Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes attains victory in the first stage of women’s Tour de France
Image courtesy:CyclingTips
Dutch racing cyclist, Lorena Wiebes on Sunday won the first stage of the women’s Tour de France and claims the first yellow jersey of the resurrected race on the Champs Elysees.
She defeated her compatriot Marianne Vos and Italy’s Belgian Lotte Kopecky, who came second and third respectively.
In 33 years, Tour de France organizers ASO have granted the top female professionals an official multi-stage race for the first time.
“It’s incredible, the girls worked tirelessly for me. It was a very long sprint but I was expecting it as I was getting ready for Marianne Vos to go early,” said Wiebe as per TOI.
She further says, “I’m so happy. We’ve had a great season so far. I managed to accelerate one last time when Marianne was next to me.”
According to TOI, Sunday’s 81.7km opener around the streets of the French capital was marked by the crash of Belgian Alana Castrique, who was taken into an ambulance on a stretcher after falling hard on her back.
Wiebes leads Vos by four seconds by virtue of time bonuses, with Kopecky in third, six seconds off the pace.
