Après un chrono par équipe inaugural à suspense et plein de rebondissements, la 2e étape de La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es a ce lundi accouché d'un premier sprint massif peu conventionnel, mouvementé et remporté par... Alison Jackson (EF Education-Cannondale) ! A l'issue d'un final chaotique marqué par plusieurs chutes sur des routes rendues glissantes par la pluie, le peloton est arrivé morcelé et totalement désorganisé pour la gagne. Et c'est la lauréate de Paris-Roubaix 2023 - loin d'être réputée pour ses qualités de pur sprinteuse - qui en a profité pour imposer sa puissance et décrocher à Moncofar sa première victoire sur un Grand Tour, à 35 ans. La championne du Canada devance Blanka Vas (Team SD Worx-Protime) et Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ). Deuxième à l'arrivée mais aussi du sprint intermédiaire, la jeune Hongroise peut se consoler avec le gain du maillot Rouge grâce aux bonifications ! La nouvelle leader du général possède 8" sur la vainqueure du jour et 9" sur l'ancienne porteuse Gaia Realini (Lidl-Trek).
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00:00 I'm really happy about these results for me and for the team, but I'm not happy,
00:15 not completely happy, because in the last corner two of my teammates crashed, but in
00:20 the end I'll take this result and focus on the next stage.
00:25 There were mixed emotions for Lidl Trek yesterday, but good news this morning.
00:30 Their Dutch powerhouse Enen van Dijk is able to continue the race after her crash.
00:35 Goya Raiolini is in red, but several other teams and riders will be eyeing up the leaders
00:39 jersey on today's second stage, which is expected to end in a bunch sprint.
00:44 Visma Lisebaek have five riders on the same time as Raiolini, including Mariana Vos who
00:49 won two stages last year, while the top five from SD Werks ProTime are only a second further
00:54 back.
00:55 She may be a long way down overall, but sprint star Charlotte Cole is also worth keeping
01:00 an eye on.
01:04 Today the riders will cover almost 120km between Buñol and Moncofa.
01:08 There is only one categorised climb, the Puerto de Lorenet, which comes with around 40km to
01:14 go.
01:15 Crucially, bonus seconds are available both at the intermediate sprints and on the finish
01:19 line.
01:20 So we are all but guaranteed a new leader by the end of the day.
01:27 One hundred and forty-four riders taking the start this afternoon.
01:30 There was a minor crash involving Elisa Longa Borghini in the first few kilometres before
01:35 live pictures began, but luckily no major damage for the Italian.
01:39 Her team mate Van Dijk sporting stitches after yesterday's crash, but happy to still be here
01:44 riding in Spain.
01:49 Six women made it into the day's breakaway.
01:51 Hedoya Eraso from Laboral Kutzka Fundacion Escadi, Silvia Zanardi from Human Powered
01:57 Health, Valerie Demay from Volker Wessels, Audrey de Kersmaker from Lotto Destiny, Angela
02:03 Oro from B-Pink Bongioani and Marine Allione from Winspace.
02:08 They had a maximum gap of two and a half minutes, but it was down to just one and a half heading
02:12 into the final 50k.
02:16 A few spots of rain starting to fall as they made their way towards the day's solitary
02:20 climb, and with the gap continuing to fall, Eraso decided to attack at the front.
02:25 The Spaniard targeting the race's first Queen of the Mountains jersey, but it was a vain
02:30 effort.
02:31 She and the rest of her breakaway companions were soon caught by the charging peloton led
02:35 by Movistar and Visna Lisa Bike.
02:42 So all back together again with 42k to go, Vos' teammates looking to make it tough on
02:47 the climb and perhaps drop Charlotte O'Cole.
02:50 Raellini was up towards the front as they approached the summit, but it was a rider
02:54 from UAE Team ADQ who was targeting the polka dots.
02:58 Just over 200m to go, so UAE Team ADQ going for this Queen of the Mountains jersey, taking
03:04 maximum points on the line.
03:06 Carolina Svinkels becoming the virtual Queen of the Mountains then as Lidl Trek took control
03:11 of things on the descent.
03:14 Just before the intermediate sprint, Annika Dijkstra attacked for the Volkwesels team,
03:19 the Dutchwoman taking the maximum six bonus seconds, with four going to Blanca Vaes, the
03:23 new virtual race leader, and two to Grace Brown.
03:27 The pace remained high on the run-in because Charlotte O'Cole had indeed been dropped over
03:31 the climb.
03:32 She was in a second chase group, trying desperately to get back to the front.
03:37 But plenty of teams were keen to contest the sprint without her.
03:40 Movistar, Visma, Lisebike and EF Education Cannondale taking turns at the front as they
03:45 hurtled towards Mont Coffer, where there was set to be more late drama.
03:50 The big crash, three kilometres to go, big crash in the front pellet on a number of riders
03:54 down.
03:55 As I said, very tight.
03:56 Oh, another huge crash.
03:58 A lot of riders were caught up in those two crashes and a lot of sprint trains were totally
04:03 disrupted, leaving both Vos and Cole out of contention.
04:07 So who would end up taking the win?
04:09 Alison Jackson goes for it.
04:11 Alison Jackson, the sprint to our Canadian national champion in that red jersey.
04:15 Absolutely full gas here, trying to get this sprint, trying to get this for world to stage
04:18 win.
04:19 It's Blanca Vaes challenging her, but Alison Jackson on the line, holds on there.
04:24 Absolutely stunning finish there for Alison Jackson.
04:28 What a sensational sprint from Alison Jackson to notch her 10th career victory.
04:33 The Canadian champion was a very popular winner of Paris-Roubaix Fan last year, and she was
04:37 able to break out her dance moves once again after notching her first Grand Tour success.
04:43 Jackson taking a memorable win ahead of our new race leader, Blanca Vaes.
04:48 I came in with a real fire to win this.
04:51 And yeah, even starting with the rain, you know, you take a mentality that it either
04:56 can be really good or you have to be a bit careful.
04:59 The team super believed in me, from staff to riders, and I totally took that to heart.
05:06 So yeah, to have a win in this season, in Vuelta a España, it's just, yeah, it's another
05:13 great thing to put on the resume.
05:20 Jackson winning for EF ahead of Vaes and Swinkles, with Cassio Nuevi-Odoma up in fourth place.
05:25 Vaes ended up 27th, with Cole in 39th.
05:30 Vaes, the Hungarian champion, now leads the race by eight seconds from Jackson, the Canadian
05:34 champion, with Longa Borghini, the Italian champion, in third.
05:38 Raellini drops down to ninth.
05:41 Jackson has taken the lead in the points classification, thanks to her win.
05:45 She and Vaes are both locked on 50 points, with Dykstra third on 25.
05:50 And Swinkles, who did an excellent job to come third in the sprint, is our first Queen
05:54 of the Mountains.
05:56 It has been another action-packed day at La Vuelta a Femenina.
05:59 Do tune in again tomorrow for what's likely to be another bunch sprint.
06:03 And thanks for watching.
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