Lorena Wiebes powered to victory on stage three of the Tour of Britain Women, outsprinting Charlotte Kool in Warrington.
The SD-Worx Protime rider was the comfortable winner, with the time to sit up and celebrate as she pipped her dsm-firmenich PostNL rival to the line.
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) finished in the peloton behind, ensuring she continues in the race lead. The world champion gave the final turn in Wiebes leadout to ensure that she had the perfect place to sprint from. Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco) finished in third.
One more stage, a lumpy day to Leigh, awaits.
"The team did a really good job today," Wiebes said post-stage. "Elena [Cecchini] and Chantal [van den Broek-Blaak] were chasing all day. The pressure was on from the team car, so we had to finish it off today. In the leadout, it was a really great job, it was a fast one. I'm happy to win.
"We were in the middle in the run-in, and we had to fight for our position. Christine [Majerus] took the last corner first, as we planned. Then Barbara [Guarischi] took over, then Lotte, and it was only 200m to go. I started my sprint then.
"It's really a team effort, and that makes this sport really nice. It's good to finish it off when the team work hard for it. We like to work for each other, we went for Lotte on GC here, and then worked for me too.
Wiebes has now won four stages in England this year, after she won every stage and the overall at RideLondon last month; she clearly likes the roads.
"In '22 it was also quite successful," she said. "It's nice racing here. The roads are a bit different, I don't know why, but it feels different here. A lot of bumps in the road. I like it here, and it goes good."
How it happened
There was always going to be a fierce battle to get into the breakaway on stage three, with many of the Continental teams seeing it as their last opportunity to make an impact on the race.
As a result, attacks came from the gun. In the fast start, Alice McWilliam (Hess) suffered an unfortunate crash, which forced her out of the race.
With 103km to go, Jo Tindley (Pro-Noctis–200° Coffee-Hargreaves Contracting) attacked, joined by Madelaine Leech (Lifeplus Wahoo). This pair would form the day's decisive move.
Among those attempting to also make the break were Caoimhe O'Brien (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK), and Amelia Tyler (Alba Development Road Team), but the duo's attempt fixxled out with 96km to go.
The next to chase the two leaders was Lucy Lee (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK), as Tindley and Leech's advantage stretched to well beyond a minute. With 86km to go, Tindley and Leech had two minutes, with Lee a further 41 seconds behind this.
SD Worx-Protime and dsm-firmenich PostNL maintained the small gap, keeping the break in check, ensuring that it would be a sprint finish in Warrington. However, at times, the advantage did grow to almost four minutes.
Leech won the third-category sprint for points atop Pexhill, before Caitlin Dimbleby (Alba Development Road Team) forged off the front of the peloton, in an attempt to catch Lee, then the duo out front.
The Lifeplus Wahoo rider in the break, Leech, then suffered a mechanical after her front mech was broken riding over a pothole. A bike change ensured that she was unable to continue at the front of the race.
With 41km to go, Tindley still had two minutes on the peloton, with the trio remaining in between her and the peloton.
Leech, Dimbleby and Lee were caught with 29km to go, while Tindley was still out front. She was not caught until 12km to go. Valerie Demey (VolkerWessels) attempted to attack, but was not allowed any room by the SD Worx-led peloton.
Into the final 5km, and it looked well-set for a leadout for Lorena Wiebes by SD Worx, and so it proved, with Christine Majerus leading into the final corner, setting up things perfectly for the Dutchwoman.
Wiebes opened up her sprint with 200m to go, and eased off the front, out-powering Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNl) and Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco).
Results
Tour of Britain Women 2024 stage three: Warrington > Warrington (106.8km)
1. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, in 2:44:42
2. Charlotte Kool (Ned) dsm-firmenich PostNL
3. Georgia Baker (Aus) Liv AlUla Jayco
4. Rachele Barbieri (Ita) dsm-firmenich PostNL
5. Flora Perkins (GBr) Great Britain
6. Marjolein van 't Geloof (Ned) Hess
7. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime
8. Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Liv ALUla Jayco
9. Roxane Fournier (Fra) St Michel-Mavic-Auber93
10. Alicia González (Esp) Lifeplus Wahoo, all at same time
General Classification after stage three
1. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime, in 10:25:49
2. Anna Henderson (GBr) Great Britain, +17s
3. Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Liv ALUla Jayco, +34s
4. Pfeiffer Georgi (GBr) dsm-firmenich PostNL, +38s
5. Eline Jansen (Ned) Volker Wessels, +43s
6. Lizzie Deignan (GBr) Great Britain Cycling team, +43s
7. Christine Majerus (Ned) SD Worx-Protime
8. Victorie Guilman (Fra) St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93, all at same time
9. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) Liv ALUla Jayco, +3:00
10. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx, +4:19
