After two hilly days of aggressive action at the Tour de France Femmes, the first pure bunch sprint could be on the cards for stage 3, with a flat route from La Gacilly to Angers.
Action will take place on the second-longest stage of the race at 163.5km, heading east out of Brittany and into Pays de la Loire, with just one categorised climb on the route.
The stage opens with that climb, the Côte de la Richardiere (1.7km at 4.7%) and then follows a largely flat route to the finish, where the first pure bunch sprint could unfold.
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Stage 1 winner Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike will be one of the favourites to double up and move back into the yellow jersey, having lost it to Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) despite being on the same time as her after stage 2.
Having failed to reel back in solo attacker Mavi García on Sunday, Lorena Wiebes and SD Worx-Protime will be looking for revenge and their first victory of the 2025 race.
Wiebes is far and away the best sprinter in the world on a flat finish, and with Charlotte Kool (Picnic PostNL) being forced to pull out before stage 2, having struggled through the opening day, Wiebes taking victory in Angers is only more likely.
With no Kool, Vos and Lidl-Trek's Elisa Balsamo will be the other top sprinters present in the finale on Monday, with New Zealand's Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez) another option for a flat finish.
A few crucial turns will lead into the sprint in Angers, with SD Worx-Protime needing to navigate three turns in the final 1.5km to ensure Wiebes can make it onto the bending line to the finish. If she's delivered properly, it's hard to see anyone overpowering her in a sprint.
It will be fast, furious, but after García's success on stage 2, late attackers may also be encouraged to try something to upset the favourites on a flat finale.
Mountains
- Côte de la Richardiere (1.7km at 4.7%), 34.1km
