Alison Jackson (EF Education-Cannondale) powered to victory in stage 2 of La Vuelta Femenina on Monday, outsprinting Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime) who was second, and Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) who rounded out the podium in third.
“I immediately had the feeling that I could win here. The team really had a lot of confidence in me today. The fact that I can win a stage in a big tour is really great.” – Alison Jackson
Attacks came early in stage two with Idoia Eraso (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi), Angela Oro (Bepink-Bongioanni), and Marine Allione (Winspace) the first to get away.
Valerie Demey (VolkerWessels), Audrey De Keersmaeker (Lotto Dstny), and Silvia Zanardi (Human Powered Health), were the next to go and eventually bridged up to the three, making the group six. They were able to extend their gap to almost three minutes before the peloton reeled them in at the base of the 3rd category climb, Puerto de l’Oronet.
On the climb, Visma | Lease a Bike took control and pushed the pace all the way up, hoping to lose sprinters like Charlotte Kool (DSM-firmenich PostNL). At the summit, Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) took the mountain points and Lid-Trek then too control on the descent, pushing the pace on the wet, serpentine road.
With the peloton now split into two groups, Lidl-Trek and other teams continued to keep the pace high to ensure that Kool could not return to the main peloton. Kool’s DSM-firmenich PostNL teammates attempted to bring her back up, but it was to no avail with the gap almost 40 seconds with 10 kilometers to go.
In the tense finale, there were numerous crashes and GC riders hit the pavement, like Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx-Protime) and Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike). Luckily, those who did crash were inside the 3 kilometer zone and given the same time as the peloton in the end.
In the final 500 meters, Kristen Faulkner(EF Education-Cannondale) went to the front and gave Jackson a super lead out that no one else could match. Jackson then launched her signature, big-gear, power sprint and won easily by a bike length over Blanka Vas.
Results
La Vuelta Femenina, Stage 2
1. Alison Jackson (Can) EF Education-Cannondale, in 2:51:03
2. Blanka Kata Vas (Hun) SD Worx-Protime
3. Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) UAE Team ADQ
4. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM
5. Ingvild Gåskjenn (Nor) Liv AlUla Jayco
6. Giorgia Vettorello (Ita) Roland
7. Silke Smulders (Ned) Liv AlUla Jayco
8. Flora Perkins (GBr) Fenix-Deceuninck
9. Amber Kraak (Ned) FDJ-Suez
10. Kristen Faulkner (USA) EF Education-Cannondale, all at same time
General Classification
1. Blanka Kata Vas (Hun) SD Worx-Protime, in 3:10:14
2. Alison Jackson (Can) EF Education-Cannondale, +8s
3. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +9s
4. Eva van Agt (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike
5. Sophie von Berswordt (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike
6. Riejanne Markus (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike
7. Marianne Vos (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike
8. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Lidl-Trek
9. Gaia Realini (Ita) Lidl-Trek
10. Brodie Chapman (Aus) Lidl-Trek, all at same time
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/ceratzit-challenge-by-la-vuelta/2024/stage-2
