Thalita de Jong sprinted to 13th place on Stage 3 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, crossing the line in the peloton of GC favourites alongside compatriot Nina Buijsman at the end of the 156.5 km stage from Geneva to Poligny.
“I can be happy with today,” de Jong said at the finish. “I hoped for a top ten of course, but it’s coming.”
The day was dominated by a sensational solo breakaway victory, with de Jong and Buijsman finishing 2 minutes and 48 seconds behind, as Buijsman leapt up the general classification standings and de Jong defended her place in the top 20.
“It was a hard day from the beginning,” the 32-year-old said of the hilly course that climbed the category one Col de la Faucille from the off. “But actually the climbs went well. I wouldn’t say easy, but I could follow quite good.”
Rolling through the Jura mountains, the route included 2,413 meters of total elevation gain and demanded full attention throughout with temperatures once again averaging out at 90 degrees.
“I stayed in the front the whole day and was attentive going with the breaks,” explained de Jong. “Every time we climbed, I was within the first ten by the top, so I kept believing.”
With two riders ahead, de Jong and Buijsman remained with the other GC contenders to sprint for the remaining places in Poligny.
“In the final I think I was too early in the wind,” she says. “But it was also a really long sprint, so we can be happy we finished it off fighting for a position.”
Tomorrow’s stage 4 time trial from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon is a crucial day in the fight for the yellow jersey. The 21 km technical course starts amid Burgundy’s vineyards, rises up the Lacets de Marsannay climb before descending into the finish town and will likely reorder the general classification.
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Photos: GettySport
