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The gap has dropped some more, to 45 seconds. Bunch sprint ahoy.
Often after an attack breaking up the collaboration in the break that fails to work out, there’s a lot of hesitation about working together afterwards. But this time round, that’s not the case and the eight are still pulling together steadily.
Berthet’s been brought back very quickly by Loes Adegeest (Lidl-Trek) at the head of the seven riders remaining in the break.
Attack in the break
Juliette Berthet (FDJ United-SUEZ) darts away up a rise through the feed zone, 32 kilometres out
If we do end up with a bunch sprint, Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal, already the winner of a Vuelta a España stage this year, is likely one top candidate and so too is Human Powered Health’s American sprinter Lily Williams.
The gap is now shrinking more steadily as the race pounds along some typically broad, well-surfaced Swiss highway. 1:06 the gap.
Still to come
Km 103.8: Sprint Sevelen (Tissot)
Km 104.8: Sprint Sevelen (Tissot)
Km 120.8 Finish: Bad Ragaz
A reminder of the day’s eight leaders:
Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal)
Alice Towers (EF Education-Oatly)
Juliette Berthet (FDJ United-SUEZ)
Loes Adegeest (Lidl-Trek)
Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco)
Megan Arens (Picnic PostNL)
Femke Markus (SDWorx-Protime)
Katharina Sadnik (Visma-Lease a Bike)
A fast-moving bunch, led by ADQ, blasts through at 1:16.
But to be honest, it’s as if it wasn’t there. Rather than time bonuses or points, the eight’s only goal is to stay away as long as possible, and they simply thunder through with no fighting to be first.
We’re coming towards the first sprint of the day at Rüthi
Canyon-SRAM and Human Powered Health both helping UAE Team ADQ on the front now, but for the moment the gap is staying stubbornly around the 1:20-1:30 mark
A shot of the eight
The chase begins in earnest
Into the final 50 kilometres and there’s a much more concerted effort coming from the bunch now to bring back in the eight, who are stepping up their pace in turn as well.
While Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal) is the biggest hypothetical threat on GC, the bunch won’t have failed to notice that Juliette Berthet (FDJ United-SUEZ) is also in the move. Fifth in the Tour de Suisse back in 2024 and a former Giro d’Italia Donne podium finish, she’s definitely someone the GC teams won’t want to get too much time either.
Gap is dropping now to 1:25
There was only ever 1,094 metres of vertical climbing on this stage and there’s only about 400 metres left to go in that total in the last 60-odd kilometres remaining. But it’s worth noting that the last kilometre finish is actually slightly uphill. Just a couple of percentage points at most, but it could definitely have a knock-on effect on any hypothetical bunch sprint.
Some words from race leader Elisa Longo Borghini courtesy of Eurosport this morning from the start, pointing out she’s never, despite a long and distinguished career, never been at the top of GC in the Tour de Suisse before.
“It’s my first yellow jersey and it’s pretty cool to wear it, I hope to keep it by the end of the day.”
“It could be a breakaway stage, there are not so many sprinters, but we’ll see.”
“For sure the TT will be tough and the last stage too, so staying safe and saving energy is the priority today.”
Riders going back for bottles from their team cars. It’s looking like it’ll be a warm day again in Switzerland.
Take that back about Katharina Sadnik (Visma-Lease a Bike) not working in the break by the way, she’s just done a couple of good turns in the group of eight, and their advantage is back out to 1:25.
On sunny days like this and with scenery like this, you can think of worse places in the world to hold a bike race…
The peloton trundles over the top in its turn, 1:13 back.
Megan Arens (Picnic PostNL) takes top points on the Kobelwald, with zero opposition from the other seven. The gap’s been squeezed to 1:24.
They’re riding at a steady pace on the climb’s 13% slopes, which is kind of logical given they all want to stay together to make sure the break stays away as long as possible.
The eight breakaways are now on the one classified climb of the day, the Kobelwald (Cat.3, 1km, 10%).
Two abandons have been reported by the organisers, both due to a crash earlier on the stage: Aromitalia Vaiano riders Lucia Brillante and Petra Zsanko.
The only rider who doesn’t seem to be collaborating in the break is Visma-Lease a Bike’s Katharina Sadnik, which might well be because she is protecting the interests of teammate Sarah Van Dam, Best Young Rider, and third overall.
Le Court-Pienaar race leader on the road
Having dropped to 45 seconds, the gap for the eight ahead is now 1:35, making breakaway Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal) – 1:13 down on GC- race leader on the road.
Gap for the eight ahead is currently hovering around 1:05 seconds.
And here’s a shot of Arens on the attack early on, before she was joined by the seven other breakaways.
Today’s objective: 💐 for @urskazigart 🫶🏼#AGInsuranceSoudal I 🇨🇭 @tds pic.twitter.com/ojpzS6Bh0tJune 19, 2026
UAE and Canyon SRAM are leading the bunch.
Current gap at 94 kilometres to go for the eight leaders is 1:00
Le Court-Pienaar is the best placed on GC, at 1:13 on race leader Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) so likely they won’t let it go far too up the road.
Here’s the eight riders in the break:
Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal)
Alice Towers (EF Education-Oatly)
Juliette Berthet (FDJ United-SUEZ)
Loes Adegeest (Lidl-Trek)
Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco)
Megan Arens (Picnic PostNL)
Femke Markus (SDWorx-Protime)
Katharina Sadnik (Visma-Lease a Bike)
On today’s menu
Km 50.8: Climb: Kobelwald (Cat.3, 1km, 10%)
Km 79.1: Bonus Sprint: Rüthi
Km 82.5: Sprint: Cugnaso
Km 103.8: Sprint Sevelen (Tissot)
Km 104.8: Sprint Sevelen (Tissot)
Km 120.8 Finish: Bad Ragaz
Arens joined by the seven chasesrs, so that’s eight riders in the lead.
Meantime here’s a shot of the race classification leaders from today’s start.
Seven riders closing down on the one race leader, Arens, just 20 seconds back. The main peloton is at 55 seconds.
Good news. All riders involved in the crash have restarted, according to race radio.
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Some riders dropped after the crash and seven riders counter-attacking.
Crash in the bunch. At least five riders down.
Gap has dropped to 25 seconds and there’s a small group of counter-attackers, six riders going clear.
108 km to go
Counter-attack by a lone rider, but the peloton wasn’t too happy about that. 45 seconds the gap for Arens.
Gap is up to 45 seconds. Getting to the now-or-never point for anybody who wants to bridge across to Arens for what could be the break of the day.
One confirmed DNS for now by the way: Urška Žigart (AG Insurance-Soudal). Žigart completed the stage, but a terrible crash late on left her with a fractured jaw.
We’re off the descent of the Sankt Luzisteig and the peloton is slowing notably according to race radio. Gap still at 30 seconds for Arens.
Arens is 6:05 down on GC so she is certainly not an overall threat, but it remains to be seen if more riders get across on the flatter part that follows. Otherwise, this could be a very long solo move.
She’s on the descent of the Sankt Luzisteig, after which we have a mostly flat stage. Bunch very strung out right now.
Arens gap is now up to 30 seconds.
One early attacker, Megan Arens (Picnic Post NL), with a 20-second gap. Some riders dropped on the steep slopes of the Sankt Luzisteig
Meantime here’s the overall standings after yesterday’s stage, courtesy of FirstCycling
Bunch still together in the opening few hundred metres, but given there’s an unclassified climb about to start, that may well change soon.
Racing underway
And stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de Suisse Women, Bad Ragaz-Bad Ragaz, 120.8 km long and with 1094 metres of elevation gain, is officially underway.
While we’re waiting for the start, here’s our report on yesterday’s dramatic stage, which saw a second leader emerging in as many days and plenty of late attacks.
Just over three kilometres of neutralised to ride before racing proper gets underway.
And the riders are now underway on the neutralised section.
A reminder of our race classification leaders:
GC: Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ)
Points: Femke de Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Mountains: Femke de Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike)
BYR: Sarah Van Dam (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Teams: EF Education-Oatly
They’ll have a great chance to get away as soon as the flag drops at 0918 CET, too, given there’s a short but very steep opening climb, the Sankt Luzisteig (2km, 101%) right at the beginning. Curiously enough, it’s not classified for the mountains classification, but it’ll still hurt the legs and maybe act as a springboard for an early move.
The most likely option on the cards for today’s 120.8 kilometre stage is the one bunch sprint of the 2026 edition. But after two GC days and with a time trial and a whopping mountain stage this weekend, the breakaways will likely be equally keen to impact.
The unofficial start is at 0910 CET with racing for real getting underway at 0918.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse Women.