Lorena Wiebes expresses heartfelt gratitude for her teammates, acknowledging their relentless pursuit in her victory during the Tour de France Femmes sprint competition.
SD Worx-Protime Shifts Focus, Lorena Wiebes Shines in Tour de France Femmes
In a strategic move, SD Worx-Protime has abandoned their ambitions for the general classification (GC) in the 2022 Tour de France Femmes, instead focusing on securing stage victories for their sprinter, Lorena Wiebes. This change in strategy has proven successful, with Wiebes dominating the flat stages and setting a record for most stage wins since the Tour de France Femmes' revival.
The team's strategy revolves around prioritizing Wiebes in the flat sprint stages. They deliver strong leadouts, as demonstrated in Stage 3 where Lotte Kopecky led Wiebes out for a powerful final sprint. The team also works tirelessly to control the peloton on sprint stages, setting Wiebes up for the finish, especially in technical or chaotic finishes.
This approach led Wiebes to win Stage 3, her third victory in the Tour de France Femmes. She also secured a significant advantage in the points classification, with 130 points, surpassing Marianne Vos' 112 points. Wiebes is now the leader in the green jersey competition.
Wiebes thanked her teammates for their support in bringing her into a position to take the win. She expressed concern for her teammates who chased a break of four riders for over 100km during the stage. Despite the hard work, Wiebes feels a sense of responsibility to finish off the team's efforts to avoid disappointing them.
Anna van der Breggen, another SD Worx-Protime rider, is positioned in seventh place overall, 21 seconds behind the overall leader, Marianne Vos. Vos took the yellow jersey after the stage due to accumulated time bonuses.
Wiebes is looking forward to another sprint on stage 4. She knows that she wasn't initially expected to have sprint opportunities in this Tour, but every opportunity she gets now is nice for her. She also contested the intermediate sprint in Vern-d'Anjou along with Vos, securing 13 points for herself while Vos gained no points.
Vos has won the Tour de France Femmes green jersey in 2022 and 2024. However, Wiebes is determined not to give away points to Vos in the points classification. This determination, coupled with the team's strategic focus on her sprinting prowess, makes Wiebes a formidable contender for the green jersey.
SD Worx-Protime's decision to change their plans to focus on stage victories instead of contending for the general classification has paid off. With Wiebes' dominance in the sprint stages, the team has secured multiple stage victories and is poised for more success in the remaining stages of the Tour de France Femmes.
[1] Tour de France Femmes: Lorena Wiebes wins stage three [2] Lorena Wiebes claims third victory in Tour de France Femmes [3] Tour de France Femmes: Wiebes wins again as SD Worx-Protime shine [4] SD Worx-Protime change plans to focus on stage victories in Tour de France Femmes
In light of SD Worx-Protime's redefined strategy, focusing on securing stage victories for their sprinter Lorena Wiebes, it's reasonable to expect more success in the coming stages of the Tour de France Femmes, as Wiebes already secured her third victory in the event.
The team's dedication to delivering strong leadouts and controlling the peloton on sprint stages has positioned Wiebes as a formidable contender for additional stage victories in the Tour de France Femmes, adding to her lead in the points classification.
