Report/Result: Women Tour of Britain Stage 3

Cat Ferguson secured her first UCI WorldTour victory in Kelso in the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women, after a dramatic few hours in the rain-soaked Scottish Borders and now leads overall

CAT FERGUSON WINS IN KELSO TO TAKE LLOYDS TOUR OF BRITAIN LEAD

Cat Ferguson (Movistar Team) secured her first UCI WorldTour victory in Kelso in the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women, after a dramatic few hours in the rain-soaked Scottish Borders. Ferguson outsprinted fellow Brit Josie Nelson (Team Picnic PostNL) and Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez), as a five rider group contested the finish on The Square in Kelso, amidst another torrential downpour,

Photo: Team Picnic PostNL website

In the quest for the green jersey, Ferguson’s win secured top spot in the general classification heading into the final day in Glasgow, with a three second lead over Wollaston, and a further nine seconds back to Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ). Overnight leader Kristen Faulkner (EF Education – Oatly) was twice caught up in crashes, losing 3 minutes 17 seconds to fall to 16th overall.

Speaking after taking the win Cat Ferguson said: “I am so over the moon. This is one of the races I was so excited to do this season, and I really wanted to come here in good form and show Britain how good I can be, and I think I have proved that today. I am a little bit nervous [on going into the final stage as leader]. I really want to hold onto that position. It isn’t a position I thought I would be in, so we have to look to make a good plan to hold onto it for tomorrow.“

After a start in dry conditions, rain swept in and a treacherous day on the roads around the Scottish Borders meant that the Queen of the Mountain jersey switched hands several times throughout a stage, being ultimately won by Dominika Wlodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ), with no classified climbs on the final stage circuit in Glasgow. The first of five Queen of the Mountain climbs was the picturesque Scott’s View early on in the stage, with the 2.3km climb the first opportunity for FDJ – SUEZ to attack, led by Marie Le Net. Wlodarczyk stuck to her back wheel, edging Le Net out to take maximum points before the pair were engulfed by the peloton.

Double Olympic champion Faulkner, wearing the Lloyds green jersey, was forced into a bike change at the conclusion of the first categorised climb, as the peloton split in two amidst the FDJ – SUEZ pressure. It was the start of what became a challenging afternoon for the American, who was involved in several crashes as the weather deteriorated and constantly had to fight to get back on terms with the stage leaders, eventually coming home 24th after a valiant chase.

FDJ – SUEZ and Lidl – Trek further split the peloton as Amber Kraak (FDJ – SUEZ) took the second Queen of the Mountains climb at Dingleton, above Melrose, and launched a solo attack. Behind her, stage two victor Mara Roldan (Team Picnic PostNL) and eventual stage three combativity winner, Lizzie Deignan (Lidl – Trek) respectively worked hard at the front of the peloton to chase her down. Wlodarczyk successfully attacked the third Queen of the Mountain climb up Dunion Hill, but with Roldan also picking up points, the Canadian held her spot at the top of the leaderboard.

The constant on and off showers left the roads slick even when rain wasn’t falling, and on an innocuous corner on the run back towards the sprint in Kelso, several riders in the reduced lead group were involved in a crash including race leader Faulkner, yesterday’s stage winner Roldan, and European champion Lorena Wiebes along with several of her Team SDWorx – Protime team mates. As a result of the crash, Roldan was forced to abandon the race and relinquish her Queen of the Mountains lead.

With the crash reducing the front group still further, Wollaston took the sprint, held on the finish line in Kelso, closely followed by Ferguson, and Wollaston’s FDJ SUEZ teammate Célia Gery. Six riders, including Ferguson and Wollaston managed to open up a small gap after cresting the final Queen of the Mountains climb at Dingleton, with less than 25km to go. It was reduced to five after Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto), who had initiated the attack, became the latest rider to have bad luck befall them, as the Dane required a bike change. Behind several chase groups were formed, with Faulkner working hard in the third group on the road as she saw her hopes of Lloyds Tour of Britain Women victory be washed away in the Scottish rain.

As the breakaway entered the final kilometre and swept over the River Tweed into Kelso, Ferguson and Nelson led the sprint over the cobbles, to a roar of delight from the Borders crowd, celebrating the first Scottish stage of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women, and one that will live long in the memory for both Ferguson and Faulkner, though for vastly different reasons.

Sunday (8 June) sees Glasgow host stage four, the final day of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women, with a 10-lap circuit race, starting and finishing on Glasgow Green in the city centre.

STAGE 3 BRITS
1. Cat Ferguson
2. Josie Nelson
6. Millie Couzens
8. Imogen Wolff
14. Grace Lister
15. Anna Henderson
20. Lauren Dickson
23. Robyn Clay
30. Alice Towers
32. Ella Maclean Howell
39. Flora Perkins
41. Zoe Backstedt
43. Anna Morris
56. Lizzie Deignan
58. Elynor Backstedt
63. April Tacey
64. Annabel Ramsey
69. Katie Scott
71. Beth Morrow
72. Morven Yeoman
73. Lucy Harris
74. Arianne Holland
75. Jess Roberts
76. Bexy Dew
79. Tamsin Miller
83. Lucy Gadd
88. Alex Morrice
91. jo tindley
93. Holly Ramsey
94. Amy Gornall