Gillespie misses out in echelons, Bäckstedt keeps yellow with no team mates | Video

Lara Gillespie, centre, leads the group on today's stage 3 at Simac Ladies Tour (Photo: Xavier Pereyron-SCA-Cor Vos)

Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime) may have taken her second stage victory of Simac Ladies Tour in the Netherlands today, but the real hero of the day was young British rider Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-SRAM Racing).

Bäckstedt carried the yellow jersey into today's stage 3, after winning the stage 1 TT, and retained it on a day when the wind blew and the echelons formed. The 20-year-old made the select front group despite starting the day with no team mates, all of whom had left the race due to illness and crash injuries.

Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) today missed out on a shot of improving her 7th place finished of yesterday when the large front group - containing almost all the general classification contenders - rode away.

They went clear with almost 65km remaining, of the 148.4km stage starting and finishing in Zeewolde. With 22 riders up front, they were chased for a long time at just 30 seconds by a group of about 25, with two other large groups also on the road.

Advertisement

However, while the first chase group, containing Ireland's Gillespie, stayed in contention with the leaders for a long time, the gap went out in the latter stages and was 1:26 on the line.

Up front, world champion Lotte Kopecky led out he team Wiebes, who won it from Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), with Kopecky still having the legs to take 3rd. Bäckstedt was in the front group, finishing 14th, some four seconds down as the group split in the sprint.

Related News

Gillespie placed 29th, crossing the line 7th of the chasing group, some 1:26 on the leaders. Bäckstedt retained her yellow jersey, though her margin over 2nd placed Wiebes is now down to just three seconds. Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) is 3rd at eight seconds with three road stages remaining.

Related News