SD Worx-Protime loses Kopecky and two Wiebes jerseys on stage 3 of the Tour of Britain

Kim Le Court scored a double victory in Stage 3 of the Women’s Tour of Britain. The rider from Mauritius secured the win for AG Insurance-Soudal with a solo climb and also claimed the leader’s jersey, taking it over from Lorena Wiebes, the winner of Stages 1 and 2. Wiebes was unable to keep up in the final stretch and lost not only the overall lead but also the points jersey to Le Court. Lotte Kopecky also withdrew on behalf of SD Worx-Protime.

The third day of the Tour of Britain got off to a rough start for SD Worx-Protime, with Kopecky withdrawing from the race. In a brief statement, the Dutch team announced that their Belgian team leader was not feeling well. “She wasn’t feeling well this morning, so in consultation with the medical staff, it was decided she would not start. We wish her a speedy recovery.”

On to the race: a 104.7-kilometer stage from Mold to The Great Orme, where the finish line lay after a challenging final climb. Along the way, Movistar in particular set a fast pace, causing the peloton to thin out further and further. Le Court had already picked up 3 bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint, thus beginning her bid to take the leader’s jersey from Wiebes.

With about twenty riders still together, the group of favorites then began the decisive climb. On the steepest sections of The Great Orme, Le Court didn’t wait long. The Mauritian launched her attack about 2.5 kilometers from the finish, and Wiebes initially tried to respond but had to let her rival go.

Le Court then rode solo to victory, finishing 13 seconds ahead of Liane Lippert of Movistar. Caroline Andersson finished third, 20 seconds behind, while Femke de Vries and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig rounded out the top five. Wiebes limited the damage with a tenth-place finish, 37 seconds behind, but lost her leader’s jersey and points jersey to Le Court.