tour reporter
Denmark’s Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig wins stage 3 of the women’s Tour de France. The German champion Liane Lippert had also picked out a victory that day, but things turned out differently.
Liane Lippert carefully felt her left side with her fingers, her elbow was bleeding, but the German champion’s hip was clearly the greater concern after the 3rd stage of the women’s Tour de France. “The hip hurts a lot right now”said Lippert. She also felt her ribs: “But I guess it’s nothing worse.”
Exactly Lippert’s terrain
The physical wounds may be less dramatic, but the frustration should stay a little longer, maybe longer. This third day of the Tour de France Femmes should have been hers.
The stage of reims after Epernay with three toxic climbs in the last 16.7 kilometers offered exactly the terrain on which she could use her qualities as a climber punch can play out.“I knew that this was my chance today. And I really wanted to take advantage of it”said Lippert: “Winning the stage was my goal and then it’s all over in a split second.”
The moment when Lippert’s dream of winning the stage was shattered came about 15 kilometers from the finish. At the time, the 24-year-old was in a leading group that had recently climbed the 12.2 percent steep slope Cote de Mutigny had formed and next to the later stage winner Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig also the favorites for the overall victory.
The front wheel just slips away
Lippert was one of the riders who initiated this group with an increase in speed. “I definitely had my legs today, was always in control and wasn’t in too much trouble on the mountain”said Lippert. But in a left turn shortly after the climb, her front wheel slipped away. Just like the Dutch woman Demi Volleringwhich fell directly in front of Lippert.
The exact cause of the fall could not be identified, it seemed as if the road there had been slippery. But during full ring was back on the bike quite quickly and managed to catch up, Lippert also had to pull her chain back onto the blade. Too much time to get back up in the intense finale. “This is frustrating”said Lippert.
A dream came true for Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig
So cheered in Epernay So not the German, but the Danish champion about the prestigious day’s success, which she then celebrated exuberantly. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig is known for being very emotional and doesn’t mince words in the exuberance of feelings. “Without filter”that’s how she is, said the 26-year-old from Frederiksberg.
Even a good hour after her brilliant sprint at the end of the steep approach to the finish, she was still excited about her success: “A dream come true, I’ve just said it to myself again: I’m a stage winner in the Tour de France. That looks pretty good on my CV.”
In fact, this win is in Epernay the one that now stands out in Ludwig’s curriculum vitae. But she also traveled to France with ambitions for the general classification. In the classification, however, she is already 1’48 minutes behind the yellow jersey, which is further from the Dutchman Marianne Vos will be carried.
“We are not slackers”
She got a large part of this deficit on Monday on the 2nd stage. She was also involved in one of the numerous falls there. your team FDJ SUEZ Futuroscope had been lying on the street with four drivers. underneath Martha Cavallithe second of Giro d’Italia Donne and one of the top favorites for overall victory.
The Italian, who also wanted to fight for the yellow jersey, was unable to compete in the 3rd stage. “It was such a shitty day yesterday”says Ludwig, “But we said to ourselves, we’re going to fight, we’re not bloody quitters. And we showed that today.”
Above all she herself: the Dane was the Pole after a fall Katarzyna Niewiadoma at the foot of Cote de Mutigny initially held up, but then had joined forces with Marianne Vos and Niewiadoma fought back to the top. In the ascent to the finish she wore herself Vos’ Rear wheel oriented to start your sprint – the right decision.
The tide can turn
On the podium they have “cried, cried, cried”said Louis. And her teammates, who had gathered to witness the moment, would have done the same. “We’ll celebrate tonight, I promise”announced the winner of the day.
It may be a consolation for Liane Lippert that the tide can turn from one day to the next. On the 4th stage of troyes after Bar sur Aube another profile is waiting that could lie with Lippert. Unless her hip is still giving her problems on Wednesday.