Tough day for the peloton during the third stage of the Simac Ladies Tour

On Thursday, October 10th, the third stage of the Simac Ladies Tour took place for the riders of AG Insurance - Soudal. The stage, starting and finishing in Zeewolde, covered a distance of 148,4 kilometers and was marked by strong winds and echelons.

With over 50 kilometers to go, the peloton broke apart, and a lead group formed containing all the top favorites. This group stayed in front for the remainder of the race.

“Around kilometer 55, the peloton split into four or five different groups”, said team director Fien Delbaere. “We had three riders in the second group, but unfortunately, no one in the first group. The gap remained stable for a long time, between 20 and 30 seconds, but in the last 10 kilometers, it extended to about one and a half minutes because the top favorites in the first group kept the pace high. It was obviously a missed opportunity for us, as we had no one in the lead group.”

“The positive is that Ilse had good legs again, and Julia, after a tough season, is reaching a good level, which is very promising for next season. Maaike also showed strong form. We look forward to tomorrow.”