Nikola Bajgerová emerged victorious in the third stage of the Tour de Feminin, taking the win in Rumburk after an intense sprint finish. The Czech rider edged out Dutch competitors Mirre Knaven and Femke de Vries to claim the stage.
The 110-kilometre stage through the Šluknov Hills featured numerous short-lived breakaways. The most significant came from Gabriela Bártová of Dukla Praha and Katarzyna Wilkos from MAT Atom Deweloper. Initiating the attack during the first heavy downpour of the stage, Bártová and Wilkos held the longest break before being reeled in just before the second mountain sprint.
Despite the challenging weather conditions, the riders faced multiple heavy rain showers throughout the stage. Mirre Knaven dominated the mountain sprints, winning the first three and placing second in the final one, thereby solidifying her lead in the best climber’s jersey.
As the peloton approached Rumburk, the teams geared up for a mass sprint finish. MAT Atom Deweloper set up the sprint perfectly for Bajgerová. She expressed her gratitude, saying, “The team set it up for me, and I entered the last corner in third place. The finish here is technical, which suits me, but my chain dropped on the cobbles just before the line. Luckily, it was enough – if the finish had been a bit further, I wouldn’t have won.”
Knaven finished a close second, followed by de Vries, with Julia Kopecky crossing the line in fourth. Kopecky managed to retain her overall lead despite the stage’s demands.
The day proved successful for the Czech riders, with Barbora Němcová and Adéla Marková of Dukla Praha finishing sixth and eighth, respectively. Kopecky will start the final stage, which features nine mountain sprints, in the yellow jersey. She leads Lore De Schepper by 44 seconds, with de Vries trailing by 1:06.
2024 Tour de Feminin Stage 3 result
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