Tour de France Femmes: Uttrup Ludwig takes victory on stage 3

Uttrup Ludwig defeats Vos

After 133.6 kilometres from Reims to Épernay, the 26-year-old Danish champion, who had crashed heavily the day before, won the sprint from a leading group ahead of the previous day's winner Marianne Vos from the Netherlands and Ashleigh Moolman (South Africa). German champion Liane Lippert finished 13th in the day's classification, 2:01 minutes behind.

• All stages of the Tour de France Femmes at a glance

"It feels like a super comeback after yesterday. Now I'm a stage winner of the Tour de France," said Uttrup Ludwig in tears after the stage. Like her Italian team-mate and co-favourite Marta Cavalli, the Dane had crashed heavily the day before. Cavalli suffered a traumatic brain injury. Germany's track cycling team world champion Laura Süßemilch broke two vertebrae in the heavy mass crash.

Vos defends yellow jersey at Tour de France Femmes

Meanwhile, Vos defended the overall leader's yellow jersey with second place. The three-time road world champion and 2012 Olympic champion leads by 16 seconds ahead of Italy's Silvia Persico and Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma. Lippert improved by 13 positions to twelfth place overall.

• Start list & teams of the women's Tour de France

The fourth stage on Wednesday leads over 126.8 undulating kilometres from Troyes to Bar-Sur-Aube.

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