Scarlett Souren delivered the Netherlands its first victory of this year’s Tour de l’Avenir Femmes, winning the bunch sprint in Vitry-en-Charollais at the end of stage 2. The VolkerWessels rider showed speed and composure in a finale made nervous by crashes, beating Federica Venturelli and Marie Schreiber to secure her biggest result to date.

The stage began aggressively, with repeated attacks as riders tried to avoid another mass sprint. Fleur Moors and Maud Oudeman were both involved in moves that briefly gained seconds but never broke the peloton’s grip. The most convincing attempt came from Julie Bego, the 2023 junior world champion, who managed to build a lead approaching two minutes. Her solo effort animated the middle of the stage but was inevitably shut down before the finish.

Once regrouped, the race headed into the flat approach to Vitry-en-Charollais. The sprint itself was chaotic, with a late crash disrupting the order, but Souren held her position and came around Great Britain’s Millie Couzens to open her sprint at just the right moment. Venturelli and Schreiber were left chasing in her wheel, while Moors still salvaged a fifth place.

It was an especially satisfying victory for Souren, who had fallen the previous day while contesting the sprint. “Yesterday I was really sad because I felt good and then I crashed,” she explained afterwards. “Today everything went well. I didn’t expect to win, so I’m super happy.” A bandage across her eyebrow bore testament to the crash, but she showed little sign of hesitation as she powered to the line.

Souren had originally come to the race aiming for the points classification, a goal that looked unlikely after her early setback. The win was therefore a form of redemption. “We already have a stage victory, but we’re still here to look for more,” she said, adding that she is still building towards the rider she wants to become. “I’d like to be a classics rider one day. My engine has to grow more, but I’m young so that can come later.”

The Dutchwoman also paid tribute to her teammates, who helped her stay positioned in the tense finale. “Their pace and attitude were excellent,” she said. “I owe them a lot.” She credited Great Britain’s lead-out as well, noting how she followed Couzens before launching her sprint.

For the overall standings there was no change, with Isabella Holmgren finishing safely in the bunch to keep her yellow jersey. Alexandra Volstad also placed inside the top 10 on stage 1 and remains well positioned, while Kiara Lylyk produced one of her best rides of the season to take ninth on the day. Holmgren continues to lead with a sizeable cushion thanks to her prologue win, and she looks secure at the top of the classification heading into stage 3.

2025 Tour de l’Avenir Femmes Stage 2 result

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