Mauritian cyclist Kim Le Court-Pienaar made history on Wednesday by becoming the first African rider to win a stage at the Tour de France Femmes, crossing the finish line first in Stage 5 of the 2025 edition. The 29-year-old’s triumph also saw her reclaim the prestigious yellow jersey, awarded to the overall race leader. Stage 5, the longest leg of this year’s Tour at 166 km, ended in a high-speed sprint in Normandy, where Le Court outpaced top contenders, including Demi Vollering of the Netherlands and Poland’s Katarzyna Niewiadoma.
“It’s really been a dream start to the Tour. The stage win, the yellow jersey—I wasn’t even thinking about it when we started in Brittany,” Le Court told reporters. Born and raised in Mauritius, Le Court began cycling inspired by her family. Despite early promise, the road to the European professional circuit was steep. After moving to Europe in 2015, she struggled to adjust to the pace and lacked financial backing, eventually returning to Africa where she found her stride in South African mountain biking events.
In 2024, she signed with the Belgian team AG Insurance–Soudal, marking a turning point. That same year, she became the first African to win a stage in the Giro d’Italia Donne, laying the groundwork for her current Tour success. “I’m super hungry for more and for new beginnings,” said Le Court, now aiming to compete for the overall Tour victory—a goal she’s targeting for the first time.
The 2025 Tour de France Femmes features 9 stages spanning 1,165 km with 17.2 km of elevation gain. Riders will race through France’s most demanding terrain before the champion is crowned on Sunday. “As for what happens next, we’ll see,” Le Court added. “I still don’t know my limits in the mountains.” Her win has sparked excitement across the African cycling community and is being hailed as a breakthrough moment for the continent in elite women’s cycling.
