On Saturday, the pro women’s peloton kicked off the season in Spain at the Challenge Ciclista Mallorca. The opening race, the Trofeo Marratxí–Felanitx, covered 128.8 km route, concluding on the Puig de Sant Salvador.
While Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) took the dub after out-sprinting Marlen Reusser (Movistar) on the final climb, Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que.’s Clara Emond made a strong impression in her first outing for St-Michel–Preference Home–Auber93. Emond, along national champion Alison Jackson, represented the French squad co-sponsored by Quebec-based Premier Tech. Btw, check out the finale below. The two made the lateral from EF Education – Oatly.
“It went very well for the first race! I did not know how I would be since I did not race last year much, but the preparation went well overall, and I am happy with my form for the moment,” Emond said. “I also didn’t know how it would be with the team as it’s a new team for me and there are a lot of new riders, but we rode the finale really well together.”
The 28-year-old lawyer by trade, crossed the line sixth, just 31 seconds behind the winner. She had hoped to continue racing the other races at the Challenge Ciclista Mallorca, but food poisoning forced her to withdraw from the remaining two events. Still, she remained optimistic.
“We still have some details to work on, but I think we can be confident for what’s to come. Unfortunately, I got food poisoning after the first race, so I had to withdraw from the other two races, but I am still happy with that season opener,” she said.
She wasn’t the only Canuck racing in Spain. National champ Alison Jackson finished 22nd, Lidl-Trek’s Ava Holmgren came in 49th and Laury Milette (Team Abadie Magnan) was 59th.
On Sunday, at the Trofeo Llucmajor. Movistar’s Cat Ferguson won the 134.8 km race, outsprinting Clara Copponi (Lidl-Trek) and Sofie van Rooijen (UAE Team ADQ). Jackson was 13th, and Holmgren 23rd.