Lorena Wiebes sprints to victory in Tour de France Femmes Stage 3

It was heartbreak for solo breakaway Julie Van de Velde in Tuesday’s third stage of the second Tour de France Femmes, caught with 300 metres to go after 57 kilometres out front. In the bunch sprint, European champion Lorena Wiebes of SD Worx beat Marianne Vos for the day’s flowers. It was SD Worx’s second stage triumph. Third place Lotte Kopecky stayed in yellow. Simone Boilard was the top Canadian in 22nd.

The Course

Five small climbs awaited the peloton: two groups of two sixty kilometers apart and one in between. The final 10 km were pancake flat. There was more rain on Tuesday.

What does today's stage look like? ?

✅ 147 kilometers
✅ Around 1850 altitude meters
✅ 5 categorised climbs
✅ Neutralised start at 13:20 (CET)
✅ Finish expected around 17:20 (CET)#TDFF2023 pic.twitter.com/3ViAVEJZFV

— Domestique (@Domestique___) July 25, 2023

Initially, there was a solo fugitive, German Kathrin Hammes of EF Education-TIBCO-SVB, who threw her casquette in the QOM ring by taking the maximum points atop Côte du Peyroux and Côte du Pératel. The woman in the red polka dots, Yara Kastelijn, took one point too. While Hammes flew her flag, the occasional rider would pop out from the peloton but get reeled back in. Hammes edged closer to Kastelijn by topping the middle climb first, but she was captured soon after.

Resplendent in yellow, Kopecky pulled the peloton towards the second set of twin climbs, Côte des Andrieux and Côte de Saint-Robert.

? The Yellow Jersey herself pacing at the front of the peloton!

? La porteuse du @MaillotjauneLCL en personne, @LotteKopecky, emmène le peloton !#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/yB3xlArW2l

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 25, 2023

Julie Van de Velde, who was in the QOM mix on Monday, dashed away and plucked the points on both climbs to clamber over Kastelijn and wear the polka dots at the end of the day. The Belgian from Fenix-Deceuninck started rolling up a decent gap as the day’s intermediate sprint drew closer.

With Van de Velde still 1:30 up the road and 24 km to go, attacks started to flare out from the field and Canyon-SRAM took up the pace-making from DSM-Firmenich. Van de Velde reached the flat concluding roads with a 30-second lead.

The colour blocks formed as DSM-Firmenich returned to the front of the peloton. But Van de Velde was giving ferocious resistance. At the red kite, the Belgian’s gap was only 12 seconds.

They caught Van de Velde with 300 metres to go. Kopecky led out Wiebes, who went hard on the left hand side while Marianne Vos took the right side.

Wednesday is the longest stage of the second edition. Three climbs are packed into the final 40 km and there’s a sharp rise to the line in Rodez.

2023 Tour de France Femmes Stage 3
1) Lorena Wiebes (The Netherlands/SD Worx-Protime) 3:49:47
2) Marianne Vos (The Netherlands/Jumbo-Visma) s.t.
3) Lotte Kopecky (Belgium/SD Worx-Protime) s.t.
22) Simone Boilard (Canada/St Michel–Mavic–Auber93) +0:02
43) Alison Jackson (Canada/EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) s.t.
71) Olivia Baril (Canada/UAE Team ADQ) s.t.
81) Magdeleine Vallieres (Canada/EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) s.t
92) Sara Poidevin (Canada/EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) s.t.
93) Clara Emond (Canada/Arkéa) s.t.

2023 Tour de France Femmes GC
1) Lotte Kopecky (Belgium/SD Worx-Protime) 11:07:19
2) Liane Lippert (Germany/Movistar) +0:55
3) Ashleigh Moolman (South Africa/AG-Soudal Quick-Step) +1:05