Haugset takes shock Tour stage win after huge break
Norway's Sigrid Haugset claimed a surprise stage three victory at the Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift, holding off two-time world champion Lotte Kopecky after a bold solo breakaway. The 27-year-old, who had never previously won a UCI World Tour race, launched her attack with 113km remaining on the 156.5km stage from Geneva into France, and despite expecting to be caught, managed to stay clear all the way to the finish.
Haugset now leads the general classification by two minutes and two seconds ahead of Kim le Court, having crossed the line one minute 24 seconds before Kopecky, who chased hard but lost ground in crosswinds near Arbois. Pre-race favourites, including defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Demi Vollering, finished well over two minutes further back, though Haugset is expected to lose her lead once the race reaches the mountains, with the main contenders still closely matched.
- Sigrid Haugset won stage three via a surprise solo breakaway
- She now leads the Tour de France Femmes by over two minutes
- Favourites expected to overhaul her lead once mountains arrive
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The Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift is a multi-stage road cycling race for women. Riders race each stage for a daily win, while their times are added together to decide the overall leader, known as the general classification leader.
Sigrid Haugset is a Norwegian rider who had not previously won a top-level UCI World Tour race. Lotte Kopecky, from Belgium, is a leading competitor and a two-time world champion; Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Demi Vollering are among the other prominent riders in the field.
A stage win can change the overall standings, but the race lasts across varied terrain. Mountain stages often create larger time gaps and can favour riders who are strongest on climbs, so an early lead may not determine the final result.