Lily Williams scored her second stage podium of the month in a WorldTour race, sprinting to second place on stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse Women, at the end of the 105.6 km out-and-back route to Bad Ragaz.
“I’m really happy with that. I came here targeting today and tomorrow, and the team delivered the whole day,” the 31-year-old said afterwards. “There are not a huge number of proper sprinters here anyway, because the race has so much elevation, but I’m happy with the chance to sprint for a result.”
Positioned by her teammates and expertly navigating the finale atop her team Factor OSTRO VAM, the Olympic gold medalist followed the wheel of stage winner Zoe Bäckstedt’s lead-out rider, before launching her sprint inside the final 250 meters.
In the finale, we knew there was a roundabout at about a kilometer and a half to go, where we needed to be in position, so it was a pinch point,” explains Williams. “I was in a good spot there around CANYON//SRAM. They did a really good job for Zoe as well, so I was able to kind of surf off that.”
Like stage 3 at the Giro d’Italia Women, where she also finished second, Williams utilized her strength to be well-positioned for a rising drag within the finish town.
“It really dragged up, which suited me,” she says. “I think there are two ways of looking at it. You can either wait and go late, because it’s harder, or you can go early, like Zoe today or me at the Giro, when I just opened it up early and managed to get the gap. So I think the harder sprint definitely suits me more.”
The team of Williams, Thalita de Jong, Nina Buijsman, Carlotta Cipressi, Marta Jaskulska and Titia Ryo were present at the head of the peloton throughout the day, helping to keep a strong day’s breakaway within reach.
“We worked with UAE,” says Williams. “We had a rider or two in there to help keep the gap to the breakaway not too much, so they did a really good job with that.”
Elsewhere, in the general classification, de Jong defended her 10th place overall and heads into tomorrow’s individual time-trial two minutes and eight seconds behind leader Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ).
Stage 4 will make all the difference in the general classification ahead of a mountainous conclusion to the race. Ideal for TT specialists, the course has few elevation changes, fast sections and several corners where technically strong riders can make a difference.
“It’s a nice opportunity to test a lot of the things I’ve been working on with the time trial,” said Williams. “I’ve been riding the bike a lot, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Tour de Suisse Women stage 3 results
1 BÄCKSTEDT Zoe – CANYON//SRAM 2:49:29
2 WILLIAMS Lily – Human Powered Health ”
3 BOSSUYT Shari – AG Insurance – Soudal Team ”
4 VAN DER WOLF Babette – EF Education-Oatly ”
5 LIECHTI Jasmin – Switzerland ”
6 LACH Marta – Team SD Worx – Protime ”
7 PATERNOSTER Letizia – Liv AlUla Jayco ”
8 SWINKELS Karlijn – UAE Team ADQ ”
9 LE NET Marie – FDJ United – SUEZ ”
10 KOCH Franziska – FDJ United – SUEZ ”
Tour de Suisse Women General Classification after stage 3
1 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa – UAE Team ADQ 8:20:54
2 DICKSON Lauren – FDJ United – SUEZ 0:25
3 VAN DAM Sarah – Team Visma | Lease a Bike 0:35
4 HÄBERLIN Steffi – Team SD Worx – Protime 0:54
5 REUSSER Marlen – Movistar Team 0:55
6 NIEWIADOMA Kasia – CANYON//SRAM 0:58
7 KERBAOL Cédrine – EF Education-Oatly 1:01
8 LE COURT-PIENAAR Kim – AG Insurance – Soudal Team 1:14
9 DE VRIES Femke – Team Visma | Lease a Bike 1:27
10 DE JONG Thalita – Human Powered Health 2:18
Photos: GettySport & HPHCycling
