Lorena Wiebes expresses gratitude to her teammates for their relentless effort,, as she clinches the sprint victory at the Tour de France Femmes, having chased for the entire day.
After the withdrawal of Lotte Kopecky, SD Worx-Protime has revised their tactics in the Tour de France Femmes, shifting focus away from general classification (GC) ambitions and emphasizing stage wins and sprint opportunities. This change was particularly evident in the performance of Lorena Wiebes, who clinched stage 3 of the race.
Prioritizing Sprint Opportunities
With Kopecky out, Wiebes focused on exploiting intermediate sprints and stage finishes to score points and stage wins. This strategy was on full display during stage 3, where Wiebes contested the intermediate sprint in Vern-d'Anjou against Marianne Vos, ultimately taking the green jersey from Vos after the sprint. Wiebes' sprint skills have a higher priority due to the changed plans of SD Worx-Protime.
Balancing Aggressive Racing with Energy Conservation
The team's revised tactics also involved foregoing GC ambitions and focusing on energy conservation for the mountain stages. This was evident in their decision not to chase all-day breakaways for GC positioning during stage 3. Instead, they worked all day to keep the breakaway in check, saving energy for critical stages.
Despite this change in focus, SD Worx-Protime remained aggressive in the race. Riders like Demi Vollering remained active in chase efforts and attacks, keeping the team in the mix without expending excessive energy on GC defense. Anna van der Breggen, who is still positioned in seventh place overall, 21 seconds behind the leader Marianne Vos, also played a crucial role in this balanced approach.
Looking Ahead
Lorena Wiebes did not feel extra pressure during stage 3 of the Tour de France Femmes. She thanked her teammates for their support in bringing her into a position to take the win. Looking forward, Wiebes is looking forward to another sprint on stage 4.
In the overall standings, Marianne Vos has won the green jersey in the Tour de France Femmes in 2022 and 2024. However, with Wiebes leading the points classification with 130 points, compared to Vos' 112 points, the battle for the green jersey is far from over.
SD Worx-Protime's revised tactics have proven successful so far, and the team, described by Wiebes as feeling like a family, will undoubtedly continue to push for more stage victories and sprint points in the remaining stages of the Tour de France Femmes.
With Kopecky's departure, Wiebes focuses on utilizing sprint opportunities to secure stage wins and points, as demonstrated in her victory on stage 3. The team's new strategy balances aggressive racing with energy conservation, exemplified by their approach during stage 3, where they saved energy for critical stages without abandoning their competitive spirit.
