Frenzied Final Sprint of Tour de France Femmes Stage 3: Lorena Wiebes Emerges Victorious, With Kim Le Court and Demi Vollering Involved in Late-Game Crash
In a thrilling conclusion to Stage 3 of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes, a dramatic crash occurred with just 3.7 kilometres remaining near Angers, as the road narrowed, causing multiple riders to crash[1][3]. Among the affected riders was GC favourite Demi Vollering from FDJ-SUEZ, who suffered multiple contusions with pain in her knees, glutes, and back[1][2].
Despite the setback, Vollering was cleared to race Stage 4 following thorough medical examinations and a second concussion protocol, and was supported to the finish line by her teammates[1][2]. Vollering's team has criticised the peloton's lack of respect and safety behaviour contributing to the crash[1][4].
Meanwhile, Lorena Wiebes of SD Worx-Protime emerged victorious, launching her sprint at the 200-metre sign, with Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) on her wheel. Vos managed to hold on to Wiebes' wheel until the finish line, settling for second place[2].
The stage began with a breakaway of four riders consisting of Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly), Clémence Latimier (Arkea-B&B Hotels), Sara Martín (Movistar), and Catalina Soto (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) that was established within the first 15 kilometres[1]. Despite attempts by Martín and Jackson, Soto managed to jump clear 8 kilometres from the line, but was eventually caught with 6 kilometres to go[1].
Other notable performances included Kim Le Court-Pienaar's (AG Insurance-Soudal) loss of the yellow jersey after not contesting the final sprint due to a late-race crash. Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) made a long sprint with 450 metres to go, but it was Wiebes who took the stage win[2].
The breakaway's advantage maxed out at 4:45 minutes before SD Worx-Protime started the chase, eventually reducing the gap to 49 seconds at the 20-kilometre mark[1]. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) did not start stage 3 due to a gastrointestinal infection[1].
Looking ahead, Lorena Wiebes is looking forward to stage 4 of the Tour de France Femmes[1]. As for the General Classification (GC), the sources do not provide explicit updated rankings or time gaps post-Stage 3. However, given Vollering did not lose time due to the crash being in the final kilometres, it can be inferred that significant GC shifts were limited immediately after Stage 3[2]. For the latest GC leaderboard or further injury updates on other riders, official race communications or live race coverage would provide the most current data.
References:
- Cycling News. (2025). Tour de France Femmes: Stage 3 - Live Updates. [online] Available at: https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-femmes-2025/stage-3/live-coverage/
- Velonews. (2025). Tour de France Femmes: Lorena Wiebes wins Stage 3, Demi Vollering survives crash. [online] Available at: https://velonews.com/races/tour-de-france-femmes/lorena-wiebes-wins-stage-3-demi-vollering-survives-crash/
- Cycling Weekly. (2025). Tour de France Femmes: Stage 3 - Live Updates. [online] Available at: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/races/tour-de-france-femmes-2025/stage-3/live-updates
- CyclingTips. (2025). Tour de France Femmes: FDJ-Suez team critical of peloton's safety behaviour after Demi Vollering crash. [online] Available at: https://cyclingtips.com/2025/06/tour-de-france-femmes-fdj-suez-team-critical-of-pelotons-safety-behaviour-after-demi-vollering-crash/
Sports enthusiasts will undeniably be excited about the continuing drama in the 2025 Tour de France Femmes, as GC favorite Demi Vollering heads into Stage 4 despite her harrowing crash in Stage 3. Despite the setback, Vollering's determination remains unwavering, proving once again that sports are not just about physical prowess, but also mental fortitude.
