As it happened: Demi Vollering storms into yellow with dominant time trial display
The defending champion put five seconds into ౠworld ⛄champion Chloe Dygert
Bonjour and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverag💖e of stage 3 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift!
After a very brief lunch break🤡 we ar💧e back again with the riders now turning their attention to the clock as they test their legs in an individual time trial over 6.3km around Rotterdam city centre.
It was a stunning victory for yellow jersey, Charlotte Kool (DFP), this morning in R😼otterdam after she timed her kick to the line perfectly to beat rival and former teammate Lorena Wiebes (SDW) on the🅷 line to make it two from two for the DSM-Firmenich-PostNL rider. Take a look at our post race report by clicking the link below...
>>> Tour de France Femmes: Charlotte Kool outpaces Lorena Wiebes to win stage 2
Ther𝐆e are a few big names to watch out for this afternoon with the full startlist available by clicking HERE, b🗹ut here are a select few to watch for (CEST):
Grace Brown (FST) 16:18
Ellen van Dijk (LTK) 16:40
Lucinda Brand (LTK) 16:49
Kristen Faulkner (EFO) 16:50
Anna Henderson (TVL) 16:54
Chloe Dygert (CSR) 16:56
Juliette Labous (DFP) 16:57
Kasia Niewidome (CSR) 17:05
Demi Vollering (SDW) 17:18
Lorena Wiebes (SDW) 17:40
Charlotte Kool (DFP) 17:42
It has been quite the start for Charlotte Kool (DFP). Have a read of what she had to say after stage two this mornin🌠g...
Take a look at how the general classification and all the other 𝓡competitions look after the first two stages. as racing gets underway in Rotterdam...
>>> The current GC standings at the Tour de France Femmes 2024
After a couple of stages of seeing Olympic road race c꧋hampion, Kristen Faulkner's bike... Now it is the turn of Olympic time trial champion, Grace Brown to show off her stunning golden Lapierre. Also, a view of Remco Evenepoel's new goldeꦐn road bike as well...
>>> All that glitters is gold: A trio of custom Olympic Champion's bikes
Unfortunately, after multiple crashes this morning, St. Mic♌hel-Mavic-Auber93 rider Dilyxine Miermont has been forced to abandon the race.
Après les chutes du matin, Dilyxine Miermont est contrainte à quitter @LeTourFemmes 🥺 pic.twitter.com/EnCzveaHYB
The first riders have already finished with Maëva Squiban (ARK) holding the fastest time early one with a time of 7'51".&nbꦑsp;
Squiban (ARK) also h𝔍olds the fastest time at the split as well. Julie van de Velde (AGS) has gone second at the🌠 split by just one second.
Van de Velde (AGS) finishes just 3" down on Squiban (ARK) after her ꧟effort. This is a rapid course wܫith riders flying through their efforts.
Roland rider, Elena Pirrone has gone fastest at the split by 2" over Squiban (ARK). Potentially a new leader at thಌe finish.
130 rider 🐲are left to s🌞et off on their rides.
New fastest time
Elena Pirrone (CGS) with a time of 7'44". That is 🧔7" faster than🦩 Squiban (ARK).
✨Gaia Realini (LTK) has set off. Lets see how the co-leader of Lidl-Tr🌱ek performs against the clock today.
L🅷izzie Deignan (LTK) has also set off. Not really her forte this but she will look to just g𒉰et round.
🇬🇧 @lizziedeignan has started!🇬🇧 @lizziedeignan s'élance à son tour sur le parcours.#TDFF2024 | #WatchTheFemmes | @TISSOT | @GoZwift pic.twitter.com/OgSuOw5u0o
Realini (LTK) down in 11th place at the first split just 10"𒀰 🍃down. Really good riding by her so far.
Gaia Realini (LTK) finishes 13th at 24" down on the current l⛄eader, Elena Pirrone 🐽(CGS). That is a big chunk of time to lose with the rest of the favourites yet to start.
Neve Bradbury (CSR) out on course. She has bee safely in the peloton so🐷 far. Just 20" down on Kool (DFP). She will want to give her all this afternoon to get the best result possible.
New festest time
Loes Adegeest (FST) 7'30"
Which is 14" faster than Pirrone (CGS).
Bradbury (CSR) ಌcoming to the line and is losing a chunk of time. She finishes +45" down on Adegeest ꧙(FST). That isn't ideal at all.
Inside the final 100 ride♒rs left to set off on their rides.
Tamara Dronova-Balabolina (CGS) is out on course at the moment. It is h🍷er 31st birthday toda♔y.
Tamara Dronova-Balabolina (CGS) is going pretty well and at the finish she comes across the line +18" down on Adegeest (FST) in third place.&n🌄bsp;
Ruth Edwards of Human Powered Health has set off on her ride.&n🌳bs𝓀p;
Time for the bike check of Grace Bꦑrown (FST)...
💙💛🖤💚❤️@GLBrown321 #TDFF2024 l #WatchTheFemmes l @TISSOT l @GoZwift pic.twitter.com/4jAT5zLBJW
Ruth Edwards (HPH) goes third a🃏t +16" down at the finish. A solid time by the American rider. Solid effort by her.
Olympic and Australian time t🎐rial champion, Grace Brown (FST), sets off on her ride. One of the big favourites for today. And also possibly the only time we s🎉ee that amazing bike in a race.
Anouska K♔oster (UXM) just missing out on the fastest time as she finishes +14" down in third place.
Puncture
Grace Brown (FST)
The Olympic champion with a rear pun♔cture and that is the end of her chances today. Also the last we shall see of that golden bike as she goes onto the Aussie champs bike.
❌ Puncture for @GLBrown321!!❌ Crevaison pour @GLBrown321 !!#TDFF2024 l #WatchTheFemmes l @TISSOT l @GoZwift pic.twitter.com/7S8Nljcntp
Grace Brown (FS💧T) crosses th✃e line and she finishes +19" down. She probably lost about 30", maybe more, in that bike change.
The polka dot jersey of Cristina Tonetti (LAB) set off on♊ her ride. She will wear that jersey tomorrow too.
French national time trial champion, Audrey Cordon-Ragot (HPH) has set off on her ride. She will be hoping for a very good result today. 🐻;
Pau💦liena Rooijakkers (FED) has crossed the line in 5th place just 17" down. That is an 🌠excellent ride but the brilliant climber.
Evita Muzic (FST) starts her ride. Her teammates have been rapid so farඣ with Loes Adegeest (FST) leading the way. Grace Brown (FST) missed out on taking the lead thanks to needing a bike change after a puncture. Muzic will be hoping for a good ride out on course.
Audrey Cordon-Ragot (HPH) cr🌃osses the line in 6th place at 18" do⛄wn on Loes Adegeest (FST).
Shirin 🥂van Anrooij (LTK) launches into her ride. She should be right in the mix for the top places this afternoon. Her skills and power from cylocross could help ♋hugely.
Now, Ellen van🤡 Dijk (LTK), who looks extremely pumped up for this ride, sets off. Sprinting off the ramp and for about 150m afterw🙈ards as well. She is absolutely flying in these early stages.
Evita෴ Muzic (FST) crosses the line 35" down in 37th place. Not what she would've wanted. We shall see how the othe𓂃r big favourites perform.
Liane Lippert (MOV) crosses the line in pro🍷visional 10th at just under 20". Good ridꦯe by the German.
Ellen van Dijk (LTK) crosses the line just ONE second down on Loes Adegeest (FST). That is✤ astonishing. Adegeest absolutely flew round the course to beat Van Dijk.
Lucinda Brand (LTK) sets off on her ride. Definitely a rider to watch for today🐠's stage. Kristen Faulkner (EFO) launches off the ramp just after her.
Franziska K🌄och (DFP) crosses the line in third just 10" down on Adegeest (FST).
British national time trial champion, Anna Henderson (TVL), has set off on her ride as she looks to take a brilliant win after her silver meda🍸l in the Olympic time trial.
Now, setting off is th💎e world champion, Olympic gold medalist in the team pursuit and bronze in the Olympic time tria🐎l.
Kristen Faulkner (EFO) goes fastest at the split🍸.
Lucinda Brand (LTK) finishes thi💃rd at just under 10" down𝓀.
🔴Meanwhile, at the start, Jueliette Labous (DFP) sets off. 🐼;
Kristen Faulkner (EFO) mi🐷sses out on the fastest time by +0.77" on Loes Adegeest (FST)! That is incredible for the FDJ-Suez rider as she holds off the double Pariඣs 2024 gold medalist.
Mavi Garc꧂ia (LAJ) has set off. Pfeiffer Georgi (DFP) also setting off on her effort. Chloe Dygert (CSR) has gone fastest at the split by one second over Faulkner (EFO).
Anna Henderson (TVL) goes 5th at just 6" down. Very solid rid𒅌e by the British national time trial champion.
The next rider getting her rider underwa✨y is Christina Schweinberger (FE♔D).
New fastest time
Chloe Dygert (CSR) 7:30"35
That is only 0.1🧸7" faster than Adegeest (FST). My word!
Jueliette Labous (DFP) setting a very good time in 7th at just ♏+10" doౠwn. Very solid ride by her.
#TDFF2024 We're collecting times of 7'40" this afternoon as @JulietteLabous now crosses the line and moves into a provisional top 10 spot 👌🏻 pic.twitter.com/P2ayRJYdFM
Kasia Niewiadoma (CSR) gets her ride go𒀰ing. She will hope for a very stroꦫng ride so that she can keep in touch with the other GC riders.
Pfeiffer Georgi (DFP) slots into 9th at just over 10" dཧown.
Christina Schweinberger (FED) has admitted that she isn't on the same form as last year. She finishes +29" down on Chloe Dygert (CSR). That is a big chunk of time to lose on such a short course.ဣ
Kasia Niewiadom💫a (CSR) comes to the finish and crosses the line just +25" down. Considering this isn't her strength at all, she will be happy with that.
Dutch national time trial champion, Riejanne Markus (TVL), sets off on her ride. She has put a lot of focus on this stage and will hope for a very good ride to get her in wiꦐth a chance of 🍒victory and be in a good GC position.
D💦emi Vollering (SDW) s🍷ets off. The defending champion will want a very solid full gas ride today. She will want to get a big win in the GC fight today.
Mischa Bredewold (SDW) finishes +4" down in 5th place. Emma Norsgaard (MOV) goes +5𝓰" down in 6th place.
Riejanne Markus (TVL) finishes +7" down in 8th. But she is gain☂ing time on a lot of GC rivals with that time.
Vollering (SDW♍) goes 2nd at the time split on exactly the same time as Chloe Dygert (CSR). That is an incredible ride by the GC megastar.
New fastest time
Demi Vollering (SDW) 7'25"
That is 5" faster than Chloe Dygert (CSR). That is incredbl𝄹e. She gained 5" in the second half of the ride. Amazing.
Cédrine Kerbaol (WNT) just 2" down at the split. That is 5th place on the road. Can she pull tha♚t back in the same way Vollering (SDW) did against Dyg꧃ert (CSR)?
Cédr🦩ine Kerbaol (WNT) is flying here! She finishes just +5" down in 4th place by the French rider.
The definition of FULL GAS ⛽️@CedrineKerbaol goes into provisional 4th place after a super fast TT in Rotterdam! 😮💨#TDFF2024 #WatchTheFemmes pic.twitter.com/PFiMHKCzpu
Just seven riders left to rollꦇ off the ramp.
Marianne Vos (TVL) sets off on her rid﷽e in the green jersey. She sprints off the ramp and really looks up for it today.
Into the top three now and third place Lor🔯ena Wiebes (SDW) also sprints off the start ramp. She is in a huge gear.
Anniina Ahtosalo (UXM) sets off. just one more rid🍌er left to go.
Yellow jersey, Charlotte Kool (DFP), sets off in Rot🀅terdam. Not setting off with the same aggression as Vꦰos (TVL) and Wiebes (SDW).
De✱mi Vollering (SDW) settles into the hot seat...
🔥 The hot seat for the new leader @demivollering 🔥 @demivollering s'installe sur le siège de leader #TDFF2024 l #WatchTheFemmes l @TISSOT l @GoZwift pic.twitter.com/3tJebWf34O
Vos (TVL) goes 12th at +8" down on Dygert (CSR) and Vollering ♌(SDW) a♔t the split.
Marianne Vos (TVL) coming to the liꦯne +18" down in 16th. I can't see Kool (DFP) going at a similar pace, but I may 𒈔be wrong.
Lorena Wiebes (SDW) with a superb time as she goes just +9" down in 7th place. That might be good enough for yellow with Volle﷽ring (SDW) potentially her main rival for that now. I haven't made the calculations yet, that is something for afterwards.
Anniina Ah🅠tosalo (UXM) comes🀅 to the finish +27" in 37th. Solid enough from her.
Charlotte Kool (DFP) coming to the line and she is already in the red. This is going to be close for her buﷺt she does lose yellow. +25" down in 33rd place.
Demi Vollering (SDW) wins stage three of the Tour de France Femmes 2024 and goes into the yellow jersey as well. Will she hold onto💧 the jersey for the rest of this race?
Stage three top 10
1. Demi Vollering (NED) SD Worx-Protime 7'25"
2. Chloe Dygert (USA) Canyon-SRAM +5"
3. Loes Adegeest (NED) FDJ-Suez
4. Cedrine Kerbaol (FRA) Ceratizit-WNT all S.T.
5. Kristen Faulkner (USA) EF-Oatly-Cannondale +6"
6. Ellen van Dijk (NED) Lidl-Trek S.T.
7. Lorena Wiebes (NED) SD Worx-Protime +9"
8. Mischa Bredewold (NED) SD Worx-Protime S.T.
9. Emma Norsgaard (DEN) Movistar +10"
10. Anna Henderson (GBR) +11"
General Classification after stage three
1. Demi Vollering (NED) SD Worx-Protime 4:27'54"
2. Lorena Wiebes (NED) SD Worx-Protime +3"
3. Chloe Dygert (USA) Canyon-SRAM +5"
4. Cedrine Kerbaol (FRA) Ceratizit-WNT
5. Charlotte Kool (NED) DSM-Firmenich-PostNL
6. Loes Adegeest (NED) FDJ-Suez all S.T.
7. Kristen Faulkner (USA) EF-Oatly-Cannondale +6"
8. Ellen van Dijk (NED) Lidl-Trek S.T.
9. Mischa Bredewold (NED) SD Worx-Protime +9"
10. Emma Norsgaard (DEN) Movistar +10"
Demi Vollering (SDW) after ꦜher stage winning ride this afternoon✨ via SD Worx-Protime's X post:
"I am very surprised that I managed to win this time trial. Even with a difference of five seconds. I have no idea how that's possible. Although I rode nice and hard. Team leader Anna van der Breggen told me after she did the lap behind another rider that it was really a course for me. I thought, that she said this to motivate me.&nbs♑p;
"The times I looked down at the power meter I saw that I was doing well. But such a short time trial of 6.3 kilometres is something we d🤡o very seldom. I though🎀t this course was more for the sprinters. For the punchy riders like Chloe Dygert. Although I am also a bit explosive. It is very special to win a stage in the Tour de France Femmes in my own country.
"And 🍃it is even more wonderful that I can start in yellow tomorrow🎉 in Valkenburg. For me, this Tour only starts with the stage from Valkenburg to Liège. The fact that I already have the yellow is a bit of a switch."
Demi Vollering after her victory in the ITT of the Tou🃏r de France Femmes where she also already took over the yellow jersey. ꧒"I am very surprised that I managed to win this time trial. Even with a difference of five seconds. I have no idea how that's possible. Although I rode… pic.twitter.com/5ToFT9KaxN
The jerseys going into stage four:
Yellow - Demi Vollering (SDW)
Green - Charlotte Kool (DFP)
Polka dot - Cristina Tonetti (LAB)
White - Anniina Ahtosalo (UXM)
Demi Vollering (SDW) goes into the yellow jersey with all t⛄he stages that suit her on paper still to come.
Have a read of our post race report with all the reaction from t♚his afternoon's racing💟 in Rotterdam...
Wh൲ile Charlotte Kool (DFP) loses yellow she does hold onto green and will wear that in tomorrow's stage.
Cristina Tonetti (LAB🀅), of course, keeps polka dots. The big challenge for her comes tomorrow as the race heads into the Ardennes.
And fina൲lly, Anniina Ahtosalo (UXM) clings onto the white jersey by just one second over Puck Pieterse (FED).
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