Riejanne Markus clinched victory in the final stage of the 2024 Tour de Romandie Féminin after an impressive 60km breakaway with Niamh Fisher-Black. The Dutch rider held her nerve in a two-up sprint, beating her breakaway companion to the line in Morges, while Lotte Kopecky, who finished third, secured the overall title after three days of racing in Switzerland.
How the stage unfolded
The 144.5km stage began in Morges, tracing two laps of a rolling circuit before tackling a shorter loop, with the Signal de Bougy climb providing the main challenge of the day. Attacks came early, with Mijntje Geurts and Henrietta Christie launching moves alongside riders like Chloé Dygert and Grace Brown, but the peloton kept them in check.
As the race progressed, a decisive break formed with Fisher-Black and Markus pulling away around the 60km mark. The duo quickly built a gap of four minutes, putting Fisher-Black in the virtual leader’s jersey, which triggered the peloton to take up the chase. Liv AlUla-Jayco and Movistar were particularly active in closing the gap, cutting the breakaway’s lead to 1:50 by the summit of the Signal de Bougy with 33km to go.
Liane Lippert sparked further attacks from the peloton, causing some splits as riders like Kopecky and Silke Smulders attempted to bridge across. However, the front pair remained unchallenged, despite the peloton reducing their lead to just over 30 seconds in the closing kilometres.
The two breakaway riders entered the final kilometre still clear, with Markus positioning herself perfectly behind Fisher-Black to launch her sprint with 200 metres to go. The Dutch rider surged past and took the stage win, while Fisher-Black came in second. Meanwhile, Kopecky led the peloton home in third, ensuring her overall victory.
The day wasn’t without mishap, though. In the final roundabout, a crash brought down yesterday’s stage winner Demi Vollering, Gaia Realini, and several others, but all riders managed to remount and finish the stage. Due to the crash being inside the final 3km, no time losses were applied in the general classification.
Rider reactions
Markus was understandably elated after securing her stage win, a significant result following a challenging season. “This victory makes me very happy,” she said after crossing the line. “I knew there were chances on this hilly course, and with my gap in the general classification, there were opportunities to get in the breakaway. I felt strong all day, and then it’s very nice that I can finish it in the end.”
The Dutch rider also reflected on her difficult lead-up to the race: “The Tour de France Femmes did not turn out the way I had hoped. In addition, I also fell sick. That I then finally get to triumph here gives me a lot of confidence. I notice that I am getting better and better,” Markus added, hinting at her form ahead of the European Time Trial Championships.
Meanwhile, overall winner Kopecky praised her teammate Fisher-Black’s performance in the break, which played a crucial role in securing her own victory. “Today was actually kind of a perfect day for us. We knew we could play Niamh because she was not far in GC. It was perfect for us that she was in the break; then the gap came down because other teams started to chase. In the end, it’s sad for her that she couldn’t win, but she rode an amazing race,” said Kopecky.
Reflecting on her own performance across the three days, Kopecky was satisfied with the result, even if she missed out on a stage win. “I came here to see how my form was, and I am quite happy with where I am at the moment, with the World Championships coming in three weeks. It would have been nice to have a stage victory, but I have the overall victory, and yesterday, Demi won a nice stage, so I think we can’t complain,” Kopecky added.
Photo Credit: Tour de RomandieDemi Vollering, who suffered a crash in the final roundabout, was philosophical about the incident. “It’s unfortunate, but that’s bike racing. I’m just glad I could finish and it didn’t affect the overall result. We’ve had a great race, and I’m happy with our team’s performance,” she said after the stage.
SD Worx-Protime’s sports manager, Danny Stam, also expressed his satisfaction with how the race played out, particularly praising Fisher-Black’s effort. “We were in a great position with Niamh in the break. She was only 1 minute 14 behind Lotte, so we couldn’t have asked for a better scenario. She rode incredibly well, and though she didn’t win the stage, we are super happy with the role she played for the team today.”
Markus’ win and Kopecky’s overall victory wrapped up an impressive race for both riders and their teams, setting them up well for the coming weeks, particularly with the World Championships on the horizon.
2024 Tour de Romandie Féminin Stage 3 result
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2024 Tour de Romandie Féminin GC result
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Main photo credit: Cor Vos
