The fourth stage of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women proved to be an unpredictable and action-packed day, with 138.3 kilometres from Llanidloes to Hay-on-Wye.
Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime) claimed her third victory of the race, once again proving her strength in the sprint. Karlijn Swinkels was the best finisher for UAE Team L’IMAD, taking sixth place.
It was another nervous and fast-paced day of racing, with the UAE Team L’IMAD riders playing an active role throughout. Several crashes disrupted the race, also involving some of our riders, but fortunately none resulted in serious consequences.
The decisive action came on the final climb, where the main contenders for the general classification accelerated and a small leading group was formed. Unfortunately, no UAE Team L’IMAD rider was able to make the selection.
However, Erica Magnaldi produced an outstanding effort in the following kilometres, spending a long time at the front of the chasing group to help bring team captain Karlijn Swinkels back into contention with the strongest riders.
Several attacks followed in the closing kilometres, but the stage ultimately came down to a sprint. Once again, Wiebes proved unbeatable, taking another victory.
Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance – Soudal Team) retains the overall lead, while Karlijn Swinkels sits sixth in the general classification, 46 seconds behind the race leader.
The Lloyds Tour of Britain Women concludes tomorrow with the fifth and final stage, a 123.8-kilometre route starting and finishing in Royal Leamington Spa.
(ph. Getty Sport)
