Usoa Ostolazak (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) wins Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées (Image credit: LABORAL Kutxa-Euskadi Fundazioa )
Josie Talbot wins final stage 3 at Tour Féminin des Pyrénées(Image credit: Cofidis Women's Cycling Team)
Josie Talbot (Cofidis) won stage 3 on the final day of racing at the Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées after a solo attack into Bosdarros.
The Australian won by 53 seconds over Lotte Claes (Arkéa-B&B Hotels Women). Giada Borghesi (BTC City Ljubljana Zhiraf Ambedo) led the chase group for third place after the 125.5km race from Nay into Bosdarros.
"It was such a relief to cross the finish line! We had a very good team here, and we wanted to get a good result. The fact that Nikola [Nosková] was in the breakaway gave us peace of mind going into the stage. Then, when I saw that the peloton was stretched out a bit, I said to myself that it was the right time to attack. I saw that no one had followed me, and I quickly opened up a gap," Talbot said.
"After that, I just had to keep going until the end, and I did! I'd like to thank my teammates, who did a great job. This victory gives me a lot of confidence and motivation before the Giro. You can feel that the team is becoming more and more professional and is constantly improving. It bodes well for the future!"
After a dominant stage 2 performance on the previous day atop the Col d'Aubisque, Usoa Ostolaza (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) maintained her GC lead and secured the overall title at the Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées.
The Spanish rider won by 31 seconds over runner-up Valentina Cavallar (Arkéa-B&B Hotels Women) and 58 seconds over her Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi teammate Yurani Blanco.
"I am very happy and proud of the work the team has done, especially today. It was impressive and exciting to see all the teammates working to achieve the goal of the yellow jersey. I am happy with the steps the team is taking, and with the victory, we have all achieved," Ostolaza said.
Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
