Lorena Wiebes wins chaotic Tour de France Femmes stage
Sprint specialist Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), who narrowly lost stage two to Mavi Garcia, made an explosive push for the finish as a crash in the final four kilometres temporarily took out several riders including 2023 champion Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez).
Opening stage winner Vos (Visma–Lease a Bike) lost a photo-finish to Wiebes but reclaimed the yellow jersey from Kim Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal), who led the general classification after Sunday's second stage but dropped to second with a six-second deficit.
Ireland's Lara Gillespie was 22nd and is now 112th overall. Mia Griffin crossed the line in 31st (she's 114th in the GC), and Fiona Mangan was 71st (102nd in the GC).
Gillespie, Griffin and Mangan are making Tour history as the first Irishwomen to compete in the event.
The stage, mostly on a flat terrain, began without Giro d'Italia winner Elisa Longo Borghini, who withdrew from the race due to a stomach infection.
Four riders made an early attack to form the leading pack, with Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly) winning a mountain sprint to the top of Cote de La Richardiere.
But others slowly caught up, with Lotte Kopecky expertly leading her teammate Wiebes to the front, setting up the final sprint just before the crash derailed a number of riders behind them.
New Zealand's Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez) finished third as her teammate Vollering, who recovered from the crash, remained in contention in the general classification, sitting 19 seconds behind Vos.
The Tour continues on Tuesday with stage four, a 130.7km ride from Saumur to Poitiers through another mostly-flat terrain.
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