Lorena Wiebes of Team SD Worx – Protime secured her third consecutive stage win at the UAE Tour Women on Saturday, but it was a far cry from the dominant displays seen in the previous two stages. The Dutch sprinter was forced to dig deep, narrowly edging out Lara Gillespie of UAE Team ADQ at the finish line in Abu Dhabi.
The stage culminated in a thrilling sprint finish, with Wiebes crossing the line just half a bike length ahead of Gillespie. Amalie Dideriksen (Cofidis Women Team) was also in contention, briefly rubbing shoulders with Gillespie as the sprint unfolded, but ultimately couldn’t match the pace of the front two.
Wiebes had previously won stages one and two with considerable ease, leaving her rivals trailing. However, stage three proved to be a much tighter affair. “I lost Barbara [Guarischi] a bit, so I needed to find my way by myself a bit more,” Wiebes explained after the race. “I went quite a lot through the wind before I could start my sprint, so it was quite a hard one. The team did an amazing job all day long to chase the breakaway. We had to finish it off again, and again it was a chaotic sprint.”
The day’s racing saw an early breakaway attempt from Nina Berton (EF Education-Oatly), who built a lead of over a minute. However, the peloton, led by SD Worx – Protime, reeled her in with 40 kilometers remaining, setting the stage for another bunch sprint.
Gillespie, two years younger than Wiebes, is clearly emerging as a significant challenger. While Wiebes boasts an impressive 121 career victories, Gillespie is steadily building her own palmarès. “We are getting closer,” Gillespie said with a smile. “The hope is there and the belief is there. We had really good teamwork again today and we are in control. We go in tomorrow strong again.”
However, Sunday’s stage presents a drastically different challenge. The route features a 10.7km climb to the summit of Jebel Hafeet, a test that favors climbers over sprinters. This shift in terrain will likely see a change in the contenders for stage victory and the overall general classification.
For SD Worx – Protime, Anna van der Breggen will be the designated climber, while UAE Team ADQ will look to defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini to defend her title. Longo Borghini has won the overall classification for the past two years and will be aiming for a third consecutive triumph.
Wiebes acknowledged the change in dynamics. “We have to see. For our team here, it is the first climbing stage so we need to see how the legs are,” she said. “I think it will be a nice battle tomorrow.”
Other riders expected to feature prominently on the climb include Kasi Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM Zondacrypto), Niamh Fisher Black (Lidl-Trek), and Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco). The stage is set for a compelling battle between the sprinters and the climbers, with the overall lead likely to change hands on the slopes of Jebel Hafeet.
