Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes sprinted to victory in Tuesday’s third stage of the Women’s Tour de France, with Belgian teammate Lotte Kopecky holding onto the leader’s yellow jersey.
Team SD Worx’s Wiebes crossed the line in Dordogne ahead of compatriot Marianne Vos and Kopecky for her 10th win of the season.
Wiebes took advantage of the work of her teammates as the peloton caught Julie van de Velde on the wire, after the Belgian broke clear with 58km to go before being reeled in 250m, from the line.
Photo: AFP
The Flemish climber was the main protagonist of the stage. After her attack on the Cote des Andrieux, she widened the gap of 2 minutes, 30 seconds 30km from Montignac. Her lead forced the peloton to react in the final straight, at the initiative of Team DSM-Firmenich’s Dutch sprinter Charlotte Kool and France’s Juliette Labous, a podium hopeful after her recent second place at the Women’s Giro d’Italia.
However, Kool, finally seventh, could do nothing against the power of Wiebes, expertly led to 50m by Kopecky.
“I really was perfectly set up by Lotte: It’s an honor to have the yellow jersey as a pilot fish [domestique],” Wiebes said.
After Kopecky’s victory on Sunday in Clermont-Ferrand, it was a second success for SD Worx, whose team leader Demi Vollering shares the status of race favorite with compatriot and defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten. The two women crossed the line at the same time within the peloton.
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