In the past, SD Worx-Protime might have left the chasing to other teams. Despite having Lorena Wiebes to ride for – the best sprinter in the world – and despite it being a day that was almost certain to end in a bunch sprint, they might well have waited for other teams to chase down the breakaway. Just look at the corresponding stage of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
Today though, on stage 3 of the 2025 Tour, they did no such thing. The Dutch outfit leaned in to having the pre-stage favourite and committed to the chase, wholeheartedly.
Aside from Wiebes, every rider on the team helped to chase a group of four that still had two minutes with 30 km remaining. Even Lotte Kopecky, so often Wiebes’ lead-out rider extraordinaire, was on the front with around 25 km to go, ensuring the race would come back together.
And come back together it did. And when it did, SD Worx-Protime was rewarded for its efforts, with Wiebes sailing to a comfortable stage win in Angers after avoiding a nasty late crash.
Georgie Howe
Speaking in her post-race press conference, Wiebes paid tribute to her teammates’ tireless work. It was more than a mere platitude on a day where the Dutch outfit rode the front like we've rarely seen. She explained that there’s an intense sort of pressure that comes when you’ve had a whole squad riding for you; a pressure to deliver the win that everyone expects you to.
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