ZIPTRAK® STAGE 1 WINNER – Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance – Soudal Team)
SANTOS OCHRE LEADER’S JERSEY – Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance – Soudal Team)
ZIPTRAK SPRINT JERSEY – Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance – Soudal Team)
EFEX QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN JERSEY – Katia Ragusa (Human Powered Health)
ZWIFT YOUNG RIDER’S JERSEY – Kristyna Burlova (Lifeplus Wahoo)
Race Report:
New Zealand track and now road sensation Ally Wollaston claimed a debut WorldTour major prize by
winning the Ziptrak stage 1 of the new 2024 UCI Women’s WorldTour season.
Wollaston, 23, barnstormed across the Maryvale Road, Athelstone finish line to beat a super fast bunch toearn her team AG Insurance Soudal a perfect start to the new year.
Wollaston’s efforts earned her a hat trick of wins on her most successful WorldTour day, including the
Santos Ochre Leader’s Jersey, the stage win, and the Ziptrak Sprint Jersey.
Wollaston beat Liv Jayco AlUla’s Georgia Baker to the Fox Oval finish line with Italy’s Sofia Bertizzolo, 26,
(UAE Emirates) earning a precious third placing on equal time just ahead of Kristyna Burlova.
“I’m really proud of being patient and backing myself,’’ Wollaston said.
“Once I committed to the sprint I thought, oh hell, I could actually win this but it wasn’t until the final few
metres for sure.”
Wollaston said she had trained hard in heated settings in New Zealand in a bid to acclimatise before
coming to Adelaide and it paid off in 36C heat.
Wollaston last year upstaged the superstars of the Santos Tour Down Under at the Criterium Classic in
the streets of Adelaide after winning New Zealand’s criterium championship.
The day’s work probably finished as planned for most riders and their teams – a bunch sprint finish – as
Italy’s Katia Ragusa entertained fans early on.
Ragusa had a brilliant start winning the efex Queen of the Mountain Jersey after riding powerfully in the
breakaway during her team debut for Human Powered Health.
However, Ragusa’s day turned sour when she was forced to stop albeit briefly for a puncture and a wheel
change during the fast Gorge Road descent into Campbelltown.
However, after the intermediate sprints and Queen of the Mountain polka dot jersey were decided Matilda Raynolds (Bridgeland) launched an audacious solo counterattack 58km from the finish line.
The 36-year-old set the nervous chasing bunch alight with the gap closing to 56 seconds with about 30km to go after it blew out to almost to minutes.
Raynolds was swallowed up by the breakaway group inside the final 10km as it appeared that a bunch
sprint was what the contenders were aiming for before the Czech Republic’s Burlova from Lifeplus Wahoo was rewarded with the Zwift Young Rider’s jersey on the podium.
And as teams were organising their sprint trains for the first time in the new WorldTour season Hyundai
Stage 3 favourite Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) dodged a couple of nasty crashes near the back
of the race.
In a beautiful gesture, the entire peloton, fans, and officials commemorated the life of Australian cyclist
Melissa Hoskins who died tragically late last year.
A minute’s silence was observed for Hoskins at the Hahndorf start line before the start gun was fired to
signal the 2024 WorldTour season was underway.
Santos Tour Down Under key points
12km: Ziptrak Sprint 1 – Adelaide Road, Echunga
Australia’s WorldTour outfit Liv Jayco-AlUla ensured the nation’s newest road champion Ruby RosemanGannon earned the first bonus of the new season by taking out the Ziptrak Sprint 1 at Echunga with teammate Georgia Baker who was tipped as a potential stage winner close behind followed by UAE Team ADQ’s Dominika Wlodarczyk.
29.7km: efex Queen of the Mountain 1: (Category 3) Hawthorn Climb: Hawthorn Road, Echunga
The breakaway riders, Human Powered Health’s Italian Katia Rugusa earned maximum points ahead of
Coop Repsol’s French gun India Grangier and Bridgelane’s Matilda Raynolds.
49.3km: Ziptrak Sprint 2 – Onkparinga Valley Road, Woodside
Rugusa was again dominant at Woodside beating Raynolds at Woodside.
58.1km: efex Queen of the Mountain 2: (Category 3): Kenton Valley Climb: Kenton Valley Road,
Lobethal
Ragusa wasn’t going to let this one slip, after doing a lot of work during the breakaway to earn a healthy
10 points for her QOM efforts. The Italian made sure the efex QOM jersey was hers to keep at the start
line for the Health Partners Stage 2 Glenelg to Stirling on Saturday.
93.7km: Race Finish – Maryvale Road, Athelstone: Time: 2hr 32min 37sec
Stage Winner – Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance Soudal)
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