Sigrid Haugset has set off on a long solo run and kept going to the finish to win the third stage of the Women's Tour de France and claim the yellow jersey.

The Norwegian rider made her break with more than half of the tough 156.5-kilometre route between Geneva and Poligny to go.

The stage featured four categorised climbs and Haugset made her move with 85 kilometres left, at the foot of the category two Col de la Savine.

Haugset was also first across the last listed climb of the day, the category four Côte de Chaux-Champagny, followed by Lotte Kopecky about 30 seconds behind, and a nine-rider group more than two minutes adrift.

Previous yellow jersey holder Lorena Wiebes, who won the first two stages, was 13 minutes behind with the main bunch at the time. She ultimately finished more than 20 minutes adrift of Haugset and dropped to 67th in the general classification.

It was a battle between two riders going into the last 10 kilometres. Kopecky had cut Haugset's lead to 15 seconds and the Belgian rider could just about see her rival ahead.

But Haugset, sensing the danger, stood on her pedals to stay ahead and managed to increase her lead again, finishing 1:24 ahead of Kopecky.

Haugset leads the general classification by 2:02 from Kimberley Le Court of Mauritius, with 2023 Tour champion Demi Vollering third, a further four seconds behind.

This edition of the race, the fifth of the Women's Tour, covers 1,175 kilometres over nine days.

AP