Race report stage 7 Tour de France Femmes Ghekiere wins stage 7 in polkadot jersey
The 2024 Tour de Romandie Féminin concluded after three stages held across the stunning but demanding Swiss terrain, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) emerged as the overall winner, capitalizing on consistency and team strength throughout the three days of racing. Just days after the Olympic races and Tour de France Femmes riders made their way to France to continue to race in their ‘normal’ season. After France Switserland was the backdrop for the Tour de Romandie. With only the Simac Ladies Tour in the Netherlands and the two Chinese races ahead of them where sprinters and break away riders have the better chance, for the climbers it is the last chances to show themselves this season.
Stage 1: La Grande Béroche to Lausanne (133.8 km)
The first stage saw aggressive racing from the outset, with multiple breakaway attempts in the first half of the race. However, the key moment came in the final 30 kilometers as the riders approached Lausanne, with Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) taking the stage win in a two-up sprint against Lotte Kopecky. Balsamo’s victory was a result of both her tactical savvy and her team’s hard work. In the final meters, Balsamo out-sprinted Kopecky to secure her fifth victory of the season.
Balsamo reflected on the chaotic finish and her team’s strategy: “We strongly sought out and wanted this victory. It was a great team success. We looked for it and wanted it. I am very, very happy.”
The final 30 kilometers were filled with uncertainty, but Balsamo and her Lidl-Trek team remained composed: “The sprint was anything but a foregone conclusion today. We had talked about it in the meeting and knew it could be an option but, we were ready for all scenarios. A lot depended on how the final climb would be done. The team believed in me so much and created a golden opportunity for me. My teammates did very well in a tough finish.”
Stage 1 Results:
Stage 2: Chippis to Vercorin (104.8 km)
Stage 2, the queen stage of the race, featured the brutal mountaintop finish in Vercorin, which was expected to shape the general classification. SD Worx-Protime dominated the day, with Demi Vollering taking the win in a sprint against her teammate, Lotte Kopecky* The SD Worx riders broke away from the field in the final kilometers after responding to an attack by Gaia Realini (Lidl-Trek). Vollering’s win secured her a valuable time gap in the overall standings, while Kopecky’s second-place finish kept her in the leader’s jersey.
Vollering shared her thoughts on the final climb and sprint: “It was very close. I thought I had already dropped Lotte, but suddenly she came alongside me. Fortunately, I was able to time my jump perfectly and win this stage.”
SD Worx-Protime sports manager, Danny Stam, was impressed by his team’s performance: “This was an impressive ride from our team. We knew that the final climb suited Demi Vollering very well. In the end, five riders remained, three of them from our team. Then it was time to try to make the difference ourselves in the last part of the climb.”
Kopecky, who led the general classification after the stage, acknowledged her progress as a climber: “Climbing is still a voyage of discovery for me. Every long climb I do now in a race is discovering how far I will get and what I can do.”
Stage 2 Results:
Stage 3: Morges to Morges (144.2 km)
The final stage was filled with drama as Riejanne Markus (Visma-Lease a Bike) launched an early attack alongside Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx-Protime) with 60 kilometers to go. The duo managed to stay ahead of the peloton, building a four-minute gap. In the sprint to the finish, Markus proved to be the strongest, securing a remarkable stage victory. Behind them, Kopecky safely finished in the group, securing her overall victory in the 2024 edition of the Tour de Romandie Féminin.
Markus expressed her joy after the race: “This victory makes me very happy. I knew there were chances on this hilly course and that with my gap in the general classification, there were opportunities to get in the breakaway. I felt strong all day today, and then it’s very nice that I can finish it in the end. The Tour de France Femmes did not turn out the way I had hoped. In addition, I also fell sick. That I then finally get to triumph here gives me a lot of confidence.”
Stage 3 Results:
General Classification: Lotte Kopecky’s Triumph
Lotte Kopecky’s overall victory in the 2024 Tour de Romandie Féminin was the result of her consistent performances across all three stages. She excelled both in the sprints and on the climbs, showing her versatility. Teammate Demi Vollering finished second overall, while Gaia Realini completed the podium in third.
Final General Classification:
Next up on the Women’s WorldTour Calendar is the Simac Ladies Tour in The Netherlands which starts on October the 8th and finishes on October 13.