MADRID, 23 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Belgian cyclist Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) won the first stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023 this Sunday, played over 123.8 kilometers on a flat course starting and finishing in Clermont-Ferrand, thanks to a fruitful attack 10 kilometers from the finish line.
Kopecky, wearing her national champion jersey, led the rest of the runners with that strong lunge on the last slope of the day, on the Côte de Durtol. She then pushed all the way to the conclusion to give herself the solo stage win, with a gap of 41″ over his immediate chasers.
In this way, Kopecky achieved his eleventh victory throughout this season, showing enormous efficiency in said statistics. The negative note was the hard fall of the Spanish Mireia Benito (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step) at km 27 of stage 1, even being forced to abandon this Women’s Tour.
During an action without apparent danger, while Benito was overtaking at the front of the peloton as he took over, a gust of wind caused him to leave the asphalt and fall to the ground among the bushes on one side. The Catalan was treated by the race medical services, having to put on a neck brace.
After its starting signal, the Tour will live its stage 2 this Monday between the cities of Clermont-Ferrand and Mauriac. It will already be a mountainous day, with a route of 151.7 kilometers that will include the ascent to a 2nd category climb, another 3rd category climb and four more 4th category climbs.
–CLASSIFICATIONS.
-Stage.
1. Lotte Kopecky (BEL/SD Worx) 3h04:09.
2. Lorena Wiebes (PBA/SD Worx) a 41.
3. Charlotte Kool (PBA/Team DSM-Firmenich) m.t.
4. Marianne Vos (PBA/Jumbo-Visma) mt
5. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (RSA/Soudal Quick-Step) 43.
-General.
1. Lotte Kopecky (BEL/SD Worx) 3h03:59.
2. Lorena Wiebes (PBA/SD Worx) a 45.
3. Charlotte Kool (PBA/Team DSM-Firmenich)47.
4. Marianne Vos (PBA/Jumbo-Visma)51.
5. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (RSA/Soudal Quick-Step) 53.