Peloton spread across the road(Image credit: Getty Images)
Haylee Fuller (BridgeLane) attacks during stage 2(Image credit: Getty Images)
Leader into the stage Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance 🃏Soudal) in the peloton(Image credit: Getty Images)
Visma-Lease a Bike tried 𒀰to take advantage of cross winds(Image credit: Getty Images)
Peloton raced through the Adelaide Hills(Image credit: Getty Images)
QOM leader Katia Ragusa (Human Powered Health), leader into the sꦦtage Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance-Soudal) at 🌠the start in Glenelg(Image credit: Getty Images)
Cecile Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-SUEZ) won stage two of the 2024 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:Women's Tour Down Under in a reduced uphill sprint finish in Stir♚ling. The Dane took a commandingౠ win over Soraya Paladin (Canyon-SRAM) in second and Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ) in third.
Stage one winner Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance – Soudal) was dropped on the approach 𓆏to the line, meaning that Uttrup Ludwig also moved into the race lead with one stage to go. Bertizzolo sits in second place two seconds down and Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco) is in third a further second behind Uttrup Ludwig.
Uttrup Ludwig and the FDJ-SUEZ squad had to deal with a late change of plan in the approach to the finale but respꦓonded to great effect.
“Plan A was to sprint for Grace [Brown] and we actually had it all figured out how to do it and൲ I was excited about that, but then🦋 Grace didn’t feel so good, so we had to change the plan and I’m just happy I could execute,” Uttrup Ludwig said after the finish.
It’s the first win of the season for the 28-year-old and she was pleased♊ to be able to tick that box early in the year.
“It just feels so good being in Au💃stralia where my boyfriend comes from and taking a win. It’s just awes🐷ome.”
With the margins in the overall classification so tight, the race now heads for a final stag👍e showdown on Willunga Hill. Uttrup Ludwig is looking forward to defending her lead on the iconic climb.
“I’m just excited, I’ve done it a couple of times as recon and I think it’s going to be fireworkᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚs. It should be exciting.”
How it unfolded
The longest stage in the history of the women's Tour Down Under started on the beachfront in Glenelg. 104.2 lumpy kilometres were ahead of the ridersཧ en route to a familiar leg-sapping finish in Stirling.
The tone for the day was set early on as the peloton determined to se♍t a solid pace up the first category climb of Cherry Gardens Hill. Several riders quickly went out the back with more than 90 kilometres still 🦄to race.
Katia Ragusa (Human Powered Health) continued her good form from stage one as she crested the climb first in defence of her Queen of the Mountain jersey. With the points earned here and on the other classified climbꦆ in the stage, Ragusa looks to be on the way to securing that classification at the end of the race.
Cherry Gardens Hill was just a starter for a day full of intensity. Teams were happy to keep the pace high throughout most of the stage, which foiled any attempt to form an early breakawa𝄹y.
Knowing that this race is bound to be decided by a few seconds, the quicker riders with designs on overall success once again saw a chance to take advantage in the general classification at the first intermediate sprint in Meadows. It was Dominika W♋lodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ) who took the maximum points and bonus seconds ahead of Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv Jayco AlUla) and Grace Brown (FDJ-SUEZ).
Before entering the tough circuit around Stirling, Wlodarczyk ♛comfortabl🏅y took the second intermediate sprint ahead of Roseman-Gannon once more, making it six bonus seconds for the day from the two sprints for the young Pole. Both now sit three seconds off the lead heading for Willunga Hill on stage 3.
The pace in the peloton remained high the first time around the circuit, which meant the group stayed largely together desp🌊ite a few attacks.
The climbs around Stirling are not steep, but the efforts accumulate over time and the group started to stretch and reducꦕe in size on the second lap of three under the impetus of Lidl-Trek and FDJ-SUEZ.
With 16km to go Emily Watts (Australia) surged clear of the group and qu🌼ickly built up a lead of half a minute as🎀 the road descended towards the base of the final climb.
Watts was r😼eeled in with 8km to go and on the climb, AG Insurance-Soudal took control of the front of the peloton in support of race leader Ally Wollaston and their general classification rider Sarah Gigante.
The final kil♒ometre seemed to take an age as the road dragged on. Several rideꦡrs surged forward to the front of the ever-reducing peloton before realising that their efforts were too soon.
Uttrup Ludwig though was patient, sitting and waiting in the top-5 before kicking with 150 metres to go as the gradient flattened. Paladin wa🐟s on her wheel, but couldn’t respond to the FDJ-SUEZ rider’s acceleration and the Dane took victory by a few bike-lengths on a finish perfectly suited to her characteristics.
Uttrup Ludwig will now we꧟ar the ochre jersey on the race’s final battle up Willunga Hill on the third and fi♐nal stage.
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Dan is a freelance cycling journalist and has written for Cyclingnews since 2023 alongside other work with Cycling Weekly, Rouleur and The Herald Scotland. Dan focuses much of his work on professional cycling beyond its traditional European heartlands and writes a regular Substack call🐈ed .
