Lorena Wiebes triumphs in shortened Baloise Ladies Tour stage after massive crash

Lorena Wiebes 2024 Baloise Ladies Tour Stage 3 Sprint (Getty)

The third stage of the 2024 Baloise Ladies Tour saw significant drama and a display of resilience from the riders after a mass crash led to the stage being shortened. The 94.7 km route around Zwevegem was marred by a pile-up just 10 km into the race, causing a delay of about 50 minutes as medical services attended to the injured riders.

In the chaos, more than a dozen riders were involved, with many landing in a grassy ditch. Notably, new Team dsm-firmenich PostNL rider Silje Bader was suspected to have a broken wrist, while French champion Audrey Cordon-Ragot sustained bruises. Both were among the four riders taken to the hospital.

The crash necessitated the removal of the single local lap in Zwevegem, cutting the stage short by 28 km. After the restart, Alison Jackson urged the peloton to remain calm and ride safely, echoing the organisers’ sentiments.

Once the race resumed, it headed toward a sprint finish but there were splits in the bunch before they got there. Wiebes herself helped to create splits on the climbs and the peloton was shredded into several groups. However, there was enough time to close it all down and have the expected group sprint. The truncated stage concluded with Wiebes seizing the sprint victory, maintaining her lead in the tour by powering ahead in the final moments. Her victory marked her ninth total stage win in the Baloise Ladies Tour, surpassing Jolien D’hoore’s record of eight.

Post-stage reactions

Charlotte Kool faced her own challenges during the stage. An untimely puncture just before the main climb forced a quick bike change. Kool credited her teammates, Megan Jastrab and Eglantine Rayer, for helping her return to the main peloton. Reflecting on the stage, she said, โ€œToday was a bit of a weird morning stage. We started with a big crash and unfortunately lost Silje. Things started again but with only 55 kilometres left until the finish line. I got a puncture at the worst moment just before the climb and I had a hard time, but luckily I made it back to the front with the help of Megan and Eglantine. Things then settled down and we headed for a bunch sprint. The lead-out was really good but I just missed some good legs today for that top step.โ€

Today also features an 11 km individual time trial in Zwevegem, weather permitting.

2024 Baloise Ladies Tour Stage 3 result

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Main photo credit: Getty