Sigrid Haugset, wearing the Norwegian national champion's colours, executed a stunning long‑range solo to take stage three of the Tour de France Femmes and move into the race lead.
Solo escape rewrites the order
The 27‑year‑old launched what became a 90km solo bid from the foot of the Col de la Savine and held off a furious chase to cross the line in Poligny with a comfortable advantage. Temperatures climbed into the high 30s, making the day brutally hot and turning survival into a tactical element as much as pure power.
Her lead in the general classification is now a decisive 2 minutes 2 seconds over Kim Le Court, heading into the 21km individual time trial from Gevrey‑Chambertin to Dijon on Wednesday.
Defying the favourites
Haugset's bold move surprised the peloton’s established contenders. Former world champion Lotte Kopecky mounted an intense pursuit and, at one stage, closed to within 10 seconds, but could not bridge the gap. Haugset then edged clear again to seal the day's biggest success.
"I never thought it was possible," she said. "It’s unreal. I was so dizzy at the end."
She paid tribute to her support, saying the team car had been "amazing" during the effort and mentioning family back home as motivation for giving everything on the road.
- Stage: Poligny, 156km
- Stage winner: Sigrid Haugset (NOR), solo
- Yellow jersey: Sigrid Haugset, +2:02 over Kim Le Court
Historic firsts and what comes next
Haugset becomes the first Norwegian to don the yellow jersey in the Tour Femmes. She admitted she has not focused on the time trial this season and plans to savour the moment, but the coming 21km test to Dijon represents a stern examination of whether her long escape can be consolidated.
| Rider | Position | Gap to leader |
|---|---|---|
| Sigrid Haugset (NOR) | 1st | — |
| Kim Le Court | 2nd | +2:02 |
Hot conditions, ice socks and constant dousing of drinks characterised the relentless 156km stage. The first clear confrontation among the pre‑race favourites unfolded on the Côte de Chaux‑Champagny, 25km from the finish, when Le Court pushed the pace and briefly shook things up — but it was Haugset who turned audacity into a lead she would not surrender.
This result reshapes the narrative of the early Tour de France Femmes: a relative newcomer to the spotlight now shoulders the responsibility of defending a lead against seasoned time‑triallists and sprinting squads. The Dijon time trial will determine whether her brave solo will stand as a defining moment or a spectacular prelude to a different finale.
