Tour de Suisse stage three unfolded as expected, culminating in a bunch sprint where Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka deployed her craftiness and rapid turn of speed to finish fourth – just an eyelash shy of the podium and what would have been her first WorldTour top-three finish.

In true Agnieszka ‘Aga’ fashion, she remained unfazed and accepting of another almost-there moment, pleased with the result given recent sickness in the lead-up to the race.

“Again, it was close but not close enough. The plan was to back me in the final, but if I got dropped on the climb, Kasia [Niewiadoma-Phinney] would try something in the sprint. In the end, I was there, and the girls did an amazing job, especially supporting me mentally – I was really suffering after being sick these first two days. It hasn’t been easy, but I understand this is the process as we head towards the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. I’m happy with fourth because I wasn’t feeling great and still don’t feel my best. Yesterday was tough – being dropped from the breakaway was painful mentally, but today I’m really happy with fourth. I’m also happy with how we ride and back each other up – that’s always helpful. Last race tomorrow, and we’ll fight for GC.”

Despite the day’s itinerary not allowing for entirely trouble-free racing, early indications suggested many teams were gunning for a classic bunch finish – particularly with the challenging Suisse topography attracting more versatile fast-women. Notable contenders included Balsamo (LTK), Rüegg (EFO), and a Team SD Worx-Protime stronghold of Gerritse, Lach, Bredewold and Vas. Faulkner (EFO) launched a daring solo move with over 100 kilometres remaining, but the major sprint squads firmly capped her freedom.

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney was once again amid the fray as the roads and intensity ramped up, teasing spectators with her blossoming summer stage-racing form by contesting bonus seconds and getting amongst the aggressive moves.

In the final 2km, Agnieszka had Kasia as a loyal wingwoman, sitting fourth wheel behind a charging Movistar train. After Movistar pulled off in the last kilometre, the two Polish riders lost contact with one another and could never quite get back on terms. A fast 90-degree corner at 400m forced Aga to make up ground over the final 300m, as riders in front let wheels go. She found herself eighth, forced to take the long way around peeling leadouts and fading sprints, trailing third place-getter Rüegg by about a bike length with 100m to go. Surging out of the saddle, she chased into Rüegg’s slipstream and closed the gap, making a desperate bid to overtake in the final 25m. Ultimately, she just fell short.

This fourth-place finish surpasses Agnieszka’s two fifth places at the WorldTour Vuelta a Burgos Féminas in May, and stands as her best WorldTour result to date. With an astonishing 13 top-ten finishes in 2025 already, it’s surely a matter of when, not if, Aga finally achieves a WorldTour podium.

Now attention turns to the fourth and final Tour de Suisse stage – a nearly 130km route that is identical to tomorrow’s men’s opening stage, adding a compelling note of equality to the race. The day features two brutal climbs of Michaelskreuz (3.8km at 9.1% average), with the final ascent cresting just 15km from the finish. From there, riders will face mostly fast, scenic descents along Swiss country lanes. It promises to be a fiercely demanding and animated day, as the top GC contenders go head-to-head, throwing everything at each other to re-jig the final standings. For spectators, both the stage and the overall GC battle are set to be electrifying.

Kasia heads into the final day third overall, 1:23 behind yellow jersey Reusser (MOV) and 1:20 behind second-placed Vollering. She holds a 34-sec buffer over Chabbey (FDJ), with a 1:13 down to the tenth placed rider. It is by no means a done deal for anyone!

HOW TO FOLLOW

Stage 4 | Sunday, June 15 | Küssnacht – Küssnacht | 129.4km | 1939m elevation | Start: 9:45 – Fastest finish: 13:01 CET. LIVE from 11:00.

Live coverage available via Eurosport, Discovery Plus, TNT Sports, L’Equipe and local Swiss broadcasters. Stay updated on X with #TourdeSuisseWomen, and follow CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto’s social channels for the latest team updates.