Only the scenography changes in the last stage of the RideLondon Classique, which ends with the arrival in the capital on the long avenue of The Mall, in the center of London. However, the order of arrival remained unchanged compared to yesterday’s stage in Maldon, with Lorena Wiebes who concludes his perfect hat-trick with another majestic sprint.
He couldn’t do anything Charlotte Kool, certainly improving in these three days compared to other previous outings, but still far from her former teammate, who once again proved to be unbeatable in the sprint. Everything becomes easier for the tip SD Worx Protime when he is there to act as a leadout Lotte Kopeckywho again today was decisive in paving the way for her partner in the final, and then still managed to place third. The stage finishing order is also the same as the final general classificationwhich Wiebes won for the second time in his career after 2022.
RideLondon Classique 2024, the news of the last stage
The stage develops through a circuit to be repeated eight times, for a total of 91 kilometres. Two of the passes on the finish line of The Mall count as an intermediate sprinter who awards a second bonus, and to the first of these Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco) precedes Clara Copponi (Lidl-Trek) e Marta Lach (Ceratizit-WNT), gaining 3″. In this way, the Italian momentarily regains second place in the general classification, overtaking Kopecky.
45 kilometers from the finish line the first breakaway of the day is released, with Kaja Rysz (Lifeplus Wahoo) to propose the action. The Polish girl soon follows too Scarlett Souren (VolkerWessels), while Angela Gold (Bepink Bongioanni) starts chasing alone at the beginning of the third to last lap. The Italian is unable to catch up with the leading pair, who gain a maximum of 50″ on the group. Rysz and Souren are caught just before the second and final intermediate sprint. This time Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) manages to beat Paternoster and Copponi, who virtually climbs to fourth place with the second gained.
Déjà vu at sprinting
The French company from Lidl-Trek However, he found himself chasing during the penultimate lap due to a puncture, but at a time when the pace of the group had dropped. There will be no other attacks in the finale, and at the final bell the long wait for the sprint has already begun. A less than ideal approach also for Paternoster, himself the victim of a mechanical problem eight kilometers from the finish linebut after changing bikes he still manages to get back to the front.
In the last 500 meters he takes the lead Eleonora Camilla Gasparriniwho had played their chances in the first two stages, while this time they make themselves available to Chiara Consonni. At his wheel there is Barbara Guarischi, but Kopecky and Wiebes find themselves a few positions further back entering the final straight. The world champion manages to find an opening to escort her partner, and she launches her leadout together with Pfeiffer Georgi, who had taken Guarischi’s wheel to pilot Kool. The sprinter of Team dsm-firmenich at that point it tries to follow in the wake of the SD Worx, but not even this time does it have the necessary power to compete with the absolute dominator of this race: three out of three and final victory for Lorena Wiebes.
Behind the three protagonists of these three days, who also complete the final podium, they place themselves Sofie van Rooijen (VolkerWessels) e Maike van der Duin (Canyon//SRAM Racing), while Paternoster is the best of the Italians in eighth place, with Consonni eleventh. In the standings the Jayco sprinter is satisfied with fourth place due to the sum of the placings which benefits Kopecky, 1″ from Kool and 26″ from Wiebes. Among the ten hips Soraya Paladin (sixth), Gasparrini (eighth) e Maria Giulia Confalonieri (tithe).
