke headed into stage seven 22 seconds behind the current jersey wearer. After a strong performance from Vinke and the rest of the squad, that time gap was almost mirrored come the end of the stage as the Team Picnic PostNL rider took to the podium. The following day saw the queen stage of the race and a brutal summit finish atop the famous Col de la Madeleine. Despite a few challenging moments, true teamwork triumphed as after a swift change onto Jastrab’s bike, Vinke returned to the peloton with the help of Francesca Barale. Dropping her nearest white-jersey contender, Vinke was then paced by Koch all the way to the top of the Col de la Madeleine to secure her place in white even more.
Navigating a tough final stage that included the challenging Col de Joux-Plane, Vinke crossed the line in Châtel Les Portes du Soleil resplendent in the white jersey as the best young rider of the race, after being brilliantly supported by her teammates. Taking to the podium and raising her arms aloft with a broad smile across her face, Vinke and Team Picnic PostNL could celebrate an historic moment for their Women’s program.






