Lorena Wiebes secures victory in a fierce sprint at Tour de France Femmes Stage 3; Kim Le Court and Demi Vollering suffer misfortune due to a late-race collision.
In a thrilling finish, Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) claimed victory in Stage 3 of the Tour de France Femmes, held on July 28. The 163.5-kilometer route from La Gacilly to Angers featured a technical finish with roundabouts and a railroad crossing in the last 6 kilometers.
Wiebes outpaced Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez) in a chaotic final, securing her first stage win of the race. Vos put up a valiant fight, but it wasn't enough to unseat Wiebes from the top spot.
The stage began with a breakaway consisting of Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly), Clémence Latimier (Arkea-B&B Hotels), Sara Martín (Movistar), and Catalina Soto (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi). However, their advantage was short-lived, as SD Worx-Protime took up the chase and reeled them in with 6 kilometers to go.
The race took a dramatic turn when a mass crash occurred with 3.7 kilometers remaining. Among the riders involved were Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez), Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), and Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco). Due to the crash occurring within the 5-kilometer safety zone, all affected riders, including Vollering, received the same time as the front group, avoiding time loss on the general classification.
Despite the crash, Wiebes' teammate Lotte Kopecky piloted her onto the finishing straight in the reduced group. Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) made a late bid for victory, but it was Kopecky who led out Wiebes for the sprint finish.
The crash had a significant impact on the race's classification leaders. Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) lost the yellow jersey due to being caught behind the crash and thus losing time. Lorena Wiebes' win propelled her to the top of the points classification, while Elise Chabbey (AG Insurance-Soudal) retained the polka-dot jersey for the mountains classification. Julie Bego continues to lead the youth classification.
Marianne Vos' second-place finish and bonus seconds allowed her to reclaim the overall lead, now holding a six-second advantage over Le Court. Vos also leads by 12 seconds ahead of her teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.
Looking ahead to Stage 4, Lorena Wiebes will carry the momentum of her win into the next leg of the race. The exact extent of Demi Vollering's injuries remains to be confirmed, but she was visibly in pain after the crash. The race continues to be closely contested, with each stage promising exciting action and unpredictable outcomes.
Sports aficionados witnessed an intense race as Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) claimed victory in Stage 3 of the Tour de France Femmes, a competition that has been marked by tight battles and unexpected twists. Despite a chaotic final, Wiebes managed to outpace competitors Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez), securing her first stage win of the race.
