Lorena Wiebes has no one on the finish photo and wins stage 3 of Burgos

Stage 3 of the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas 2024 offered an sprint finish in a 122-kilometer route from Roa de Duero to Melgar de Fernamental, was mostly flat, making it a prime stage for the sprinters. Lorena Wiebes had the time to sit up straight, look behind for her competitors and had even time to make heart, and bow and arrow signs.

How the race unfolded

From the start, the stage was marked by high tempo and numerous attempts to break away from the peloton. However, with the flat profile of the stage, these attempts were mostly short-lived as the sprinters’ teams were eager to keep everything under control for a mass sprint finish. Teams like SD Worx, Lidl-Trek, and Canyon//SRAM were particularly vigilant, ensuring their top sprinters were well-positioned for the final kilometers.

But after Beatrice Pozzobon tried to attack that didn’t last for long, Simone Boillard thought it was time to attack and broke from the bunch. Soon Canyon//Sram’s Neve Bradbury joined her, followed by Movistar Sara Martin, Eva van Agt of Visma Leas a Bike and and Antri Christoforou of Cogeas Roland.

The 5 riders in the lead got over 2 minutes from the peloton in the flat terrains just west of Burgos before Team SD Worx-Protime decided to bring the 5 back into the bunch. First the Cyprus rider Christoforou was dropped on a non-categorized climb and the four continued.

As the race progressed, the peloton maintained a steady pace, with the major teams taking turns at the front to control the tempo. The intermediate sprints and minor climbs did little to shake the peloton, which stayed largely intact. Teams used this opportunity to test their strategies and protect their leaders from any potential mishaps. Marlen Reusser and Marie Schreiber took turns to bring the gap back to under a minute to the leaders. In the final 5 kilometers, the 4 riders were caught and now the organization for the sprint would start.

Crash in the Final

With 1,7km to go a massive crash in the peloton as one rider in the front of the peloton crashed, taking about 20 riders down with her. The screaming of the hurt riders cut through the bone. Medical teams were quick to respond, and we hope all the riders involved are okay. Such incidents remind us of the inherent risks in cycling, emphasizing the need for safety measures and support for the athletes.

But the peloton doesn’t wait for anyone and powered through toards the finish line.

Final Kilometer

The final kilometer saw Team SD Worx-Protime leading the charge, setting up a perfect lead-out for their star sprinter, Lorena Wiebes. The approach to the finish line was straightforward, with a left-hand corner followed by a right-hand turn before the final straight. As the peloton rounded the final corner, the sprint trains kicked into high gear.

Wiebes launched her sprint with 100 meters to go, showcasing her explosive power and leaving her competitors behind. Maike Van Der Duin of Canyon//SRAM was in her wheel but couldn’t match Wiebes’ speed. Clara Copponi from Lidl-Trek also made a strong push but had to settle for second place, with Van Der Duin taking third. Wiebes had time to look back and raise her arms in victory as she crossed the finish line

Post-Race Reactions

In her post-race interview, Lorena Wiebes expressed her joy at the win and praised her team for their flawless execution. ” I’m really happy, especially because the team did a lot of work today. They were all day chasing the breakaway and controlling it. And yeah, the girls did really good. And then I had a really nice lead out still from the girls. For us it’s most important to defend the GC with Demi. And Demi showed that she is really strong. And we really work as a team here. And I’m looking forward to help the team tomorrow.” Wiebes said.

Her win on Stage 3 added another impressive result to her palmarès and solidified her position as one of the top sprinters in the world.

Clara Copponi, who finished second, also shared her thoughts, highlighting the high level of competition and the importance of team strategy in the sprint stages. “It was a tough sprint, and everyone was very strong today. I’m happy with my performance and grateful for my team’s support,” Copponi remarked.

GC Leader Demi Vollering: ”Tomorrow is a totally different day again. It will be a hard day, I think, and it’s always tricky to keep controlling the bunch. Also today, the peloton was really trying to go out with attacking a lot of times in the beginning. And then this group came out, and then really early we started to control already. So yeah, the girls, Marlon, Marie and Femke did a really good job with keeping the speed high in front. And yeah, that made that Lorena could sprint here for the win, and that was really nice.

For tomorrow I think there’s still a lot of riders who can be dangerous. Also, we need to pay attention that no big riders go out in a breakaway, because it’s a tricky day tomorrow. My key point is, of course, to do a good climb. And then you have a pretty long downhill towards the finish. Also to do a good downhill, of course.”

With this stage primarily favoring the sprinters, the general classification standings saw minimal changes. Demi Vollering of SD Worx retained her lead in the GC, supported by her consistent performances in the earlier stages. The final stage, with its challenging climbs, was expected to be the decisive factor for the overall standings