Norwegian rider Sigrid Haugset won stage three of the Tour de France Femmes on August 3, breaking away solo for between 68 and 90 kilometers to claim victory from Geneva to Poligny through the Jura mountains [1, 2, 3]. The stage covered about 156.5 to 156.6 kilometers and included steep climbs such as the category 1 Col de la Faucille and category 2 Col de la Savine [1, 2, 3].
Haugset took the yellow jersey with an overall lead of 2 minutes 2 seconds over Kim Le Court [1, 2]. Belgian rider Lotte Kopecky, a two-time world champion, finished second on the stage, 1 minute 24 seconds behind Haugset [1, 3]. Haugset said, "When I went, it wasn’t many seconds and I thought she (Kopecky) would catch me. Then I thought I should just drop down to her ... Second is good. But I kept on. The team car was amazing, pushing me. I was thinking about all my team-mates, everyone cheering from home and so I had to give it my all" [3].
Former yellow jersey holder Lorena Wiebes was dropped early on the Col de la Faucille climb and lost more than 20 minutes, removing her from contention [1, 3]. Other favorites, including Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, finished 2 to 3 minutes behind Haugset [1, 3].
Haugset is the first Norwegian to win a Tour de France Femmes stage and wear the yellow jersey, marking a historic achievement for her country [2, 3]. After crossing the finish line, she said, "I never thought it was possible. It's unreal. I was so dizzy at the end. I know my boyfriend would be so angry at me for not celebrating, but I couldn’t. I could not lift my arms off the bike" [2].
Stage four on August 4 will feature a 21-kilometer individual time trial from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon, an important day for the general classification [2, 3].
