North Yorkshire cyclist Cat Ferguson pipped to post overall by New Zealand’s Ally Wollaston after winning Borders stage of 2025’s women’s Tour of Britain

Ferguson, riding for Spanish-based Movistar Team, outsprinted fellow Briton Josie Nelson and third-placed Wollaston at stage three’s rain-lashed finish in Kelso’s town square.

That secured pole position in general classification for Skipton’s Ferguson, 19, heading into the Lloyds Bank-sponsored tour’s fourth and final stage in Glasgow on Sunday with a three-second lead over Wollaston.

Friday’s overnight leader, American Kristen Faulkner, was involved in two crashes during Saturday’s 92-mile Borders stage, losing three minutes and 17 seconds to drop to 16th place overall.

Ferguson was delighted about defying repeated downpours to take first place in Kelso, saying afterwards: “I am so over the moon.

“This is one of the races I was so excited to do this season and I really wanted to come here in good form and show Britain how good I can be, and I think I have proved that today.

“It isn’t a position I thought I would be in.”

2025’s queen of the mountain jersey changed hands repeatedly on Saturday, ending up with Poland’s Dominika Wlodarczyk after a crash forced previous front-runner Mara Roldan to abandon the race.

Wlodarczyk, 24, won the first of five climbs at Scott’s View and the third at Dunion Hill, near Jedburgh, with the Netherlands’ Amber Kraak coming out on top in the second at Dingleton.

Belgium’s Fauve Bastiaenssen finished the fourth, back at Scott’s View, first and Ferguson won the fifth, another climb of Dingleton.

Wollaston won one sprint in Kelso, with Ferguson as runner-up and France’s Celia Gery third, ahead of Ferguson’s stage-winning success in the other.

Wollaston, riding for France’s FDJ-Suez, went on to edge Ferguson off the top of the leaderboard in Glasgow’s concluding stage on Sunday by four seconds, however, placing third to her rival’s seventh for her biggest win yet.

European champion Lorena Wiebes finished Glasgow’s five-mile stage first, with fellow Dutch rider Charlotte Kool second.

Wollaston, 24, was chuffed to bits to have won her debut Tour of Britain, saying: “I am feeling very overwhelmed.

“It is so exciting and it really couldn’t have gone any better for me. I was lucky that there were a lot of seconds up for grabs.

“The plan was to get as many seconds as I could and unfortunately Cat was on my wheel for every single one, so it really came down to the last sprint.”

Ferguson wasn’t too downcast about being pipped to the post, though, as she claimed victory in the points and young rider classifications by way of consolation.

“I headed into the final sprint and I was in an okay position but I got a bit chopped up on some corners before and really that was it,” she reflected afterwards.

“Ally went away and I knew that was it. Of course I am gutted but she was the strongest today.

“I am still happy with second place. If you had told me at the beginning of the week I would have been second, I would have been over the moon, so I can’t be too disappointed.

“It has been a really good and memorable week with all the amazing crowds and my family here, so thank-you to the team and everyone for your support.”

Last Thursday’s 53-mile opening stage from Dalby Forest in North Yorkshire to Redcar was won by Mauritian Kim le Court, with Ferguson fifth and Wollaston eighth.

Victory in Friday’s 74-mile second stage from Hartlepool to Saltburn-by-the-Sea went to Canada’s Roldan, with Wollaston third and Ferguson fifth.

Though the male tour has visited the region ten times since 2009, including last September, Saturday’s Kelso stage was the female version’s first visit in its 11-year history, and Scottish Borders Council chiefs were glad to see that oversight addressed at last.

Jedburgh councillor Scott Hamilton, the authority’s executive member for economic growth and development, said: “The Borders stage was designed by the organisers to be the most testing of the race, and the fantastic route and changeable weather conditions certainly challenged the riders.

“Although the weather was less than ideal for spectators as well, it was really pleasing to have a good-sized crowd in Kelso throughout the day, including lots of young riders taking part in the cycle skills sessions in the square. Thank you to all those who came out to support this event.

“With just a small investment from the council and the support of EventScotland, we’ve been able to bring yet another world-class event to the region and showcase the area to a large audience.

“Hopefully we’ve inspired those watching the race coverage from afar to come and see our beautiful Borders and also encouraged local people to get back on a bike or cycle more frequently.”