Marianne Vos after winning the first stage of the Tour de France. Alamy Stock Photo

Veteran Dutch rider Vos takes overall leader's jersey at Women's Tour de France

Marianne Vos finished second behind compatriot Lorena Wiebes on the third stage.

VETERAN DUTCH RIDER Marianne Vos took the overall leader’s jersey in the women’s Tour de France after finishing second behind compatriot Lorena Wiebes on the third stage.

Three-time former world champion Vos, 38, moved six seconds ahead of Mauritius’ Kim Le Court in the general classification after a flat 163.5km ride from La Gacilly to Angers in western France.

France’s Olympic cross-country champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot completed the top three, 12 seconds behind, with last year’s Tour winner Katarzyna Niewiadoma fourth.

Ireland’s Lara Gillespie finished in 22nd place while Mia Griffin came home in 31st, and Fiona Mangan was 71st. Mangan leads the way for the Irish in the general classification in 102nd place while Gillespie is 112th with Griffin two places back.

The trio have made history for Ireland by becoming the first women to represent the country on the Tour de France.

One-day expert Vos has made an impressive start to this year’s edition of the Tour, having won Saturday’s opening stage in Vannes.

Despite her incredible list of achievements, including 2012′s Olympic gold, the women’s Giro d’Italia and countless Classic success, she has yet to win the Tour, but wore the yellow jersey in 2022 for five days.

The end of the stage on the banks of the Loire river, best known for wine production, was marred by a crash as pre-stage favourite Demi Vollering fell.

Vollering, who finished second overall last year, remains fifth in the overall standings despite the incident.

After the crash, two-time former European champions Wiebes, 26, held on to secure her fourth Tour stage win, adding to her 15 success so far this season.

Tuesday’s fourth of nine stages on the fourth edition of the women’s Tour is another flat ride, stretching 130.7km south from Saumur, also on the Loire river, to Poitiers.

– © AFP 2025

Additional reporting by Sinéad Farrell

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