
Julie Van de Velde had never contemplated winning a stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift until Tuesday afternoon.
With 60km to go on day three, the Belgian peeled off the front of the peloton in search of mountains classification points, and almost lasted to the line. She rode alone under the flamme rouge, spurred on by the crowds down the finishing straight, before she was caught with 200m to go by a roaring SD Worx lead-out.