How the race finished
Charlotte Kool (Team DSM) won the final stage to seal her place at the top of the overall general classification. The Canyon//Sram Racing duo of Chloé Dygert and Maike van der Duin rode a strong finale, but ultimately had to settle for second and third across the line. Dygert jumped up to second in the general classification, with Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) slipping to third.
Full results are available below.
How it happened
The stage of the Ride London Classique saw the peloton take on a crit-style, multi-lap race around central London, finishing on the Mall. With two intermediate sprints offering opportunities to pick up bonification seconds, and of course further time bonuses available the final time across the line, the GC was still in play. Riders lined up at the start under sunny skies, ready for a fast and furious race.
As soon as the flag dropped, Jess Finney (AWOL O’Shea) launched an attack, but she was brought back quickly. Canyon//Sram Racing were keen to set the pace on the front, with British champion Alice Towers leading the peloton through the streets of London. Caroline Baur, the swiss champion riding for Israel-Premier Tech-Roland was the next to try to sneak away, but at the end of the first lap the peloton swept her up as well. AWOL O’Shea kept trying, but once again, with an eye on the first intermediate sprint at the end of the third lap, the major teams brought things back together.
Coming into the intermediate sprint, Canyon//Sram Racing, Trek-Segafredo and Uno-X all lined their sprinters up. The race leader didn’t contest the sprint, with Charlotte Kool saving her legs for the line and hoping her existing time gaps would be enough. Chloé Dygert took the maximum 3” at the sprint, with best young rider Eleonora Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ) and Pfeiffer Georgi (DSM) picking up the final seconds.
Many teams were still keen to attack the race, and with around 45 kilometres remaining Parkhotel Valkenburg set things up for Sofie van Rooijen to go clear. Once she had established a gap, Danielle Shrosbree (DAS-Handsling Bikes) tried to come across, but the peloton lined out in pursuit behind. Victoire Berteau (Cofidis) was able to jump clear and bridge the gap. The duo were joined a little later by Grace Lister (DAS-Handsling Bikes), and the trio worked strongly together to extend their lead.
Canyon//Sram was once again chasing on the front of the peloton, but the trio held their gap, with Victorie Berteau holding the virtual lead. As the laps slipped away, Trek-Segafredo became increasingly aggressive, looking to use the trio up front to launch one of their riders up the road, or find another way to sneak some seconds in the second intermediate sprint. No one was allowed to get away. The peloton eventually brought the break back with just ten kilometres left to race.
Throughout the final lap, teams hustled for position, keeping their leaders in the frame and out of trouble. Just outside the final kilometre, Sarah Roy (Canyon//Sram Racing) launched a huge move, finding a gap off the front in an attempt to make Team DSM close the gap and leave their sprinter on the front early. Roy was reeled back in and UAE Team ADQ took up the lead out. As the sprint opened up, Charlotte Kool sat patiently on Pfeiffer Georgi’s wheel. When Dygert launched up the left hand side with van der Duin in her wheel, Kool came off the wheel. She powered away to take the win just ahead of the Canyon//Sram duo.
Stage Three – Full Results
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General Classification – Final Results
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