Marianne Vos makes it a Tour of Scandinavia hat trick

Marianne Vos took a third consecutive stage win at the Tour of Scandinavia, extending her GC lead half way through the six day race.

After winning the first two stages the Jumbo-Visma rider began the day as the outright favourite, the punchy parcours  and uphill finish suiting her perfectly. However, she found herself unusually out of position in the frantic final, boxed in and about 20 riders back with around 600m to go.

However, she sprinted up the right side of the peloton, slipped into the wheels and was still able to sprint to the win.

Danish champion Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-SUEX-Futuroscope) opened the sprint early, but was passed 50m from the line, eventually finishing second, with Shari Bossuyt (Canyon-SRAM) taking her second third place.

It was a frantic, aggressive stage in southern Norway, three punchy laps around the finish town of Sarpsborg making for an exciting final. Former British champion Alice Barnes (Canyon-SRAM) sas off the front for much of the final 15km, adding jeopardy to the final, but it was Vos again.

The race remains on familiar ground for the fourth day, the stage between Askim and Mysen a favourite of the Ladies Tour of Norway. And, at 119km it’s just a few hundred metres longer than Thursday’s stage, and with a similar, punchy finish we could see a similar result.

How it happened

For the race’s second stage the Tour of Scandinavia headed back to its roots. The race is run by the same organisation responsible for Ladies Tour of Norway, the new race taking the older one’s pace on the calendar. 

After one stage in each of Denmark and Sweden the race returned to Norway and to Moss, which last hosted a stage start in 2019. Finishing in Halden, where the Ladies Tour of Norway was based, that day was won by Marianne Vos, who went on to claim a third consecutive GC.

Thursday’s finish in Sarpsborg was used in the 2021 race, with Kristen Faulkner (then riding for Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank, now BikeExchange-Jayco) hanging on by the skin of her teeth for a solo win. 

However, the last time Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) raced into Sarpsborg, in the 2018 race on a slightly shorter uphill sprint to this year’s, she beat Emilia Fahlin (FDJ-SUEZ-Futurooscope), just as she did in Wednesday’s stage this year.

After two stages of over 140km where no breakaway got a gap, Thursday’s was the race’s shortest, at only 118.9km, and there was action from the start. Soon after the flag dropped 2018 Junior time trial and road world champion Elena Pirrone (Valcar Travel and Service) headed up the road, and was soon joined by British all-rounder Josie Nelson (Coop-Hitec Products).

With Blanka Vas (SDWorx) chasing behind, initially they struggled to get a meaningful advantage. But when the Hungarian champion was caught the leading duo were allowed their head, the gap extending to 3-30.

A moment’s drama occurred when BikeExchange-Jayco upped the pace just before a crash split the bunch, distancing overall leader Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) who had to work hard to get back in.

This significantly reduced the leaders’ advantage, knocking two minutes off, and reducing it to les than one minute by the time the peloton re-formed after a frantic chase. And with the breakaway so close the aggression continued, easing only when Movistar’s Lourdes Oyarbide headed off in pursuit.

The former Spanish champion soon made contact with the leaders, but the peloton were prowling behind, Jumbo-Visma leading the chase. Pirrone was first to let go, and when Nelson was dropped on the day’s final classified climb 33km from the line, more action kicked off behind, numerous attacks bringing Oyarbide back with 30km remaining.

Former British champion, Alice Barnes led the race onto the first of three-and-a-half laps around the finish town. The Canyon-SRAM rider led by 17 seconds as she crossed the line three full laps and 19.5km from the finish.

And with the chase behind far from concerted, Barnes’s lead was more than 20 seconds at the start of the next lap. However, after taking th maximum remaining points at an intermediate sprint Alison Jackson (Liv-Xstra) set off in pursuit, causing the peloton to chase.

The Canadian rider’s move caused panic in the bunch which split under pressure of the pursuit, a small group led by Lucinda Brand (Trek-Segafredo) group catching Jackson and bringing Barnes to within touching distance.

But still she led, though by the time she began the final lap her advantage was just a slack handful of seconds and she was caught shortly afterwards. 

The final lap was beautiful blur of attacking chaos, Vos’s team mate and compatriot Anouska Koster up the road, with Trek-Segafredo’s Lucinda Brand also off the front. And a late move from Maaike Boogaard (UAE ADQ) threatened to take Vos to the line. 

But with 2-5km to go the peloton came together and seemed to settle for a bunch kick.

Result Tour of Scandinavia, stage three: Moss - Sarpsborg (118.9km)

1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma in 3-04-40
2. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope
3. Shari Bossuyt (Bel) Canyon-SRAM
4. Alex Manly (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 
5. Gladys Verhulst (Fra) Le Col-Wahoo
6. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
7. Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) UAE ADQ
8. Yara Kastlijn (Ned) Plantur-Pura
9.  Floortje Mackaij (Ned) DSM
10. Marthe Truyền (Bel) Plantur-Pura all at same time 

General classification after stage three 

1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma in 10-28-08
2. Shari Bossuyt (Bel) Canyon-SRAM at 22 sec
3. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ-SUEZ- Futuroscope at 24 sec
4. Alex Manly (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco at 30 sec
5. Floortje Mackaij (Ned) DSM at 
6. Megan Jastrab (USA) DSM
7. Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) UAE ADQ
8. Gladys Verhulst (Fra) Le Col-Wahoo
9. Margaux Vigie (Fra) Valcar Travel and Service
10. Marthe Truyền (Bel) Plantur-Pura all at same time