Norway’s Sigrid Haugset achieved a remarkable victory on stage three of the Tour de France Femmes, completing a stunning 88km solo breakaway—the longest in the race's history. This triumph not only marked her first stage win but also propelled her into the overall race lead.

The 27-year-old initially joined an 11-rider breakaway before decisively breaking free over half the stage. Despite relentless pursuit from two-time world champion Lotte Kopecky, who narrowed the gap to just ten seconds, Haugset maintained her lead and finished an impressive one minute and 24 seconds ahead.

In the sprint for third, Marianne Vos from Visma-Lease a Bike crossed the line nearly three minutes behind Haugset, who became the first Uno-X rider to win a stage at this event and the first Norwegian to lead the general classification.

Haugset described her emotional finish in Poligny, stating, “I was so dizzy at the end... I couldn’t lift my arms off the bike!” Reflecting on her unexpected success, she admitted, “I never thought it was possible. It’s unreal.”

Kopecky, acknowledging her own efforts, remarked, “I was empty... My legs were starting to cramp and I couldn’t push any more.”

Currently, Haugset leads Kim Le Court-Pienaar by two minutes and two seconds, with 2023 champion Demi Vollering trailing by an additional four seconds. The 156.5km stage featured challenging climbs, including a category one ascent to Col de la Faucille.