A hard hilly stage was on the menu Tuesday afternoon. Liv Racing Xstra put down another strong performance during the stage and brought Jeanne Korevaar in position for the finale.
The third stage in the Tour de France Femmes had a fast start. Several riders tried to get in the breakaway, but the peloton reeled in all attempts. Also the Liv Racing Xstra riders tried to get in the right escape group, but with no luck. In the middle part of the stage the purple train came to the front of the bunch several times chasing escape groups and maintain the tempo in the bunch.
The Liv Racing Xstra riders sticked well together and brought Jeanne Korevaar to the front for the hilly finale. On the second last climb an elite group took off. That group battled for the stage win, which went to Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig. A little more than 2 minutes later Korevaar passed the finish line in 15th place.
“It was a crazy fast start today. Almost every team tried to get in the breakaway. We tried to get in the front too, but all came back together every time. The team then worked hard to protect me and bring me to the front for the finale. My goal was to see how far I could get today. I was just behind the elite group and on the final climb I gave it all to finish strong. I`m satisfied with how the things went today. The team was really committed and I also felt strong myself”, Korevaar told after the stage.
“Today we rode a strong race as team. Our goal was to be in the breakaway, but no group got away. We then tried to bring Jeanne to the finale. The whole team was in front at the first passage in Épernay. We lost Silke due to a crash, fortunately without consequences. We also missed Thalita after two flat tires. Still the team worked hard to guide Jeanne. She did a great job finishing 15th. The next days we keep searching for possibilities and are still aiming for a stage win”, said sports director Wim Stroetinga.