For a long time it looked as if Julie van de Velde could win the third stage of the Tour de France Femmes as a soloist. But shortly before the finish she was caught, Lorena Wiebes won instead in the sprint.
Just won the mass sprint: Lorena Wiebes. IMAGO/frontalvision.com
Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes triumphed in a heart-stopping final on Tuesday at the third stage of the Tour des France Femmes. The 24-year-old from the SD Worx-Protime team crossed the finish line in Montignac-Lascaux after 147.2 kilometers in a mass sprint, just centimeters ahead of her compatriot Marianne Vos and the overall leader Lotte Kopecky.
Lippert 55 seconds behind
The German road bike champion Liane Lippert is still in second place overall. The 25-year-old reached the finish with the peloton and is now 55 seconds behind Kopecky, who was able to collect bonus seconds on Tuesday. Lippert’s teammate, defending champion and world champion Annemiek van Vleuten, is eighth in the overall standings, 1:05 minutes behind.
Lippert won the second stage on Monday and got the first German victory in the women’s Tour of France, which was launched in 2022. It was the first victory on the WorldTour for the woman from Friedrichshafen.
The Belgian Julie van de Velde, who broke away from the peloton early on and rode almost 60 kilometers alone in the lead, became a tragic figure on Tuesday. For a long time she had hopes of becoming a soloist, but on the home straight she was caught up by the field.
The longest stage awaits on Wednesday
Wednesday’s fourth stage takes the peloton 177.1km from Cahors to Rodez – the longest leg of this year’s Tour. Especially the final with several difficult climbs has it all. The second edition of the women’s tour ends next Sunday in Pau after eight stages through the southwest of France.
3. Stage Collonges-la-Rouge – Montignac-Lascaux (147.20 km):
1. Lorena Wiebes (Netherlands) – Team SD Worx 3:49:47 hours; 2. Marianne Vos (Netherlands) – Jumbo-Visma Women Team +0 sec; 3. Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) – Team SD Worx; 4. Chiara Consonni (Italy) – UAE Team ADQ; 5. Elisa Balsamo (Italy) – TFS; 6. Alexandra Manly (Australia) – Team Jayco AlUla; 7. Charlotte Kool (Netherlands) – Team DSM-Frmenich; 8. Susanne Andersen (Norway) – Uno-X Pro Cycling Team; 9. Soraya Paladin (Italy) – Canyon-SRAM Racing +2; 10. Julie De Wilde (Belgium) – Fenix-Deceuninck; … 31. Liane Lippert (Friedrichshafen) – Movistar Team; 44. Romy Kasper (Forst) – AG Insurance – SQS; 48. Ricarda Bauernfeind (Ansbach) – Canyon-SRAM Racing; 78. Clara Koppenburg (Friedrichshafen) – Cofidis Women Team; 82. Kathrin Hammes (Freiburg im Breisgau) – EF Education-Tibco-SVB; 127. Hannah Ludwig (Wittlich) – Uno-X Pro Cycling Team + 4:04 min.
Overall standings after the 3rd stage:
1. Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) – Team SD Worx 11:07:19 hours; 2. Liane Lippert (Friedrichshafen) – Movistar Team + 55 sec.; 3. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa) – AG Insurance – SQS + 1:05 mins; 4. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Poland) – Canyon-SRAM Racing; 5. Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) – TFS; 6. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Netherlands) – Movistar Team; 7. Tamara Dronova – Israel Premier Tech; 8. Demi Vollering (Netherlands) – Team SD Worx; 9. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Denmark) – FDJ – SUEZ; 10. Amanda Spratt (Australia) – TFS +1:09; … 18. Ricarda Bauernfeind (Ansbach) – Canyon SRAM Racing + 1:23; 34. Clara Koppenburg (Friedrichshafen) – Cofidis Women Team + 2:58; 43. Romy Kasper (Forst) – AG Insurance – SQS + 4:21; 62. Kathrin Hammes (Freiburg im Breisgau) – EF Education-Tibco-SVB + 7:32; 126. Hannah Ludwig (Wittlich) – Uno-X Pro Cycling Team + 27:30
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