With a top-class sprint, Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike) took the 252nd victory of her career on stage 3 of the Vuelta Femenina 2024. The 36-year-old triumphed in Teruel ahead of Charlotte Kool (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Olivia Baril (Movistar). The best German rider was Liane Lippert, who beat her Canadian team-mate Barril in the sprint to the finish line in 12th place, but the Movistar duo were unable to do anything against the outstanding Vos.
We tried yesterday, but were unlucky in the final. Today we went all-in again. It's nice to complete my team-mates' groundwork like this - Marianne Vos in the winner's interview.
Vos broke away from Lippert's rear wheel around 100 metres before the finish and won by several bike lengths ahead of her compatriot Kool from a group of around 30 riders, which was thinned out considerably by a mass crash around three kilometres before the finish. Blanka Vas (Team SD Worx - Protime) remains at the top of the overall standings. She now leads the stage race by one second ahead of Vos.
Vuelta Women 2024 - Results: the top 10 of stage 3
- Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike) 3:46:52
- Charlotte Kool (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0:00
- Olivia Baril (Movistar) +0:00
- Ingvild Gaskjenn (Liv AlUla Jayco) +0:00
- Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) +0:00
- Flora Perkins (Fenix-Deceuninck) +0:00
- Eleonora Ciabocoo (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0:00
- Caroline Andersson (Liv AlUla Jayco) +0:00
- Mischa Bredewold (Team SD Worx - Protime) +0:00
- Magdeleine Valliers (EF Education-Cannondale) +0:00
The overall standings of the 2024 Women's Vuelta
- Blanka Vas (Team SD Worx - Protime) 6:57:04
- Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike) +0:01
- Alison Jackson (EF Education-Cannondale) +0:10
- Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) +0:11
- Eva van Agt (Visma | Lease a Bike) +0:11
- Riejanne Markus (Visma | Lease a Bike) +0:11
- Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) +0:11
- Sophie von Berswordt (Visma | Lease a Bike) +0:11
- Gaia Realini (Lidl-Trek) +0:11
- Brodie Chapman (Lidl-Trek) +0:11
How the 3rd stage of the Vuelta Femenina 2024 went
After the start, Mireia Benito (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) made her move. Behind the Spaniard, the peloton quickly became restless. A strong chasing group around Mischa Bredwold (Team SD Worx - Protime) broke away from the peloton, but was caught again. When things calmed down again, Benito extended her lead over the peloton to almost five minutes.
Groups merge again
In the only climb of the day to the Alto Fuente de Rubielos (3rd category), some riders such as the previous day's winner Alison Jackson (EF Education-Cannondale) and also the top sprinter Charlotte Kool (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) had problems at the back of the peloton. At the top of the pass, Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) took four points behind Benito and extended her lead in the mountains classification. A good 50 kilometres before the finish, the second group around Kool caught up with the first peloton again.
Initially, the peloton lacked the necessary pull to substantially reduce the gap to Benito. Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez) took the initiative and set off in pursuit as a soloist, but without success. She was quickly caught by the peloton.
Several falls
There were several crashes during this phase. Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//SRAM Racing) crashed into a rock face at low speed after a collision with Kim Cadzow (EF Education-Cannondale), but quickly picked up the pace again. Natalie Grinczer (Roland) was hit harder. For the Brit, the women's Vuelta ended in an ambulance.
Meanwhile, it became difficult for Benito alone at the front. Visma | Lease a Bike took over responsibility in the peloton and quickly made up a lot of time. With 20 kilometres to go, the peloton was only 1:20 minutes behind the leader.
Vos in a class of his own in the sprint
Seven kilometres before the finish it was Benito's turn. The Spaniard was swallowed up by the peloton. A mass crash in the middle of the peloton in the last three kilometres meant that only around 30 riders were able to intervene in the decision for the stage win.
With 200 metres to go, Liane Lippert (Movistar) opened the sprint for her team-mate Olivia Baril, but like everyone else she had no chance against Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike). The Dutchwoman took her 252nd professional victory with a lead of several bike lengths.
