CANYON//SRAM Racing made it three podiums in as many stages in an action-filled third stage of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour. Chloé Dygert sprinted to third place from a group of 29 riders after much of the peloton felt the impact of the exposed terrain and ensuing echelons.

The action started 60km into the 158km stage as the crosswind sections loomed. Section after section, the peloton was divided until, finally, three main groups formed. Despite many teams with GC leaders forced to chase hard, none were able to close the gap to the first group that finally forged to the line. Dygert and teammates Elise Chabbey and Kasia Niewiadoma finished in the leading group for CANYON//SRAM Racing. The stage was won by Marianne Vos (JVW), who retains the leader jersey. Chloé keeps second on the general classification, now at +13 seconds, with Elise and Kasia in sixth and seventh, respectively.

RIDER REACTIONS 

Chloe Dygert: “I kept myself comfortable all day. There was only one time when I got caught up and had to jump across to the front group. There was a lot of panic from many riders in the peloton. I tried to stay as alert as possible without fighting for unnecessary positions until the crucial moments of the race.”

“When it came to the sprint, we were trying to keep the pace fast, and the speed was good for me. It was just a learning curve on my end. I’ve never sprinted before, there’s a lot to improve on, and I’m happy to have the guidance from the team to help me get there!”

“To be honest, I don’t think myself or anyone else really knows what to expect from me in sprinting or other aspects. I’m just trying not to limit myself. Giving me the opportunities to try and learn is only making me a stronger and smarter rider. I’m disappointed again not to have done better, but it’s nice to know that I can sprint if I need to!”

Kasia Niewiadoma: “We expected a windy and hectic stage when we knew how exposed the course was. It took a little while, but once it started, the action never stopped today. The first group was always getting smaller or bigger depending on the wind direction. We had a good battle to keep position and stay alert.”

“There are some GC contenders that lost time, but I don’t think it means so much, especially with the final climb on stage seven. Looking ahead, tomorrow might be more of a defensive stage for some teams as the bigger opportunities for the GC contenders are still coming later in the week.”

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