Lorena Wiebes takes a Ride London Classique hat trick and the overall

Lorena Wiebes bagged an incredible hat trick on Sunday, winning her third stage of the three at the Ride London Classique in the shadows of the Houses of Parliament.

The Dutch rider and her DSM team were imperious, their well drilled lead out positioning her perfectly, 23 year-old Charlotte Kool dropping her leader off with 175m to go. Once she had her nose in front no one one looked like beating Wiebes, world champion Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) taking second and Belgian champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) third.

Three stage wins and a clutch of intermediate sprint bonus seconds ensured Wiebes won the general classification by 19 seconds ahead of Balsamo, with Emma Bjerg third overall, a further nine seconds down.

Throughout all three stages Wiebes never looked like she would be challenged. Not only does she ride on the back of a formidable DSM lead out, but she is simply the fastest in the peloton on flatter courses. 

While others, like Bjerg, Balsamo and Kopecky might be better on lumpier routes, Wiebes is untouchable on days and short odds are the best you will find for Wiebes claiming the first Tour de France yellow jersey in Paris in July.

How it happened

For its final stage the revamped version of the Ride London Classique returned to London, though not to The Mall, where the one day race started and finished until 2019. This time the 83.5km stage would take in two different loops. 

The opening two circuits were only eight kilometres, with the remaining seven up to 10km, passing the Houses of Parliament, the new New Scotland Yard, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square and some of the city’s other well known sights.

Even with the new route, essentially stage three was a pan flat criterium, and with Lorena Wiebes taking an overall lead of 18 seconds into a race with only 16 bonus seconds available, all the DSM rider had to do was finish on the same time was the winner.

As would be expected the race began in fast and furious style, with the high pace not deterring attacks, though none of those were able to stick. Amber Kraak (Jumbo-Visma), Julia Borgström (AG Insurance-NXTG) and Anastasia Carbonari (Valcar Travel and Service) were the only group to build any real gap, taking the intermediate sprint after 25km, but they didn’t last long.

SDWorx were the main protagonists, kept the pace high, their Swiss champion Marlen Reusser going so hard gaps appeared in the group behind at one point.

However, the smaller teams were in no mood to take it lying down, AG Insurance-NXTG and St Michel-Auber93 continuously attacking, though getting nowhere.

Inside the final 20km AG Insurance-NXTG sent Ally Wollaston up the road, this time with Krista Doebel-Hickok (EF Education-Tibco-SVB) the pair managing to get a gap of 20 seconds. However, after a while the peloton organised themselves and the gap began to come down, as Wollaston forged ahead alone.

When the New Zealander was caught the main sprinters’ teams came to the front en masse, jostling for position as once again the pace lifted in preparation for the bunch sprint.

Results

Ride London Classique, stage three: Embankment, London - Embankment, London (83.5km)

1. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Team DSM in 2-01-01
2. Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
3. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx
4. Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar Travel and Service 
5. Rachele Barbieri (Ita) Liv Xstra
6. Emma Bjerg (Den) Movistar
7. Shari Bossuyt (Bel) Canyon-SRAM
8. Coryn Labecki (USA) Jumbo-Visma
9. Maike van der Duin (Ned) Le Col-Wahoo
10. Jesse Vandenbulcke (Bel) Le Col-Wahoo all at same time 

Final General Classification 

1. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Team DSM in 09-10-02
2. Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo at 19 sec
3. Emma Bjerg (Den Movistar at 28 sec
4. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SDW orx at 31 sec
5. Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar Travel and Service at 34 sec
6. Marta Bastianelli (Ita) AUE Team ADQ at 35 sec
7. Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar Travel and Service at 37 sec
8. Julia Borgström (SWE) AG Insurance-NXTG at 39 sec
9. Jesse Vandenbulcke (Bel) Le Col-Wahoo at 41 sec
10. Simone Boilard (Can) St Michel-Auber93 at 41 sec