Video - Lara Gillespie takes best stage race result of pro career in Poland

Lara Gillespie, in the Irish champion's kit, finishes 3rd in Lublin today at the end of the final stage at Tour de Pologne (Photo: Michal Kordaczuk)

Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) has wrapped up the best final general classification result of her career when she took 3rd on the final stage of Tour de Pologne today, Sunday, to secure 3rd overall.

Gillespie made the podium today - after 101.3km of racing into Lublin - behind Wiebes and former world champion Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), who the Irish rider had beaten into 3rd place yesterday.

Irish riders Emma Jeffers (Liv AlUla Jayco) and Mia Griffin (Picnic PostNL) were also fighting it out in the sprint today, taking 17th and 23rd respectively. Marine Lenehan (Lidl Trek) was 77th at 25 seconds.

In the final sprint today, Wiebes got a strong lead-out into the final right hander, just before the finish. Balsamo was on Wiebes's wheel at the time, with Gillespie trying to move up and displace the Italian on that final bend.

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However, after a brief scrap for the wheel, Balsamo held her position, forcing Gillespie into the line just behind. At that point, Wiebes had already opened the taps, sprinting flat out for the finish.

The speed she applied meant nobody could come around her, and the order of the top three stayed the same; Wiebes, from Balsamo and Gillespie.

The Irish woman claimed victory in the National Road Race Championships in Mayo last month and then went to Argenta Classic-Deurne (1.1), winning that in a bunch sprint.

And now, in her second outing since becoming Irish champion, she comes away from Poland with 2nd and 3rd places on stages and 3rd overall; a very strong innings.

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Gillespie might have done even better over the past three days had she not been taken out by a crash in front of her on the opening stage on Friday, just as the final sprint was starting.

Today, Wiebes was taking her third victory from three stages, sealing the overall. The Dutch woman was extending a remarkable run this year.

It has included 15 victories, a tally that would have been higher but for being disqualified, for an underweight bike, after winning the Giro d'Italia opening stage.

However, the Polish race has produced Gillespie's best stage race general classification result since she turned pro with her team mid-way through the 2024 season.

Though, two years ago, she won the five-stage Giro Mediterraneo Rosa (2.2) - after claiming one of the stages solo by 2½ minutes - that was a UCI-ranked 2.2 race, compared with the higher 1.Pro ranking of the Polish event this weekend.

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