Ladies Tour of Norway 2021 – Stage 3 [FULL STAGE]

August 14, 2021

Ladies Tour of Norway 2021 – Stage 3 – Drammen – Norefjell : 145 km

Falling in August, the Ladies Tour of Norway has kickstarted the latter half of the racing season ever since it was first added to the calendar in 2014. In 2017 it was upgraded to the Women’s WorldTour and has gone from strength to strength ever since. This year’s race will follow a slightly different format, with four road stages instead of three. It’ll also be the first edition in the race’s short history to feature a mountaintop stage finish – on day three the riders will tackle the punishing, 10km-long ascent to the Norefjell ski resort.

Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Team) has stamped her name on the first-ever mountaintop finish in the Ladies Tour of Norway. When the Olympic ITT champion and leader of the Women’s WorldTour attacked on the steepest part of the Norefjell climb with three kilometres to go, only Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Team SD Worx) and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) could follow, but Van Vleuten dropped them both on the next 500 metres and soloed to the stage win.

Moolman-Pasio was the next to cross the line 35 seconds later followed by Mavi García (Alé BTC Ljubljana), who passed Uttrup Ludwig on the final kilometre and took third place, 41 seconds down, with her teammate Marlen Reusser in fourth at 44 seconds. Uttrup Ludwig finished fifth, 48 seconds behind the stage winner.

Van Vleuten took the yellow leader’s jersey with one stage to go with a 39-second advantage over Moolman Pasio and 47 seconds over Garcia.

How it unfolded

Starting in Drammen, stage 3 covered 145 kilometres that included one classified climb and two intermediate sprints before the mountaintop finish at Norefjell.

The 11.1-kilometre finishing climb had an average gradient of 6.1 per cent, with the steepest parts, above 8 per cent, coming right at the start of the climb and on the third-to-last kilometre.

Despite several attacks, nobody succeeded in getting away from the peloton in the first half of the race. Brodie Chapman (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) was the first to be let go, but Ann Helen Olsen (Team Coop-Hitec Products) who tried to bridge to Chapman was reeled in again with 70km to go.

Chapman’s advantage fluctuated between 22 seconds and a minute until Norwegian champion Vita Heine (Norway) attacked from the peloton with 55km left to race and quickly joined Chapman. Together, they extended their gap to a maximum of 1:40 minutes with 30 kilometres to go.

However, the peloton never settled down, and there were several attacks as it started to rain. Sophie Wright (Alé BTC Ljubljana) tried to bridge to Chapman and Heine on her own and was later joined by Femke Markus (Parkhotel Valkenburg), but they never reached the front and were eventually caught again with 17 kilometres to go.

The peloton reached Heine and Chapman two kilometres before the start of the climb where the race quickly fell apart on the steep gradients. Liane Lippert (Team DSM) went to work in support of her teammate Labous and reduced the first group to about 30 riders, then Canyon-SRAM’s Ella Harris and Mikayla Harvey took over for Elise Chabbey.

Niamh Fisher-Black (Team SD Worx) made the first attack 6.7km from the line, but after a kilometre, her move was neutralised by Lippert. Moolman-Pasio immediately counterattacked and had Van Vleuten, Uttrup Ludwig, Kristen Faulkner (Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank), Labous and Reusser following her, but this attack did not get away, and the group settled down for a while with Faulkner setting the pace.

Moolman-Pasio made another move just before the steepest section of the climb that blew the group apart, and this time, Van Vleuten counterattacked. Continuing at a high pace on the steepest kilometre of the climb, Van Vleuten was alone in front when the road flattened out somewhat with two kilometres to go and rode to another convincing victory.

Van Vleuten now holds a comfortable lead in the general classification, Fisher-Black took over the white U23 jersey with an eighth place on the stage. Faulkner defended her green jersey against Alison Jackson (Liv Racing) at the two intermediate sprints and goes into the final stage with a two-point lead over the Canadian. Nina Buysman (Parkhotel Valkenburg) defended the mountain jersey by winning the day’s first QOM sprint in Komperud and needs only one point from the two classified climbs on stage 4 to win the QOM classification.

Results :
1 Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar Team Women 3:52:17
2 Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Team SD Worx 0:00:35
3 Mavi Garcia (Spa) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:00:41
4 Marlen Reusser (Swi) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:00:44
5 Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:00:48
6 Kristen Faulkner (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:00:50
7 Rachel Neylan (Aus) Parkhotel Valkenburg
8 Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) Team SD Worx 0:01:01
9 Lucinda Brand (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:12
10 Juliette Labous (Fra) Team DSM
11 Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Plantur-Pura 0:01:14
12 Lucy Kennedy (Aus) Team BikeExchange
13 Elise Chabbey (Swi) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:01:15
14 Riejanne Markus (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team
15 Mikayla Harvey (NZl) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:01:30
16 Joscelin Lowden (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
17 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
18 Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
19 Urska Pintar (Slo) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
20 Anna Shackley (GBr) Team SD Worx
21 Janneke Ensing (Ned) Team BikeExchange
22 Ingrid Lorvik (Nor) Norway National Team
23 Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:01:41
24 Ella Harris (NZl) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:02:16
25 Leah Thomas (USA) Movistar Team Women
26 Urska Zigart (Slo) Team BikeExchange 0:03:06
27 Mischa Bredewold (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:03:08
28 Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team DSM
29 Ingvild Gåskjenn (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
30 Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Liv Racing 0:03:19
31 Liane Lippert (Ger) Team DSM
32 Anouska Koster (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:04:11
33 Vita Heine (Nor) Norway National Team
34 Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:04:53
35 Anne Dorthe Ysland (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:05:05
36 Sanne Cant (Bel) Plantur-Pura
37 Inge van der Heijden (Ned) Plantur-Pura 0:06:16
38 Annemarie Worst (Ned) Plantur-Pura
39 Julie De Wilde (Bel) Plantur-Pura 0:06:33
40 Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Nor) Norway National Team
41 Nancy van der Berg (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team
42 Amber Kraak (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team
43 Nina Buijsman (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
44 Magdalene Lind (Nor) Norway National Team
45 Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
46 Eugenia Bujak (Slo) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:06:36
47 Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAM Racing
48 Tiril Jørgensen (Nor) Norway National Team 0:06:42
49 Wilma Olausson (Swe) Team DSM 0:07:01
50 Femke Gerritse (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
51 Justine Ghekiere (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire 0:07:42
52 Christine Majerus (Lux) Team SD Worx
53 Coryn Rivera (USA) Team DSM 0:08:17
54 Rotem Gafinovitz (Isr) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire 0:08:29
55 Pien Limpens (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:09:45
56 Sarah Roy (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:09:58
57 Stine Borgli (Nor) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
58 Brodie Chapman (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
59 Susanne Andersen (Nor) Team DSM 0:10:19
60 Amalie Lutro (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
61 Caroline Andersson (Swe) Team Coop Hitec Products
62 Mari Hole Mohr (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
63 Natalie van Gogh (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire
64 Femke Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
65 Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
66 Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
67 Roxane Fournier (Fra) Team SD Worx 0:10:23
68 Julie Van De Velde (Bel) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:10:58
69 Jessica Allen (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:12:48
70 Eri Yonamine (Jpn) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
71 Rossella Ratto (Ita) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire 0:13:48
72 Ann Helen Olsen (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
73 Elena Cecchini (Ita) Team SD Worx 0:15:14
74 Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
75 Sophie Wright (GBr) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:15:33
76 Emilie Moberg (Nor) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
77 Sara Penton (Swe) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
78 Birgitte Andersen Nilssen (Nor) Norway National Team
79 Elise Marie Olsen (Nor) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
80 Elynor Backstedt (GBr) Trek-Segafredo
81 Manon Bakker (Ned) Plantur-Pura
82 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Trek-Segafredo
83 Silvia Pollicini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
84 Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
85 Alison Jackson (Can) Liv Racing
86 Diana Carolina Peñuela Martinez (Col) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
87 Tanja Erath (Ger) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
88 Nina Kessler (Ned) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
89 Alice Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAM Racing
90 Alexis Ryan (USA) Canyon-SRAM Racing
91 Evy Kuijpers (Ned) Liv Racing
92 Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Movistar Team Women
93 Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Liv Racing
94 Anna Christian (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
95 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
96 Gloria Rodriguez Sanchez (Spa) Movistar Team Women
97 Aude Biannic (Fra) Movistar Team Women
98 Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team Women
DNS Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) Liv Racing
DNS Demi De Jong (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire

General Classification after Stage 3 :
1 Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar Team Women 11:10:25
2 Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Team SD Worx 0:00:39
3 Mavi Garcia (Spa) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:00:47
4 Kristen Faulkner (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:00:50
5 Marlen Reusser (Swi) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:00:54
6 Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:00:58
7 Rachel Neylan (Aus) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:01:00
8 Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) Team SD Worx 0:01:11
9 Riejanne Markus (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:01:13
10 Lucinda Brand (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:22
11 Juliette Labous (Fra) Team DSM
12 Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Plantur-Pura 0:01:24
13 Elise Chabbey (Swi) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:01:25
14 Joscelin Lowden (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur 0:01:40
15 Janneke Ensing (Ned) Team BikeExchange
16 Anna Shackley (GBr) Team SD Worx
17 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
18 Mikayla Harvey (NZl) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:01:49
19 Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:01:51
20 Urska Pintar (Slo) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:02:23
21 Ella Harris (NZl) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:02:37
22 Lucy Kennedy (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:02:42
23 Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:02:58
24 Leah Thomas (USA) Movistar Team Women 0:03:09
25 Ingvild Gåskjenn (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:03:18
26 Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team DSM
27 Mischa Bredewold (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
28 Anouska Koster (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:04:21
29 Vita Heine (Nor) Norway National Team
30 Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Liv Racing 0:04:47
31 Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:05:03
32 Urska Zigart (Slo) Team BikeExchange 0:05:14
33 Sanne Cant (Bel) Plantur-Pura 0:05:15
34 Anne Dorthe Ysland (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
35 Liane Lippert (Ger) Team DSM 0:05:23
36 Annemarie Worst (Ned) Plantur-Pura 0:06:26
37 Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:06:43
38 Nancy van der Berg (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team
39 Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Nor) Norway National Team
40 Eugenia Bujak (Slo) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:06:46
41 Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAM Racing
42 Julie De Wilde (Bel) Plantur-Pura 0:07:24
43 Christine Majerus (Lux) Team SD Worx 0:07:52
44 Amber Kraak (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:08:01
45 Coryn Rivera (USA) Team DSM 0:08:21
46 Ingrid Lorvik (Nor) Norway National Team 0:09:26
47 Femke Gerritse (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:09:51
48 Wilma Olausson (Swe) Team DSM 0:10:03
49 Rotem Gafinovitz (Isr) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire 0:10:07
50 Sarah Roy (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:10:08
51 Stine Borgli (Nor) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
52 Brodie Chapman (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
53 Inge van der Heijden (Ned) Plantur-Pura 0:10:10
54 Susanne Andersen (Nor) Team DSM 0:10:36
55 Nina Buijsman (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:10:52
56 Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:10:56
57 Femke Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:11:12
58 Roxane Fournier (Fra) Team SD Worx 0:11:51
59 Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:11:57
60 Julie Van De Velde (Bel) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:12:26
61 Tiril Jørgensen (Nor) Norway National Team 0:13:18
62 Eri Yonamine (Jpn) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:14:16
63 Amalie Lutro (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:14:22
64 Alison Jackson (Can) Liv Racing 0:15:39
65 Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Liv Racing 0:15:50
66 Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:16:23
67 Birgitte Andersen Nilssen (Nor) Norway National Team 0:16:26
68 Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Movistar Team Women 0:16:30
69 Elena Cecchini (Ita) Team SD Worx 0:16:52
70 Alice Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:16:57
71 Sophie Wright (GBr) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:17:10
72 Emilie Moberg (Nor) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur 0:17:11
73 Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
74 Pien Limpens (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:17:41
75 Rossella Ratto (Ita) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire 0:18:01
76 Alexis Ryan (USA) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:18:03
77 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Trek-Segafredo 0:19:09
78 Justine Ghekiere (Bel) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire 0:19:41
79 Jessica Allen (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:20:05
80 Mari Hole Mohr (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:20:09
81 Magdalene Lind (Nor) Norway National Team 0:20:12
82 Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Trek-Segafredo 0:20:15
83 Aude Biannic (Fra) Movistar Team Women 0:21:22
84 Caroline Andersson (Swe) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:21:33
85 Tanja Erath (Ger) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:23:29
86 Elise Marie Olsen (Nor) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur 0:24:53
87 Natalie van Gogh (Ned) Bingoal Casino-Chevalmeire 0:25:36
88 Silvia Pollicini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:25:52
89 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Trek-Segafredo 0:26:01
90 Anna Christian (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur 0:26:04
91 Gloria Rodriguez Sanchez (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:26:36
92 Diana Carolina Peñuela Martinez (Col) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:27:19
93 Nina Kessler (Ned) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
94 Sara Penton (Swe) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur 0:27:28
95 Manon Bakker (Ned) Plantur-Pura 0:27:44
96 Evy Kuijpers (Ned) Liv Racing
97 Ann Helen Olsen (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:27:56
98 Elynor Backstedt (GBr) Trek-Segafredo 0:30:55