Don’t Look Back In Angers: Wiebes Sprints To Stage Three Win At Tour De France Femmes

Lorena Wiebes is wide known arsenic nan champion sprinter successful women’s cycling and nan Dutch rider did not disappoint connected shape 3 of nan Tour de France Femmes, coming from heavy to roar past her rivals and pip Marianne Vos astatine nan decorativeness statement successful Angers.

Wiebes’ triumph capped a chaotic past fewer kilometres, pinch dozens of riders caught up successful a dense clang connected a constrictive bend. The 2023 Tour winner, Demi Vollering, seen arsenic 1 of nan favourites for wide classification this year, went down difficult and had to beryllium helped backmost connected her motorcycle by her FDJ-Suez teammates, earlier gingerly rolling complete nan decorativeness statement to enactment successful nan race. Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) was different who looked hurt, though nary of nan affected riders will suffer clip successful nan GC standings arsenic nan clang occurred little than 5 kilometres earlier nan extremity of nan stage.

Wiebes had been disappointed to miss retired connected a imaginable sprint triumph connected Sunday aft Mavi García’s well-judged breakaway, but nan European champion made nary correction connected Monday arsenic Wiebes bided her clip earlier roaring past her rivals connected nan location straight, earlier finishing pinch excessively overmuch gait for her trailing compatriot, Marianne Vos.

Vos had to settee for 2nd spot down but reclaimed nan yellowish jersey aft narrowly losing it to Kim Le Court aft shape two. “It was very hectic, very fast,” Vos said of nan finish. “Of course, everyone was fighting for position and I deliberation erstwhile we went correct connected to nan stream location was a large clang down me. I dream everyone is well.”

Vos, 38, is now six seconds up of Mauritius’ Le Court successful nan wide classification aft nan level 163.5km thrust from La Gacilly to Angers. France’s Olympic cross-country champion, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, completed nan apical three, 12 seconds behind, pinch past year’s Tour winner, Katarzyna Niewiadoma, fourth. Vollering remains 5th successful nan GC standings but faces a short model of betterment aft her clang earlier Tuesday’s 4th stage, different level shape from Saumur to Poitiers.