In a thrilling display of talent and determination, Lorena Wiebes, riding for SD Worx-Protime, has triumphed in stage 3 of the UAE Tour Women, marking her third consecutive victory. However, this time, she faced intense competition from her rivals, who pushed her to the very limit in what turned out to be the closest finish of the race so far.
Wiebes, donning the red jersey as the race leader, surged across the finish line first at the iconic Abu Dhabi Breakwater, narrowly edging out Lara Gillespie from UAE Team ADQ and Amalie Dideriksen from Cofidis in a nail-biting sprint. Despite Wiebes maintaining her unbeaten streak in this event, Gillespie finished just a hair's breadth behind her, highlighting how fiercely competitive the race has become.
"It’s incredible to kick off the season with such strong performances. This is a fantastic start to the year, and we should be proud of our achievements," Wiebes remarked after her victory, radiating optimism and enthusiasm.
How the Race Unfolded
In an unexpected turn, GC hopeful Marlen Reusser from Movistar did not compete in this stage due to a crash that damaged her bike and resulted in injuries requiring stitches, which she sustained during the latter part of stage 2.
Early on, Sara Luccon from Top Girls Fassa Bortolo and Sonia Rossetti from Vini Fantini-BePink attempted to break away, vying for the intermediate sprint jersey, but their efforts were in vain during the frenetic pace of the opening hour. It was Zoe Bäckstedt of UAE Team ADQ who clinched the first intermediate sprint located near the Yas Marina Circuit after completing 29 kilometers of racing, after which a breakaway group finally formed.
April Tacey from Hitec Products-Fluid Control and Luccon initiated the attack, soon joined by Rossetti, her teammate Gaia Segato, and Elisa De Vallier from Luccon’s team. This quintet initially established a gap of 3:09 minutes halfway through the 121-kilometer stage, but their lead dwindled to 1:40 minutes as they approached the bridge connecting Abu Dhabi Island to Umm Yifeenah Island with 45 kilometers remaining.
Berton was the first to launch an attack amidst the crosswinds on the bridge; although she did not manage to escape, her aggressive pace significantly closed the gap to the breakaway, leading to their capture just 40 kilometers from the finish. Shortly thereafter, Berton made another move, successfully breaking away this time. Monica Castagna from Top Girls Fassa Bortolo attempted to chase her down but ultimately fell short, getting caught herself with 25 kilometers left, right before the crucial intermediate sprint at Qasr al Hosn. Behind Berton, Franziska Koch from FDJ United-Suez secured second place in the intermediate sprint, thereby taking the lead in that classification and earning the black jersey.
At Qasr al Hosn, Berton still held a lead of 1:15 minutes, but as the kilometers ticked down, her advantage shrank to just 22 seconds with only 7 kilometers remaining—an indication that she would soon be reeled in. Once she was caught, Elisa Longo Borghini from UAE Team ADQ took charge of the peloton, pushing them forward almost single-handedly until Kim Le Court-Pienaar led the AG Insurance-Soudal team to the front with 2.5 kilometers to go.
With 2 kilometers remaining, Uno-X Mobility took over the lead, followed briefly by Canyon-SRAM and Movistar before FDJ United-Suez set up their lead-out train on the right side of the road just prior to the flamme rouge, with Cofidis moving in alongside as the final kilometer approached.
Koch initiated the sprint for Vittoria Guazzini from FDJ United-Suez, but Wiebes and Gillespie expertly positioned themselves in the slipstream and surged past the Italian racer. In an exhilarating finish, Gillespie came up alongside Wiebes in the last 70 meters, yet Wiebes managed to maintain a half-bike length lead as they crossed the finish line. Dideriksen sprinted in just behind, securing third place, ahead of Nienke Veenhoven from Visma-Lease a Bike and Guazzini.
Results
The results, powered by FirstCycling, showcase the incredible competitiveness of this stage and the remarkable performances of the athletes involved, underscoring the excitement surrounding women's cycling today.
