Tour Féminin des Pyrénées: Martina Alzini speeds to bunch sprint victory on stage 1

Franziska Koch (FDJ United-SUEZ) and Kristýna Burlová (Cofidis) took fourth and fifth places.

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“It’s been a long time since I last won, so naturally, it feels fantastic! I had the full confidence of the team, which allowed me to approach the stage without any pressure,” Alzini said after the stage.

“We had also studied the stage and the finale thoroughly with all the staff. The conditions were ideal, with very little wind. I tried to make my move at exactly the right moment, and it paid off!

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“This weekend, I’ll do everything I can to keep hold of the green jersey, and I know the team still has plenty of cards to play!”

There was no breakaway early in the day, but Eliška Kvasničková (VIF) and Katja Verkerk (Minimax) both went on the attack midway through the stage.

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Kvasničková raced out to a three-minute lead as Verkerk chased. Jazmine Lavergne (Abadie Magnan) and Ava Maddison (Meridian Bikebug) also went on the attack further back.

In the peloton, it was UAE Team ADQ and Liv-AlUla-Jayco who took up the pacemaking ahead of the expected sprint finish.

FDJ United-SUEZ also joined in as the teams aimed to bring back Kvasničková, with a two-minute gap still to bridge with 20km to run.

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In the end, the Women’s WorldTour teams managed to bring the breakaway riders back into the fold, with Kvasničková caught 11km from the finish line.

Counter-attacks flew as the peloton raced into the final 10km, including from Sophie von Berswordt (VolkerWessels), but it was all set up for the closing sprint finish.

FDJ United-SUEZ and UAE Team ADQ led the peloton towards the line, with Koch providing the lead-out for Le Net. However, come the final metres, it was Alzini who proved the quickest finisher, coming through to win her first race in three years.

Saturday’s stage 2 will pose a tougher test to the riders, with the highlight of the 94.9km stage between Arrens-Marsous and Bagnères-de-Bigorre being the ascent of the Col du Tourmalet (18.9km at 7.4%).