Key events
135km to go: The average speed has been rapid today: the attackers have covered 42.4km in the first hour of the stage. The gap to the peloton has increased to 4min.
137km to go: If, like me, you were confused by Moolman-Pasio – who is third placed in the points classification – wearing the green jersey today, here is a handy explainer from official website of the Tour as to why that is:
“Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) leads the points standings (125 pts) but she wears the Maillot Jaune. Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) is 2nd (100 pts) but her European champion jersey prevails. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), 3rd in the standings (79 pts), thus wears the green jersey today.”
Well, there we go.
140km to go: Here’s a look at who is in that 14-person breakaway. The gap is now up to 3min to the peloton. They have a long stretch of flat before hitting a category-four climb at 84.9km.
🏁150 KM
1️⃣4️⃣🚴♀️< 50″ <🚴♀️🚴♀️🚴♀️🚗
🇪🇸Sheyla Gutierrez
🇱🇺Christina Majerus
🇺🇸Coryn Labecki
🇳🇱Lucinda Brand
🇩🇪Kathrin Hammes
🇳🇱Thalita De Jong
🇳🇱Jeanne Korevaar
🇩🇪Romy Kasper
🇳🇱Yara Kastelijn
🇧🇪Marthe Truyen
🇳🇱Anouska Koster
🇫🇷Célia Le Mouel
🇫🇷Audrey Cordon-Ragot
🇮🇹Alice Arzuffi… pic.twitter.com/uLbJ3ew4Sl— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 26, 2023
145km to go: A strong breakaway group, including the likes of Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Human Powered Health), Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek), Christine Majerus (SD Worx), Coryn Labecki (Jumbo-Visma) and Koster have been caught by the chasing group. The front group has grown to around 14 riders as a result. They have a decent 1min 40sec gap now and it’s increasing.
157km to go: Koster did fancy the QOM points – she’s bagged herself two. Kathrin Hammes (EF Education-Tibco-SVB) takes 1pt on the Col de Crayssac. A group of 14 riders have attacked and have 10sec on the bunch. The peloton follows behind with a 15sec gap.
160km to go: Blimey, the peloton aren’t holding back. They’ve set off at a rapid pace even though it’s a long day ahead for them. Christie has been caught on the Col de Crayssac and the counter-attacks are coming in thick and fast. According to the race radio, there is a group of about 10 riders with a small gap to the bunch.
163km to go: Henrietta Christie (Human Powered Health) is off the front and has a 10sec gap as she heads up the first climb of the day, the Col de Crayssac (2.3km at 4.8%). Anouska Koster (Uno-X) has started chasing. Is she after the QOM points?
Who’s in what jersey?
166km to go: Lotte Kopecky remains in the maillot jeune, while Julia van de Velde is in the polka-dot jersey. She was denied the stage three win by Lorena Wiebes, but she bagged herself a jersey with a fantastic effort.
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Yellow: Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) 11hr 07min 19sec
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Green: Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Soudal-Quickstep)
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Polka-dot: Julie Van de Velde (Fenix-Deceuninck)
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White: Cedrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT)
The top 10 on General Classification
167km to go: Ahead of today’s stage, this is how the GC ranking looked:
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Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) 7hr 17min 36sec
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Liane Lippert (Movistar) +49sec
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Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Soudal-Quickstep) +59sec
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Demi Vollering (SD Worx) + 59sec
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Cecile Ludwig (FDJ-Suez) +59sec
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Tamara Dronova (Israel Premier Tech Roland) +59sec
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Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) +59sec
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Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) +59sec
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Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram) +59sec
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Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Jayco ALUla) +1min 03sec
Wiebes overhauls Van de Velde to win Tour de France Femmes stage three
170km to go: While the riders settle in for a long day in the saddle, let’s catch up on yesterday’s stage and who is wearing what jersey. My colleague, Jeremy Whittle wrote this stage two report:
Lotte Kopecky, of Team SD Worx, retained the overall lead in the Tour de France Femmes, after her teammate Lorena Wiebes sprinted to victory in stage three from Collonges-la-Rouge to Montignac-Lascaux in the Dordogne.
Wiebes, winner of two stages in last year’s race, took her third success in the Tour after a last-gasp chase reeled in the day’s solo breakaway, Julie Van de Velde, of the Fenix-Deceuninck team.
Racing has begun on stage four
177km to go: Welcome to the longest stage of the eight-day Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023. The 146 riders are off! Here’s a start line selfie to kick off what is going to be a pretty brutal day…
Stage four: Cahors to Rodez (177.5km)
After yesterday’s flat stage (advertised as such officially but actually had five categorised climbs en route), today’s stage is a very hilly one. The 177.5km route begins in the picturesque town of Cahors – home to the Unesco world heritage site-classified Valentré Bridge – and ends in Rodez, taking in five categorised climbs on the way.
Stage three was one for the sprinters, but today’s parcours is quite different: there are a multitude of tough climbs in the Massif Central and it’s the longest stage the riders will face in this year’s Tour de France Femmes. It could be a pivotal day for the GC contenders.
⚡An up-and-down finish and a ramp towards Rodez that should suit the most explosive riders of the peloton!
⚡Un final sans un mètre de plat et une rampe en direction de Rodez qui devrait sourire aux coureuses les plus explosives !
💛#TDFF2023 | #WatchTheFemmes | @GoZwift pic.twitter.com/tO6tqn4fkD
— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 26, 2023
