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Stage 1 Race Report:Poland’s Daria Pikulik turned the primary historic stage winner of the Santos Tour Down Below’s debut UCI WorldTour race on Sunday. Pikulik claimed the stage on the Snapper Level, Aldinga end line beating an excellent conga line of expertise together with FDJ-SUEZ’s Clara Coponi and Jayco AlUla’s Georgie Baker who completed second and third respectively.
* Race report and quotes courtesy of the Santos Tour Down Below. *
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Pikulik – who’s a famend monitor rider for Poland says she is is about to function within the Madison alongside her sister Wiktoria on the boards on the monitor World Cup subsequent month – was emotional after the win.
“I can’t imagine it, that is additionally my very first WorldTour race for my new group (Human Powered Well being),” Pikulik mentioned. “I can’t imagine it. My group labored so arduous for this and it’s only a unbelievable honour.”
Pikulik will put on the Santos chief’s jersey after she additionally claimed the Ziptrak dash jersey after her positive win.
Pikulik timed her run completely in the direction of the end line after group favourites Jayco UlUla, FDJ-SUEZ and Trek-Segafredo traded locations in a ploy to arrange good lead-out trains earlier than the 26-year-old Pole smashed their techniques to items.
After a pedestrian begin to the race FDJ SUEZ’s Grace Brown earned precious Ziptrak dash factors and a time bonus. She was ushered first throughout the primary dash on Major Highway, Willunga as riders continued to jostle for key positions 53.8km from house.
The reigning Australian nationwide time trial champion’s French group was then serving to Brown preserve vitality because the wind wreaked havoc on the peloton after a conservative begin.
The peloton was greeted by an enormous crowd on the Glenelg seaside resort begin line, race director Stuart O’Grady dropping the flag on Jetty Highway signified the worldwide girls’s WorldTour was formally open for the 2023 season.
Blustery situations marred the race however Crew Jayco AlUla attacked as predicted by pundits by way of Howe who was on the entrance of the peloton earlier than the primary main climb of the day. Gladys Verhulst from FDJ SUEZ claimed the honour. She’s going to put on the queen of the mountain jersey on stage 2 Birdwood to Uraidla on Monday after sprinting throughout the road in pole place on the 34.4km mark of the historic race seconds earlier than a crash.
Crew Bridgelane’s Keely Bennett crashed closely with what gave the impression to be a contact of wheels descending the efex queen of the mountain Chaffey’s Climb.
Bennett who was in stable type on the Bay Crits earlier this month was touted as a darkish horse to win the stage earlier than FDJ SUEZ took management of the race for gun Australian rider Grace Brown with 57km to go.
The peloton took an excellent take a look at the Snapper Level end line after they crossed the beachside street’s end line for the primary time with two extra loops of a circuit to go earlier than the Santos Tour Down Below would have a historic first WorldTour stage winner.
[ZIPTRAK® WOMEN’S STAGE 1 WINNER & SANTOS GENERAL CLASSIFICATION LEADER] Daria PIKULIK, Human Powered Well being.
Congratulations, it was a really hectic end and really windy situations, run me via your race.
I’m very pleased with the win right this moment. I just like the situations like that as a result of I’m a monitor rider. I like when it’s a like harmful. I can’t imagine that I received right this moment, it’s like my first street race in my biking life, I additionally wish to say thank my teammates who believed in me, and we made it collectively.
How did you and your teammates work collectively there within the race?
We all know that I’m quick sprinter as a result of this can be a flat stage, so we all know that we could be collectively within the race and [The Team] did an excellent job to maintain me in entrance within the final kilometre. Once I cross the road, I’m like “oh my gosh I win”. A very nice feeling.
So, you weren’t anticipating to win?
I don’t know the way I really feel as a result of we come to Australia 4 days earlier than the race so there’s lots of jetlag. I come right here from the winter in Poland the place it’s actually chilly so the warmth right here is tough for me. However I don’t really feel like within the race right this moment one thing goes flawed.
[EFEX QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN CLASSIFICATION LEADER] Gladys VERHULST, FDJ-Suez.
First UCI Girls’s WorldTour race of the yr, first WorldTour jersey of the yr, how did right this moment play out for you?
Yeah, it’s an excellent to begin the tour with this type of cash, I’m comfortable. However I’m additionally type of unhappy as a result of Clara COPPONI (FDJ-Suez) didn’t win right this moment however we’ll attempt the GC for Grace.
You had such a powerful end to final season, did you come right here considering I wish to get off to an excellent begin to the season?
Have been you optimistic coming in. Yeah, it’s my first time right here, the hole between the end of the season final yr and the beginning could be very small. It’s a brand new begin and new group. It’s a brand new starting for me and I’m comfortable for the beginning of the season right here.
[YAMAHA MOST COMPETITIVE RIDER] Isabelle CARNES, ARA Skip Capital.
What a strategy to begin right here, and coming straight off a time trial title as effectively?
Yeah, it was tremendous thrilling. First WorldTour race, second race within the large leagues. Actually simply making an attempt to make my mark there and acquire as a lot expertise as I can. I used to be actually stoked to have the ability to make a distinction within the race and make it a bit extra thrilling.
What impressed you to go off in entrance, with a WorldTour Peloton round you?
I feel the most important factor from talking to the ladies and our group who’ve had the expertise was not considering of them as WorldTour riders and simply racing your personal race. I knew that as a Time Trialist that was my energy to go up the entrance to try to make a transfer. So, I simply went with that, performed it to my energy and tried to make one thing of it.
SANTOS OCHRE LEADER’S JERSEY – Daria Pikulik (Human Powered Well being)
ZIPTRAK® SPRINT JERSEY – Daria Pikulik (Human Powered Well being)
EFEX QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN JERSEY – Gladys Verhulst (FDJ SUEZ)
ZWIFT YOUNG RIDER’S JERSEY – ALLY WOLLASTON (NEW ZEALAND).
Santos Tour Down Below Girls – Stage 1 Outcome:
1. Daria PIKULIK HPW POL in 3:03:01
2. Clara COPPONI FST FRA
3. Georgia BAKER BEX AUS
4. Maggie COLES-LYSTER ZAF CAN
5. Amanda SPRATT TFS AUS
6. Ally WOLLASTON* NZL NZL
7. Kaia SCHMID* HPW USA
8. Ilaria SANGUINETI TFS ITA
9. Lucinda STEWART* ACA AUS
10. Brodie CHAPMAN TFS AUS.
Santos Tour Down Below Girls – General After Stage 1:
1. Daria PIKULIK HPW POL in 3:02:51
2. Clara COPPONI FST FRA at 0:04
3. Georgia BAKER BEX AUS at 0:06
4. Grace BROWN FST AUS at 0:07
5. Alex MANLY BEX AUS at 0:08
6. Ruby ROSEMAN-GANNON BEX AUS at 0:09
7. Maggie COLES-LYSTER ZAF CAN at 0:010
8. Amanda SPRATT TFS AUS
9. Ally WOLLASTON* NZL NZL
10. Kaia SCHMID* HPW USA.
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