Markus triumphs in final stage after early attack; Kopecky secures overall victory

On the day after the spectacular second stage of the Swiss stage race, which featured a duel between teammates Kopecky and Vollering, it was time for the final stage in what could be considered a home race for Vollering. It promised to be an exciting finale, with several (not too steep) climbs still to come, making the outcome between Demi and Lotte still undecided.

The stage itself started and finished in Morges. As expected, the riders faced a course with hardly any flat sections. The fact that it was the final day was evident from the explosive start we witnessed. A group of four initially broke away, but it was Vollering who made a bold move across the gap on the first unclassified climb of the day.

Of course, this move was quickly countered by the peloton, which was on high alert. On the first categorized climb of the day, to Reverolle, the attacks began in earnest. As the rain started, it was Riejanne Markus (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx-Protime) who managed to create a gap. The pair—who will be teammates next year at Lidl-Trek—opened up a one-and-a-half-minute lead over the peloton, with Fisher-Black briefly holding the virtual overall lead.

When we began the climb to Féchy after more than a hundred kilometers, Movistar and Jayco-AlUla set the pace in the peloton, driven by the prospect of a sprint and the overall classification. With the third-category Signal de Bougy climb coming up right after, it was the ideal moment to make a move. However, it was mainly Vollering who played the role of lead-out rider, bringing everything back for her team leader Kopecky and overall leader Fisher-Black. Still, some riders managed to bridge the gap between the two leaders and the peloton.

With eighteen kilometers to go, Markus and Fisher-Black had a three-quarter-minute lead over Nienke Vinke from Team dsm-firmenich PostNL, and Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//SRAM Racing) also attempted to close the gap. Thanks to Movistar, the chasers were caught, and the gap to the leading duo was reduced to just half a minute with eight kilometers remaining. The mostly descending terrain favored Markus and Fisher-Black.

Movistar, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL, and Liv AlUla-Jayco did everything possible to set up a sprint finish, but the two riders in front were simply too strong. Markus, not relying on her sprint, made an early move in the final kilometer to surprise Fisher-Black. The long sprint was to the Dutch rider's advantage, allowing her to outpace her future teammate. Lotte Kopecky won the peloton sprint by twenty seconds to secure the overall victory. Vollering fell in the final kilometer but, due to the three-kilometer rule, finished second in the overall standings.