It was supposed to be a transfer fraction, but today it was Vuelta Femenina we had a day full of content, mainly thanks to the wind and those who believed in it, that is SD Worx Protimewhich inspired, triggered and innervated an assault destined to last over 120 km and brought – for those who were the protagonists – a two-minute superbonus in the rankings.
A clear break between names such as Vollering, Fisher-Black, Longo Borghini, Niewiadoma, Magnaldi, Labous, Markus, Smulders and Faulkner, and all the other women in the rankings, who will now be forced to chase. Among these, above all Gaia Realinithird a year ago in the Spanish race and probably forced today to give up the ranks to Elisa (although never say never when talking about the Abruzzese uphill).
The stage victory went to Kristen Faulkner, who carried out a lethal attack on an imperceptible ramp 6 km from the finish line, distancing the great nobility that was part of the first group and once again impressing his trademark: of his ten victories, in fact, six they arrived solo (and three time trials, so basically those too can be considered solo…); the last two not even two months ago, at the Trofeo Ponente in Rosa.
Vuelta Femenina 2024, the news of the fourth stage
Some secondary movement at the beginning, then at kilometer 20 of the 142.3 km Molina de Aragón-Zaragoza, the fourth stage of the Vuelta Femenina 2024everything fell apart with the splitting of the platoon due to the fans inspired by the SD Worx Protimewith a group of 19 runners taking the lead.
The list of pacesetters is necessary: six SD Worx including the general leader Blanka Kata Vasaccompanied by Niamh Fisher-Black, Mischa Bredewold, Elena CecchiniMarlen Reusser e Demi Vollering; Therefore Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl Trek), Kasia Niewiadoma and Maike van der Duin (Canyon//SRAM), Erica Magnaldi (UAE ADQ), Juliette Labous (DSM-Firmenich PostNL), Marianne VosRiejanne Markus and Sophie von Berswordt (Visma-Lease a Bike), Georgia Baker and Silke Smulders (Liv AlUla Jayco), Kristen Faulkner and Alison Jackson (EF Education-Cannondale) and Sheyla Gutiérrez (Movistar).
Remained excluded among others Gaia Realini (Lidl), Évita Muzic (FDJ-Suez), Mavi García (Liv), Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) and Liane Lippert (Movistar); even the Pescara girl even lost contact with the second group for a while, before getting back within -100. In the first part of the windy action the advantage of the leaders reached 1’50”, then behind there was a certain reorganization and, with the work of FDJ and Lidl, the gap was brought by the pursuers up to 43″ at the – 55.
But then the pace of the latter physiologically dropped and the former regained strength, while the rain was also added to the wind. Not Elena Cecchini, who got a puncture at -51 and left the scene; and not even Blanka Vas, who at -42 let herself be overcome by melancholy by slipping out of the group and then destroying herself to return, repelled by the gusts but sheltered by the flagships following the large group.
While refueling the -38, a water bottle slipped from the grasp of a DSM athlete and went between the wheels of Debora Silvestri (Laboral Kutxa), ended up heavily (headed) to the ground. A rather scary fall due to the force of the blow, but the 25-year-old from Verona recovered without apparent problems and finished the stage.
You go for bonuses, Faulkner as a finisseur
Yours she won the flying finish in Santa Fé at -12.5, ahead of Vas, recovering 2″ thanks to the bonus game (6″ for Marianne, 4″ for Blanka) and therefore overtaking her in the standings. 2″ also for Longo Borghini, who placed third.
Ai -6.5 Faulkner snapped on a small climb, breaking down the resistance of Reusser who was trying to hold it and calling for the reaction of Longo Borghini, Vollering and Niewiadoma, which Vas also joined. But going to pick up the American from Alaska immediately turned out to be a very complicated affair.
The counterattackers were the first to be caught by the others (in particular by Markus who worked for Vos) at -2, which brought the 31-year-old of the team closer together. EF who without any hesitation went on to take victory number 10 of her career, betraying – in her pedaling to the last centimeter leaving the celebration for later – also the temptation to take the roja, which was actually not far from her (20 ” from Vas upon departure).
Kristen didn’t succeed in the double attempt because the group reached the finish line with a 10″ gap. The sprint of the lines was won by Baker on Yours and Vas, in the rear Magnaldi and Longo Borghiniwho was also sprinting but found herself dangerously closed to the barriers by Vollering, preferred to take her foot off the pedal.
The group of RealiniGarcía, Lippert, Gigante and Muzic arrived at 2’01”, and all of the above leads us to a ranking that sees Marianne Vos first with 5″ on Vas, 9″ on Faulkner, 18″ on Longo Borghini, 19″ on Jackson. The first fifteen of the general, who were all in today’s attack, are enclosed in 1’20”, Realini is 18th at 2’11” but from tomorrow she will begin to find good ground for her legs: the fifth stage of the Vuelta Femenina 2024 it will develop over the 113.9 km between Huesca and Jaca, arriving at Fuerte Rapitan, at the top of a 3 km ramp at 8%. The climbers are already warming up their engines.
