UTTRUP LUDWIG ON THE UP WITH SEVENTH IN BRITAIN

Tour of Britain Women stage three concluded on the locally infamous Saltburn Bank climb – steep terrain tailor-made for Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig’s punchy riding style.

The Danish Dynamite was fired up to go for a result, and looked as sharp as ever battling within a lead group of fewer than 20 riders heading into the second and final lap of the 19km punishing circuit around Saltburn.

Despite typical race dynamics working against her as the team’s sole representative, Cecilie crossed the line after 114 kilometres in seventh, right in the mix of the elite group sprinting for third. It’s a placing that could arguably have been even better, after getting perilously close to the gutter on the 15% pitches of Saltburn Bank, temporarily losing momentum, and then struggling for space in the sprint.

Not a headline result compared to her Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift stage win or countless WorldTour podiums, but it’s a performance that restores confidence and belief for the 29-year-old Dane.

“It means a lot to me because it has been a tough year since my crash in Omloop het Nieuwsblad last year, and coming back from that has actually been harder than expected. Step by step, we’re getting there, and I had really good sensations today.”

Cecilie explained how the race unfolded in its critical moments, following a relatively calm opening 80km where a three-rider break gained over three minutes. Their advantage was erased as teams scrambled for position heading into the Saltburn circuit with less than 35km to go.

“The team was so good – we were together all the time and they were so committed, really believing in me. That was very nice to feel.”

“The peloton really went into pieces on that descent through the forest, where there was a huge crash. We were actually in the second group after that, but luckily, Zoe [Bäckstedt] and Alice [Towers] came to the rescue and brought me back, so then I could just close the last gap. Thanks to them, I was in the front group and ready to fight for the victory.”

“Picnic-PostNL did a really good job of sending out attacks and forming a breakaway, and no team was really chasing. Picnic had five riders in that group, so one was bound to get away. Then, Riejanne Markus attacked and again, it seemed like no team was really reacting, which was a pity. Movistar were somewhat chasing at the end, but I guess this is also the resulting dynamic when it’s only a small group and there aren’t many teams with numbers.”

Although the stage ended on a  slightly deflating note for the team, the takeaways are overwhelmingly positive – both for Cecilie herself, and for the unwavering commitment shown to keep her in the fight after chaotic moments on an already gritty, demanding course.

With two stages now behind us, we’re halfway through this year’s Tour of Britain Women. Tomorrow, the race convoy crosses the Scottish border for the flagship stage – 143.8km with 2172m of relentless climbing on unyielding roads around Kelso. The curtain will fall on the tour with a stage four circuit race showstopper in Glasgow – 10 laps of 8.4km circumnavigating the city, likely giving sprinters their moment to finally step into the spotlight.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Stage 3 | Saturday, June 7 | Kelso – Kelso | 143.8km | 2172m elevation | Start: 11:00 – Fastest finish: 15:00 BST

Stage 4 | Sunday, June 8 | Glasgow – Glasgow | 82.2km | 577m elevation | Start: 10:00 – Fastest finish: 12:15 BST

Live coverage begins from close to flag drop each day on BBC Sport, Eurosport, Discovery Plus, TNT Sports, and the Tour of Britain YouTube channel. Stay updated on X with #ToBW and #TourofBritain, and follow CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto’s social channels for the latest team updates.