May 3, 2023
Marianne Vos Is The Red Queen Of The Wind
La Roda, May 3rd 2023 – The third stage of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es could not have been faster, nor more spectacular. The race finished 40 minutes ahead of the fastest schedule as the wind blew hard over the riders and teams like Movistar, Jumbo-Visma and DSM took advantage of it to smash the peloton down to pieces. Current GC leader Marianne Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma) was the strongest at the finish line in La Roda, defeating Charlotte Kool (Team DSM) and Chloe Dygert (Canyon//SRAM Racing) to claim her first individual stage win in this race and further increase her GC lead on the aforementioned Dygert up to 13”. Fireworks might continue tomorrow, as the stage between Cuenca and Guadalajara is hillier, yet equally exposed to the wind.
158 riders took the start in the 3rd stage of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es, which covered 157,8 kilometres between Elche de la Sierra and La Roda, at 12:40. No meaningful moves happened in the first 60 kilometres of the stage as a strong wind blew held the cyclists back. It was after the passage through Pozohondo (km 60,8) that crosswinds appeared and Movistar Team took the helm at the peloton and tore it down to pieces.
Echelons caught Trek-Segafredo, Jayco-AlUla off guard
Movistar Team quickly found an ally in the Jumbo-Visma team to marshal the 60-strong group at the head of the race. Jayco-AlUla’s Kristen Faulkner and Trek-Segafredo’s Amanda Spratt and Gaia Realini found themselves in the wrong end of the split, forcing their teams to take responsibility in the chasing group. The gap between both groups grew quickly and was clocked at 58” in Albacete (km 93,8). As the front group rode out of the city, Team DSM accelerated and created a second split, leaving just 35 riders at the front. UAE Team ADQ’s Silvia Persico was the main casualty of this new skirmish, while Liv Racing-TeqFind’s Mavi Garcia had to fight tooth and nail to bridge back after being caught out in the first moments of the split.
A new impulsion after the intermediate sprint
After some kilometres of steady riding, Jumbo-Visma’s Marianne Vos led the front group through the intermediate sprint in Barrax (IS, km 136,3) as Persico’s group trailed 25” behind and Trek’s group was further back, at 1’30”. A new change of direction of the road meant crosswinds reappeared, and an acceleration in the front group saw Jayco-AlUla’s Ane Santesteban and Canyon//SRAM’s Ricarda Bauernfeind, amongst others, get dropped and caught by Persico’s group. With 5 kilometres to go, the second group had fallen out of contention as the gap had increased well beyond one minute. All was set for a sprint finish between the front riders. Canyon//SRAM’s Katarzyna Niewiadoma led it out for Vos to triumph in the finish line. Persico’s group final damage was 1’32”, while the loss of Trek’s group was as much as 2’41”.
STAGE RESULT 3
- Marianne Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma) in 3h27’38’’
- Charlotte Kool (Team DSM) at 0’’
- Chloe Dygert (Canyon//SRAM Racing) at 0’’
GC
- Marianne Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma) in 6h26’46’’
- Chloe Dygert (Canyon//SRAM Racing) at 13’’
- Riejanne Markus (Team Jumbo-Visma) at 14’’
