Thrilling Bunch Sprint and Courageous Climbs: Recap of the Tour de France Femmes Stage 3

The third stage of the Tour de France Femmes unfolded with a challenging 147km road from Collonges-la-Rouge to Montignac-Lascaux, featuring five categorized climbs. Unlike the previous stages, this day was set for the first bunch sprint of the race, promising excitement and high-speed action.

Right from the start, attacks were launched with 11 QOM points up for grabs throughout the stage. Amidst the flurry of moves, Katrin Hammes from EF Education-TIBCO-SVB stood out as the solo breakaway rider, taking the lead after just 4km of racing. The German rider impressively built her advantage to two minutes, leading the way over early climbs like the Côte du Peyroux and Côte du Pératel.

As the peloton approached the Côte de L’Escurotte, Hammes continued her impressive performance, amassing seven QOM points and securing the second spot in the classification. However, the peloton eventually reeled her back in at the 82km mark.

With the breakaway neutralized, the attacks resumed with riders like Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek), Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ceratizit-WNT), and Alena Amialiusik (UAE Team ADQ) making attempts to break free. Despite their efforts, nothing stuck until Julie Van de Velde (Fenix-Deceuninck) took a flyer 59km from the finish.

Van de Velde managed to establish a 30-second lead to the peloton and further extended her advantage over the final climbs of the day – the Côte des Andrieux and Côte de Saint-Robert – earning four QOM points and snatching the polka dot jersey.

The solo attack by Van de Velde kept the peloton on their toes, but with sprinters’ teams like SD Worx, Team dsm-firmenich, and Jumbo-Visma controlling the pace, a bunch sprint seemed inevitable. However, the relentless Van de Velde continued to fight, holding a 35-second lead entering the final 5km.

As the kilometers ticked down, the sprint squads closed the gap, and with just 300 meters to go, the catch was made. The stage was now set for a thrilling sprint finish between Lorena Wiebes and Marianne Vos, who launched off the front of the peloton to contend for victory.

In a spectacular display of speed and determination, Wiebes emerged victorious, crediting her teammate Lotte Kopecky for an excellent lead-out. With the breakaway still ahead with 1km to go, the team strategically waited and executed their sprint to perfection, securing a fantastic win.

Despite being caught just meters from the line, Julie Van de Velde showed immense courage and tenacity throughout the stage, ultimately claiming the polka dot jersey. Her attacking spirit and impressive performance on the climbs earned her the much-deserved honor.

In the general classification, Lotte Kopecky extended her lead, now enjoying a 55-second advantage over the second-placed Liane Lippert. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio retained her position in third, now trailing by 1 minute and 5 seconds.

As the third stage concluded, the Tour de France Femmes continued to deliver intense racing, showcasing the grit and talent of the women cyclists. With more challenging days ahead, the battle for the overall victory remained wide open, promising more excitement and drama in the days to come.