Wet roads, heavy legs, and another fast finish defined Stage 3 of the 2022 Women’s Tour in Gloucester, where Shari Bossuyt rode to fourth place for Canyon SRAM as Lorena Wiebes powered to victory for DSM. It was the third consecutive day the race ended in a bunch sprint, but the story of the stage was shaped well before the final straight.
How the stage unfolded
The key move came on the last major climb, where Canyon SRAM committed to a hard pace in an attempt to keep the pressure on and lean into the terrain. Bossuyt responded well, cresting with the strongest riders and making a select group of 17 with around 15 km remaining. Kasia Niewiadoma and Elise Chabbey were also present, giving the team numbers in what looked, briefly, like a decisive move.
But the gap never became secure. The organisation behind improved quickly, and with multiple teams determined to bring the race back for their sprinters, the chase was relentless. The front group began to swell, then effectively dissolved as the peloton regrouped inside the final 5 km, setting up another sprint finish.
Bossuyt still managed to salvage a big result in the chaos. Supported deep into the run-in, she was left to manage the final kilometre alone, yet she held position through the final corner and launched her sprint well to take fourth.
What Bossuyt said
“Our goal was going full gas on the last climb. Kasia and Elise rode strongly, and I was able to still be there. But unfortunately, our group didn’t work so well and a lot of teams were chasing hard behind us. Eventually, it came back together,” Bossuyt explained.
“We were too early in the front and I had to find my own way for a while but I was quick to find a good wheel in that of Lorena Wiebes. Even though it was a tough stage today, I wanted a stage win. I climbed well, and I did my best so I have to accept my fourth place,” she added.
Classification picture after Stage 3
Chabbey continued to do valuable work across the climbs, taking more mountain points and sitting 2nd in the mountains classification at the halfway mark of the race.
For the overall standings, the margins remained tight after three sprint finishes.
- Shari Bossuyt: 5th overall, +16 seconds
- Elise Chabbey: 7th overall, +17 seconds
- Kasia Niewiadoma: 17th overall, +20 seconds
- Lorena Wiebes: race leader after winning Stage 3
Looking ahead to Wales
Stage 4 moves the Women’s Tour into Wales and shifts the tone of the race. On paper, it is the first day that properly invites aggressive riding from the GC teams and puncheurs.
Key stage details
- Distance: 144 km
- Elevation: around 2,100 m
- Climbs: two classified ascents
- Likely scenario: sustained pressure on the climbs, a reduced group sprint, or late attacks if the favourites commit
After three days where sprint teams have largely got what they wanted, Wales offers the first real chance for the race to split on the road rather than in the final 200 metres.
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