Célia Gery claimed her second stage victory of the 2025 Tour de l’Avenir Femmes, once again showing her speed in a sprint. The 19-year-old French rider powered clear on the uphill drag to Lugny, beating Germany’s Linda Riedmann into second place and Belgium’s Fleur Moors into third.
Stage 3 took the peloton from Saint-Didier-sur-Chalaronne to Lugny, covering 109 kilometres through the rolling countryside of the Saône valley. On paper, it looked like another chance for the fast finishers, although the profile included three climbs categorised as fourth category. The Côte de Saint-Trivier-de-Courtes came after just 17 kilometres, followed by the Côte de Montpont-en-Bresse midway through the stage, and the Côte de Saint-Étienne-sur-Reyssouze inside the final 30 kilometres. None were especially long or steep, but they provided enough undulation to keep the bunch alert. The finale into Lugny, however, was the real sting: the last 500 metres rose at an average of 7%, with the line placed at the top of the ramp, favouring riders with both raw power and good positioning.
Despite the lumpy profile, the peloton seemed set on controlling the day. Attacks were scarce, with the only serious move coming inside the final ten kilometres when Czech rider Barbora Nemcová launched a solo bid. She opened a gap of around 20 seconds, but the sprinters’ teams quickly organised and brought her back before the flamme rouge. From there, the run-in was fast and nervous, positioning crucial ahead of the uphill drag.
When the sprint opened, Gery was simply in a class of her own. Already a winner on the opening day in Saint-Galmier, she kicked hard on the slope and immediately opened daylight. Riedmann fought well but crossed the line three seconds behind, while Moors had to settle for third, six seconds down. Isabella Holmgren finished tenth on the day, enough to comfortably retain her yellow jersey lead in the general classification.
For Gery, who has already amassed world, European and national titles in cyclocross, this is proving to be a breakthrough summer on the road. Her double stage haul not only confirms her finishing speed but also moves her to within two points of Riedmann in the race for the green jersey.
The Tour de l’Avenir Femmes continues with Stage 4, which shares much of its route with the men’s race between Montagnat and Val Suran in the Jura. At 114 kilometres, the stage features rolling terrain and long false flats, but the women will not tackle the two additional 17 km mountain laps reserved for the men. Another selective finish may be on the cards, with opportunities for both the sprinters and those targeting the overall classification.
2025 Tour de l’Avenir Femmes Stage 3 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Tour de l’Avenir
