World Samo Champion Elisa won the third stage of the Women’s Tour de Suisse. On the final climb, the Trek rider was slightly faster than French champion Evita Muzik (FDJ) in the sprint. Lianne Lippert (Team DSM) came third, while still having a bad crash in the final kilometres.
The leader’s yellow jersey remained on the shoulders of American Christine Faulkner (BikeExchange). Lucinda Brand – who lost the lead in Sunday’s chaotic time trial – crossed the line at Chur on the Faulkner wheel. Paulina Roijakkers (SRAM) was the best Dutch rider that day, eighth.
Shooting and squatting to attack
The most difficult task for the peloton was already thirty kilometers in the 142 kilometers stage on Monday. On and beyond Stossstrasse, a 7.4 kilometer ascent by 6.5% to Gais, the peloton has greatly diminished. About forty passengers remained.
Then Brand (second in the rankings), Jolanda Nef (the sixth in the rankings), Florty McCaig (8th in the rankings) and Ronja Blochlinger. The shirtless Faulkner outfit couldn’t do without it. The Alaskan rider herself helped lead the herd to retrieve the fugitives.
At 60 kilometers from the finish everything came together again. Plenty of time to prepare for a ride, thought Amber Krack (Jumbo-Visma), Sina Fry (Switzerland Cycling) and Stein Burghley (FDJ). The trio eventually had 1.5 minutes.
