Zoe Bäckstedt delivers devastating sprint to win Suisse Women stage 3

Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-SRAM) claimed victory on stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse with a devastating sprint in Bad Ragaz. The Briton struck out from distance and immediately opened a winning gap. 

It was clear that nobody else could live with her speed in the finishing straight, and Bäckstedt came home several lengths clear of Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) and Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal).

Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) finished safely in the peloton to retain the overall lead ahead of Lauren Dickson (FDJ United-Suez), who was a faller in the finale, albeit inside the 5km safety zone. 

The stage was animated by a break featuring 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 (Canyons-SRAM) and Katharina Sadnik (Visma Lease a Bike).

Markus was the last rider standing when the break was reeled in with a shade over 20km to go, and she led through the first of the Tissot kilometre sprints, where Marlen Reusser (Movistar) picked up second ahead of Longo Borghini.

Dickson claimed the second sprint after Markus was reeled in, while Reusser took another second in third place.

Laura Asencio (Ma Petite Enterprise) attacked alone in the finale, but there would be no upsetting the odds here, with Canyon-SRAM among the teams taking control in a bid to set up the bunch finish. Dickson was a faller inside the final 5km, and she took some time before resuming the stage. 

Up ahead, the bunch thundered into the final kilometre, where Bäckstedt’s finishing speed brooked no argument.