Lorena Wiebes made light of undulating terrain around the Forest of Dean and inclement weather to make it back-to-back wins in this year’s Women’s Tour in Gloucester on Wednesday.

The Team DSM rider once again proved that she is the fastest sprinter in the peloton as she capitalised on an impressive lead-out from team-mate and local rider Pfeiffer Georgi to comfortably take the victory ahead of Alex Manly (Team BikeExchange – Jayco) and Coryn Labecki (Team Jumbo – Visma).

Victory moves Wiebes – who has now won four of the last six Women’s Tour stages dating back to last year’s race – in to the leaders’ yellow jersey and Breast Cancer Now points jersey.

Wiebes’ chances of doubling up appeared to be slim with 20 kilometres remaining, as she was dropped by the peloton under the pressure of Kasia Niewiadoma’s Canyon//SRAM Racing team on an uncategorised climb near Littledean. However, a lack of coherency in the reduced front group – which contained all of the pre-race favourites – allowed Wiebes and her DSM team-mates to rejoin the front group with nine kilometres remaining.

“Today was a hard stage, with attacks from the beginning of the race,” said Wiebes. “The girls did a great job reacting to them all. On the first climbs we were in good position and Leah [Kirchmann] and Franzi [Koch] kept the pace up because of the breakaway. On the second last climb I was with Charlotte [Kool] and Pfeiffer [Georgi] in the second group but when we started the last climb they brought it back to the first group.

“The peloton then split again and Megan [Jastrab] and I ended up in the group of chasers. Megan did a really strong effort to bring me back to the lead group and things then slowed. In the last five kilometres Pfeiffer and Megan came back to the front and did a great lead out in finale and I’m really happy to finish it off for them. I’m really proud of the girls again and all the work they did today. We will go all-in tomorrow to try and make it three.”

Team DSM coach Albert Timmer added: “I think we can be more than happy about today. It was a hard stage today and was not easy. On the last climbs it exploded completely. We had Megan and Lorena in the chasing group behind the 18 riders and Megan did an amazing job to help close it, it was really impressive, with Pfeiffer coming back in the last 10 kilometres which was really nice.

“It meant we could do a proper lead out with Lorena finishing it off in style. I’m more than happy with the teamwork we showed today and of course the result at the end.”

Video: Women’s Tour 2022 stage three highlights

Making a mark on the stage early on was Rijenna Markus (Team Jumbo – Visma), whose solo break lasted for around 50 kilometres. She was then reeled in, initially by Christine Majerus (Team SD Worx) and Gladys Verhulst (Le Col – Wahoo) on the ŠKODA Queen of the Mountains climb Speech House, where the race started to fracture.

Then, on an uncategorised climb that followed in Littledean, a group of around 15 riders joined Markus and Majerus at the front. However, with no riders from Team DSM present, Wiebes’ team-mates worked to bring the race back together. They succeed in their pursuit, making the junction with nine kilometres remaining, just as a sharp downpour hit the race and Gloucester Docks finish area.

Once Wiebes had launched off of Georgi’s lead-out, there was no doubt as to who would take victory. Manly was impressively strong, while 2018 champion Labecki just edged out Canyon//SRAM Racing’s Shari Bossuyt for third.

Top Brit on stage three was Lizzie Holden (Le Col – Wahoo) in 16th, who also sits 22nd overall at 20 seconds in arrears, while her team-mate Maike van der Duin still holds the Pillar sprints jersey.

Majerus continues to hold the ŠKODA Queen of the Mountains jersey but is now equal on points with last year’s winner Elise Chabbey (Canyon//SRAM Racing).

For full results and standings, powered by Brother UK, please click here.

Highlights of the third stage of the Women’s Tour will be on ITV4 at 8pm on Wednesday 8 June and available on demand via the ITV Hub.

Stage four takes place through the heart of mid-Wales, covering 144.7 kilometres from Wrexham to Welshpool, via Lake Vyrnwy, with live coverage on Eurosport Player and the GCN+ app from 2pm.