After two selective stages in Brittany, stage 3 of the Tour de France Femmes is a golden opportunity for the sprinters. The peloton leaves La Gacilly for a 162km run to Angers on a largely flat route with just one categorised climb early on. With the mountains still far away, it’s a day for the fastest finishers to fight for a win – and a likely reshuffling of the green jersey standings.
This is the second-longest stage of the race, but also the most straightforward so far. If any team wants to control it, this is the stage to do so. That said, after Mavi García’s surprise win on stage 2, breakaway hopefuls may be emboldened to try again.
The route – one early climb, then a straight run to the finish
The stage opens in La Gacilly, nestled among flower-lined streets and artisanal cafés. The only categorised climb of the day, the Côte de la Richardière (1.7km at 4.7%), comes after just 34km and will offer one KOM point – but little else in terms of impact on the race.
From there, the profile flattens out. The riders pass through the rolling roads of the Pays de la Loire, crossing Châteaubriant and heading into the outskirts of Angers. The run-in features a few gentle curves, with three turns in the final 1.5km, but the finish itself is fast and clean – an ideal scenario for the lead-out trains to organise themselves and set up a big bunch sprint.
What’s on offer
Date: Monday, 28th July
Distance: 162km
Start/Finish: La Gacilly – Angers
Climbs:
- Côte de la Richardière (cat. 4, km 34.1)
Prediction
This is Lorena Wiebes’ stage to lose. After being denied on stage 2 by Mavi García’s breakaway, she and SD Worx-Protime will be fully focused on a textbook sprint. With Charlotte Kool out of the race, Wiebes has one fewer rival to worry about. Expect Elisa Balsamo and Marianne Vos to be her closest challengers, but if the lead-out is clean, Wiebes should finally open her Tour account for 2025.
