The sprinters are pumped for Monday! The Tour de France Femmes shifts to high speed on Monday as Stage 3 rolls from the village of La Gacilly to the city of Angers. Following two hilly days in Brittany, this 162-km stretch promises a long-awaited opening for the sprinters — and their lead-out trains — to finally take control.
It’s not a day without some lumps: the profile includes more than 1,300 mof elevation gain, though it comes mostly in the form of long drags and shallow rollers. The only categorized climb, the Côte de Richardière, appears early at 34 km offering little to discourage the sprinter-heavy teams from chasing a bunch finish.
As the race heads east, the landscape flattens toward the banks of the Loire. The route passes through Châteaubriant before hitting wider roads well-suited to high speeds and tight formations.
The finish in Angers sets the scene for a fast and furious finale. With the first true sprint opportunity of the Tour on offer, expect aggressive positioning and a full out drag race in the final km.
Lorena Wiebes and Elisa Balsamo are among the names to watch, with other contenders like Ally Wollaston and Amalie Dideriksen also capable of capitalizing if the finish gets messy. You know who may also be in the mix? Ceratizit’s Sarah Van Dam. She’s been having lots of big results in sprint finishes this year. Maybe Monday she can get another awesome result at the biggest race in the world? As always, look for Alison Jackson (EF Education Oatly) in her new national champions kit, to have a go in the finale.
Stage 2 saw Mavi Garcia take an amazing solo win Sunday, with Kim Le Court making history, becoming the first African in the TdFF to wear yellow.
You can watch Stage 3 on Flobikes.com. Afterwards, check back here on Canadian Cycling Magazine for a report. Allez!
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