Women’s Tour: Stage 3 10m TT

Demi Vollering moved into the AJ Bell Women’s Tour race lead after winning the race’s first-ever individual time trial stage ahead of Britain’s Joss Lowden

Women’s Tour: Stage 3 10m TT

Demi Vollering moved into the AJ Bell Women’s Tour race lead after winning the race’s first-ever individual time trial stage ahead of Britain’s Joss Lowden. The Team SD Worx rider Demi Vollering was the only rider to go under the 24-minute mark for the 16.6-kilometre test on a very hilly and twisty course. Her nearest challenger was newly-crowned UCI Hour Record holder Joss Lowden (Drops – Le Col s/b TEMPUR).

Joss Lowden

Vollering holds a dominant gap of 1:09 over Juliette Labous (Team DSM), who was fifth on the day. Overnight leader Clara Copponi (FDJ Nouvelle – Aquitaine) finished 11th on the stage and slipped to third overall, 1:19 off the pace. Lowden moves up to sixth overall and is the leading British rider with fellow Brits Alice Barnes (8th) and Pfeiffer Georgi (10th) also in the top ten.

“The start was uphill so I knew I could win it or I could lose it there if I didn’t go full gas,” said Vollering. “The first 4km I went all out and the middle part was the hardest part. There was a lot of headwind after the first half of the time trial, which made it really hard. The last part again full gas, everything out.”

Looking ahead to defending her lead as the race moves to the East of England for the final three stages, the SD Worx rider said; “It would be nice of course, but first to recover, so we will see. We have a good team for it, so I am curious to see how the rest of the week will go.”

The other race classifications remain unchanged with Copponi in the Sigma Sports Points jersey, Nina Kessler (Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank) in the Eisberg Sprints jersey, and Elise Chabbey (Canyon SRAM Racing) retaining the ŠKODA Queen of the Mountains jersey.

Stage Four of the AJ Bell Women’s Tour takes place in Southend-on-Sea with riders facing a 117.8-kilometre (73.3-mile) stage between Shoeburyness and Southend’s Western Esplanade, the first time that the town has hosted the event.