PREVIEW | Tour de France Femmes 2025 stage 3 - Lorena Wiebes and Elisa Balsamo to face off on first bunch sprint

On Monday, the sprinters finally get their moment in the spotlight at the Tour de France Femmes. It’s been a longer wait than in 2024 for the world’s fastest women like Lorena Wiebes, but the upcoming stages are set to deliver plenty of high-speed action.

Stage 3 covers a 163,5-kilometre route with just over 1,000 metres of elevation gain — relatively flat by French standards, though far from entirely level. The peloton will leave Brittany behind, setting off from the floral village of La Gacilly in the Morbihan department, home of cosmetics magnate Yves Rocher and a former Grand Départ location back in 1985.

The peloton will make its way eastward from La Gacilly into the scenic Loire Valley, wrapping up the day in the lively student city of Angers. Famed for its imposing 13th-century Château d’Angers and the magnificent Tapestry of the Apocalypse, the finish location offers both historical grandeur and modern flair.

Although the profile appears largely flat — with the highest point of the day just 108 metres above sea level — the riders won’t have it entirely easy. In total, they’ll tackle 1,320 metres of elevation, with rolling terrain that never truly lets up.

The first challenge of the day comes after 34 kilometres: the Côte de Richardière, a short climb of 1.7 km at 4.7%, where the first mountain points will be up for grabs. From there, the peloton sweeps through the town of Châteaubriant, whose medieval roots are reflected in its name, before racing along broad, open roads toward the finale.

All signs point to a classic bunch sprint in Angers, where speedsters will battle it out against a backdrop of centuries-old architecture, student energy, and the vineyards of the Loire. It’s the first real sprint opportunity of the Tour — and it’s bound to deliver fireworks.

*** Lorena Wiebes
** Elisa Balsamo
* Marianne Vos, Ally Wollaston, Laura Tomasi, Linda Zanetti, Agniezka Skalniak-Sójka, Amalie Dideriksen, Chloé Dygert

Pick: Lorena Wiebes

How: Regular bunch sprint, flawless leadout from Kopecky and Bredewold.