In a thrilling finale at the Tour of Britain Women, New Zealand’s Ally Wollaston overturned a three-second deficit to claim the overall title, denying British teenager Cat Ferguson a historic victory.
The 24-year-old FDJ-Suez rider showcased tactical brilliance and resilience, securing her first World Tour general classification (GC) victory in a dramatic final stage in Glasgow.
Wollaston’s path to victory hinged on her performance in the three intermediate sprints during the final stage, a challenging 8.4km city-center circuit. Trailing 19-year-old Ferguson by three seconds at the start, Wollaston won all three sprints, drawing level with the Movistar rider before clinching an additional four bonus seconds by finishing third in the stage behind winner Lorena Wiebes and Charlotte Kool.
Her efforts secured a four-second lead over Ferguson in the overall standings, with UAE Team ADQ’s Karlijn Swinkels taking third place.
“I’m a bit overwhelmed,” Wollaston admitted post-race. “A massive thank you to my teammates – I couldn’t have done this without them. This is my first World Tour GC win, and it means the world.” She described the intense battle with Ferguson, who shadowed her closely in each sprint. “There was a moment of doubt halfway through the last lap where I thought I couldn’t do it, but my teammates pulled me through,” she added.
Ferguson, despite missing the overall title, showed remarkable promise, nearly claiming the first intermediate sprint before Wollaston edged her out. The young Briton secured the red points jersey and finished seventh in the final stage, earning praise for her competitive spirit. Meanwhile, European champion Wiebes dominated the stage with a powerful sprint at the 300m mark, followed by Kool and Wollaston.
Wollaston’s FDJ-Suez team also celebrated victory in the team classification, capping a triumphant day for the squad. The Tour of Britain Women concluded with an electrifying display of strategy and speed, cementing Wollaston’s status as a rising star in women’s cycling.