The dynamic long distance solo epic by Sigrid Haugset

 

This from Associated Press, POLIGNY, France.
Stage 3 of the Tour de France Femme , 157 kilometres from Geneva to Poligny in France.
 Sigrid Haugset set off on a long solo run and kept going to the finish to win the third stage of the Women’s Tour de France and claim the yellow jersey on Monday.
The Norwegian made her break with more than half of the tough 156.5-kilometer (97.2-mile) route between Geneva and Poligny to go.
The stage featured four categorized climbs and Haugset made her move with 85 kilometres left, at the foot of the category 2 Col de la Savine.
Haugset was also first across the last listed climb of the day, the category 4 Côte de Chaux-Champagny, followed by Lotte Kopecky about 30 seconds behind, and a 9-rider group more than two minutes adrift.
Previous yellow-jersey holder Lorena Wiebes – who won the first two stages – was 13 minutes behind with the main bunch at the time and must have known she would not be wearing on Tuesday. She ultimately finished more than 20 minutes adrift of Haugset and dropped to 67th in the general classification.
 
The amazing lone ride by Haugset in which she took the yellow jersey for a day, to lead fancied riders K. Le Court Piennar and Demi Vollering was road racing at its best.
Let’s look at it in a little more detail.
Gusty headwinds, four categorized climbs amounting to a total 2,413 metres gain,  plus the heat wave. Such were the conditions Norwegian national champion Sigrid Haugset overcame  in her brave long solo attack of 88 kilometres at an average speed of 38.173kph for the 157km stage.
 
Just as these conditions worked for her, they worked against the chasing pack which failed to bring her back.
Only Belgian star Lotte Kopecky, a multi world champion and classics winner,  gave chase alone, but she, too,  failed spectacularly to reach Haugset. , The race should have been aware of the Norwegian champion’s capabilities for a long slog,  of her ability  and strength to carve a fast smooth path over the cols and into the wind,.
This was a classic example of how the varied dynamics of road racing can work for and against.. We perhaps have got used to lone breaks being reeled in when the big bunch decides time is up, as if this is to be expected.
This happened to German Riejanne Markus on stage two, after her brave 39-kilometre lone escape. She was swallowed by the pack 500 metres from the line, as race leader Lorena Wiebes soared past to win the stage.
That’s the same Wiebes who lost 20 minutes and the yellow jersey to Hauget in the epic ride recalled here.
Normally, we expect to see a bunch when it starts to ride  take back a breakaway at the rate of  about 10 seconds per kilometre.
Not this one, not in these conditions.
For Hauget kept up a punishing pace, rock steady, riding up and over the cols into a gusty wind under a burning sun with temperatures in the upper 30s.
We later learned that she and her Uno-X Mobility tea, planned this stage, knowing it would suit her.
After only 12 kilometres into the race they climbed the Col de la Faucille, an 11.4-km ascent averaging 6.3 per cent, the most demanding section of the course.
Hauget escaped at the foot of the Col de la Savine at about half-distance, and sparked an immediate response from Lotte Kopecky (past three times winner of the points classification) but her chase over remaining 85 kilometres would come to naught.
The peloton  meanwhile was as usual divided in its response, the General Classification riders perhaps not so interested in putting up the fight necessary to bring her back – she was not seen as threat for the final podium places.
As for the sprint teams who wanted a sprint finish, they would hope for help in bringing her back and that was not forthcoming..
They will have weighed  how much energy such a commitment in that wind would demand  - maybe too much if later stages had  more to offer.
It was left to a group of nine  to take up the pursuit of Kopecky who was in pursuit of Haugset and neither would succeed.  
The race favourites finally came alive from behind with 25 to go when K Le Court Piennar got away, causing consternation among the other top riders Kaisa Niewiadoma and Demi Vollering and defending Tour champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, the French favourite.
They regrouped and apparently decided to call it a day, save themselves for the following days’ time trial.
Kopecky however, was still going strong and had clawed the Norwegian back to within 10 seconds when her strength finally deserted her in that head wind in those closing kilometres.   She was empty, she said, and fell back, losing nearly a minute and a half.
Haugset  beat the windy and the heat and the whole field and never let up until she had crossed the line.
Once the emotional celebrations at the team bus had calmed down, Haugset's DS and performance director gave their insights into the team’s biggest win yet.
"We just said to stay focused, keep it cool, eat, drink, focus on a good line, and don't give up," Uno-X DS Nicolas Marche said at the finish, explaining what the team car was telling Haugset as Kopecky came within 10 seconds of her.
Last word to Haugset.
“It’s unbelievable. I thought Kopecky would catch me and well, second would be good. I never thought it would  be possible. But my team car kept pushing me. I had to give it my all.  I was dizzy at the end, which is why I couldn’t lift my arms of the handlebars.”
She might  not have believed the win was possible. But her team knew what was capable of.  Why else would they take her to do recon rides over the course earlier in the  year?