Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta 2021 – Stage 3 [FULL STAGE] (ladies)

September 4, 2021

Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta 2021 – Stage 3 – Estación Invernal Cabeza de Manzaneda – Pereiro de Aguiar : 107,9 km

The 2021 edition of the Ceratizit Challenge is almost unrecognisable from its debut edition in 2015. Over just six years the race has grown from one day to four and now features stages across all kinds of terrain. The line-up for this year’s race has improved on previous editions too, with two-time winner Lisa Brennauer set to go up against the dominant Dutch duo of Annemiek van Vleuten and Anna van der Breggen. Throw the likes of Elisa Longo Borghini, Kasia Niewiadoma and Marlen Reusser into the mix and you have all the headliners needed to put on one hell of a show. The question is, who’s going to come out on top once the dust settles in Santiago de Compostela this Sunday? This year’s race has expanded to four days, running from September 2nd-5th, and will follow a dynamic route that features two medium-mountain stages, an uphill time trial and a flat stage for the sprinters. Such a well-balanced route will favour the stage racing specialists, particularly those who are lightning fast against the clock.

Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) went on a 50km solo raid to win stage 3 at the Challenge by La Vuelta. Van Vleuten won the stage by 2:48 ahead of a select chase-group sprint won by Liane Lippert (Team DSM) in second place and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM).

“It was a surprise,” said van Vleuten. “I had a good block of altitude training and I thought that I wasn’t super well rested, but maybe the first two days helped me a bit and today I felt great. I had a good plan with the team.

“We knew there was a tricky downhill, and I thought that was a good chance to attack. Kasia and Elisa [Longo Borghini] came with me but at some point they could not follow, so I thought maybe I was in good shape and maybe [the win] was possible.”

Van Vleuten, who won the stage 2 time trial and started the day 1:39 down in the general classification, takes the overall race lead from overnight leader Marlen Reusser (Ale BTC Ljubljana).

“After the first stage I thought maybe we lost [the overall] but on the other hand, I always want to try, and you never know,” van Vleuten said. “To win a GC you need a strong team. If we could isolate Marlen Reusser, I had a chance, and she was isolated.

“The GC is not over, it’s not the Tour de France where we go on the Champs-Élysées tomorrow. I will need to be focused with my team to defend, but with my team we have confidence that we can fight for it.”

The Challenge by la Vuelta closes out on Sunday with 107.4km from As Pontes to Santiago de Compostela. Stage 4 is a race for the sprinters, a flatter day where an anticipated bunch sprint will take place at the historic Plaza del Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela.

How it unfolded

Stage 3 started at the Cabeza de Manzaneda Ski Resort and covered 107.9km to Pereiro de Aguiar. The race included two ascents at the category 3 Alto de Cerdeira (18.7km) and the category 2 Alto de A Lama (64.7km) with another undulating approach to the finish in Pereiro de Aguiar.

The first breakaway included Alison Jackson (Liv Racing), Ilaria Sanguineti (Valcar Travel & Service) and Amber Kraak (Jumbo-Visma) cleared the field 20km into the stage but the move was short-lived and and the field was back together again less than 10km later.

The most decisive move happened at 60km to go when Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) launched an attack followed by Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) and Kata Blanka Vas (SD Worx).

Van Vleuten won stage 2 time trial and started the stage 1:39 down on stage 1 winner and overnight leader Marlen Reusser (Ale BTC Ljubljana), but vowed fight to make stage 3 difficult in an effort to take the overall leader’s jersey at the Challenge by la Vuelta.

The breakaway gained 1:35 on the main field and half a minute on a chase group that included Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM), Marta Cavalli (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope), Liane Lippert and Floortje Mackaij (Team DSM), and Reusser.

Van Vleuten made a long-range and winning attack inside the final 50km of the stage and gained more than two and a half minutes on the select chase group that formed behind, crossing the finish line with the stage 3 victory and the overall leader’s jersey.

The chase group of eight riders fell apart with Lippert, Mackaij, Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma pushing forward in pursuit of second place on the day, as Reusser was distanced in the last kilometres of the stage.

Longo Borghini started the chase-group sprint too soon and was passed by Lippert, who took second place on the day, with Niewiadoma in third place.

Results :
1 Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar Team Women 2:41:53
2 Liane Lippert (Ger) Team DSM 0:02:48
3 Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM Racing
4 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:02:51
5 Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team DSM 0:02:55
6 Kata Blanka Vas (Hun) Team SD Worx 0:03:01
7 Elise Chabbey (Swi) Canyon-SRAM Racing
8 Marta Cavalli (Ita) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
9 Marlen Reusser (Swi) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:03:03
10 Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:07:13
11 Anna Henderson (GBr) Jumbo-Visma Women Team
12 Lotte Kopecky (Bel) Liv Racing
13 Ingvild Gåskjenn (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
14 Silvia Zanardi (Ita) BePink
15 Ellen van Dijk (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
16 Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Spa) Team BikeExchange
17 Victorie Guilman (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
18 Evita Muzic (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
19 Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
20 Mavi Garcia (Spa) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
21 Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
22 Eugenia Bujak (Slo) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
23 Riejanne Markus (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team
24 Abi Smith (GBr) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
25 Leah Thomas (USA) Movistar Team Women
26 Erica Magnaldi (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
27 Spela Kern (Slo) Massi Tactic Women Team
28 Elena Pirrone (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:07:21
29 Michaela Drummond (NZl) BePink
30 Mireia Benito Pellicer (Spa) Massi Tactic Women Team
31 Claire Steels (GBr) Sopela Women’s Team
32 Maaike Coljé (Ned) Massi Tactic Women Team 0:07:23
33 Ines Cantera Carrasco (Spa) Sopela Women’s Team
34 Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
35 Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon-SRAM Racing
36 Yuliia Biriukova (Ukr) Eneicat-RBH Global-Martin Villa
37 Anna Shackley (GBr) Team SD Worx
38 Marie Le Net (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
39 Amber Kraak (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team
40 Lija Laizane (Lat) Eneicat-RBH Global-Martin Villa
41 Holly Henry (Can) Instafund Racing
42 Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Team SD Worx
43 Idoia Eraso Lasa (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi
44 Irene Mendez (Spa) Rio Miera-Cantabria Deporte
45 Hannah Ludwig (Ger) Canyon-SRAM Racing
46 Mikayla Harvey (NZl) Canyon-SRAM Racing
47 Nadine Michaela Gill (Ger) Bizkaia-Durango
48 Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Team SD Worx
49 Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Liv Racing
50 Paula Patiño Bedoya (Col) Movistar Team Women
51 Lourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Spa) Movistar Team Women
52 Vittoria Guazzini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
53 Tayler Wiles (USA) Trek-Segafredo
54 Sara Martin Martin (Spa) Movistar Team Women
55 Janneke Ensing (Ned) Team BikeExchange
56 Martina Moreno Monteys (Spa) Massi Tactic Women Team
57 Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Liv Racing
58 Federica Piergiovanni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
59 Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) Liv Racing
60 Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team Women
61 Lucy Kennedy (Aus) Team BikeExchange
62 Matilde Vitillo (Ita) BePink
63 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:07:31
64 Barbara Malcotti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:07:44
65 Urska Zigart (Slo) Team BikeExchange 0:08:08
66 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:08:29
67 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:19:13
68 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team DSM
69 Stine Borgli (Nor) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
70 Urska Pintar (Slo) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
71 Alison Jackson (Can) Liv Racing 0:19:41
72 Caroline Baur (Swi) Instafund Racing
73 Susana Perez Conejero (Spa) Rio Miera-Cantabria Deporte
74 Carolina Esteban Fernandez (Spa) Rio Miera-Cantabria Deporte
75 Garazi Estevez Guede (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi
76 Enara Lopez Gallastegi (Spa) Team Farto-BTC
77 Valerie Demey (Bel) Liv Racing
78 Sofia Rodriguez Revert (Spa) Sopela Women’s Team
79 Dorka Jordan (Hun) Instafund Racing
80 Amalie Lutro (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
81 Ariana Gilabert Vilaplana (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango
82 Ziortza Isasi Cristobal (Spa) Eneicat-RBH Global-Martin Villa
83 Irantzu Beloki Arcelus (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi
84 Isabella Bertold (Can) Instafund Racing
85 Aida Nuño Palacio (Spa) Rio Miera-Cantabria Deporte
86 Nofar Maoz (Isr) Burgos Alimenta Women Cycling Sport
87 Lucia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango
88 Isabel Martin Martin (Spa) Rio Miera-Cantabria Deporte
89 Diana Carolina Peñuela Martinez (Col) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
90 Nina Kessler (Ned) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
91 Mercedes Carmona Ramos (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango
92 Lara Crestanello (Ita) BePink
93 Prisca Savi (Ita) BePink
94 Ane Iversen (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
95 Antri Christoforou (Cyp) Burgos Alimenta Women Cycling Sport
96 Tanja Erath (Ger) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
97 Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Trek-Segafredo
98 Sandra Alonso Dominguez (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango
99 Melissa Maia (Por) Team Farto-BTC
100 Kathrin Hammes (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
101 Amaia Lartitegi Ormazabal (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango
102 Cristina Pujol Muñoz (Spa) Team Farto-BTC
103 Malgorzata Jasinska (Pol) Burgos Alimenta Women Cycling Sport
104 Eri Yonamine (Jpn) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
105 Eukene Larrarte Arteaga (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi
106 Naia Amondarain Gaztañaga (Spa) Sopela Women’s Team
107 Vita Heine (Nor) Massi Tactic Women Team
108 Aafke Soet (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team
109 Laura Asencio (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team 0:19:57
110 Tereza Neumanová (Cze) Burgos Alimenta Women Cycling Sport
111 Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
112 Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Team SD Worx
113 Jip van den Bos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team
114 Luciana Roland (Arg) Burgos Alimenta Women Cycling Sport
115 Mieke Kröger (Ger) Team Coop Hitec Products
116 Silvia Zuñiga Garcia (Spa) Eneicat-RBH Global-Martin Villa 0:28:10
117 Ainhize Barrainkua Agirre (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi 0:28:13
118 Katia Martinez Minarro (Mex) Eneicat-RBH Global-Martin Villa 0:28:17
119 Liliana Jesus (Por) Team Farto-BTC 0:29:38
120 Natalia Saiz Sanchez (Spa) Sopela Women’s Team 0:35:24
121 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) BePink
122 Josie Nelson (GBr) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:38:13
123 Maria Banlles Santamaria (Spa) Sopela Women’s Team
124 Alessia Vigilia (Ita) Burgos Alimenta Women Cycling Sport 0:40:53
DNF Coryn Rivera (USA) Team DSM
DNF Kristen Faulkner (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
DNF Maria del Pilar Jimenez Martinez (Spa) Team Farto-BTC
DNF Juliette Labous (Fra) Team DSM
DNF Carla Fernandez Torres (Spa) Team Farto-BTC
DNS Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) Team SD Worx
DNS Olivia Baril (Can) Massi Tactic Women Team
OTL Christa Riffel (Ger) Team Coop Hitec Products

General Classification after Stage 3 :
1 Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar Team Women 6:10:25
2 Marlen Reusser (Swi) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:01:34
3 Elise Chabbey (Swi) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:03:20
4 Marta Cavalli (Ita) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:03:38
5 Liane Lippert (Ger) Team DSM 0:04:07
6 Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:04:14
7 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:04:35
8 Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team DSM 0:04:46
9 Kata Blanka Vas (Hun) Team SD Worx 0:05:07
10 Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Liv Racing 0:07:30
11 Leah Thomas (USA) Movistar Team Women 0:08:21
12 Abi Smith (GBr) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:08:55
13 Ellen van Dijk (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
14 Erica Magnaldi (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team 0:08:59
15 Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Team SD Worx
16 Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon-SRAM Racing
17 Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Spa) Team BikeExchange 0:09:02
18 Amber Kraak (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:09:03
19 Riejanne Markus (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:09:05
20 Mavi Garcia (Spa) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:09:06
21 Tayler Wiles (USA) Trek-Segafredo 0:09:08
22 Evita Muzic (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:09:10
23 Hannah Ludwig (Ger) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:09:21
24 Anna Shackley (GBr) Team SD Worx 0:09:32
25 Janneke Ensing (Ned) Team BikeExchange 0:09:34
26 Lotte Kopecky (Bel) Liv Racing 0:09:35
27 Elena Pirrone (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:09:39
28 Sara Martin Martin (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:09:48
29 Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Liv Racing 0:09:56
30 Anna Henderson (GBr) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:09:58
31 Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) Liv Racing 0:10:02
32 Mikayla Harvey (NZl) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:10:03
33 Lucy Kennedy (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:10:06
34 Michaela Drummond (NZl) BePink
35 Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:10:08
36 Vittoria Guazzini (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:10:16
37 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:10:29
38 Victorie Guilman (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
39 Eugenia Bujak (Slo) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:10:44
40 Martina Moreno Monteys (Spa) Massi Tactic Women Team 0:10:46
41 Spela Kern (Slo) Massi Tactic Women Team 0:10:58
42 Marie Le Net (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:11:35
43 Urska Zigart (Slo) Team BikeExchange 0:16:04
44 Yuliia Biriukova (Ukr) Eneicat-RBH Global-Martin Villa 0:16:09
45 Paula Patiño Bedoya (Col) Movistar Team Women
46 Federica Piergiovanni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:16:14
47 Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Team SD Worx 0:16:18
48 Lourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:16:30
49 Ines Cantera Carrasco (Spa) Sopela Women’s Team 0:16:48
50 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:16:55
51 Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
52 Lija Laizane (Lat) Eneicat-RBH Global-Martin Villa 0:17:05
53 Maaike Coljé (Ned) Massi Tactic Women Team 0:17:07
54 Barbara Malcotti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:17:09
55 Irene Mendez (Spa) Rio Miera-Cantabria Deporte 0:17:21
56 Idoia Eraso Lasa (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi 0:17:42
57 Urska Pintar (Slo) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:21:10
58 Matilde Vitillo (Ita) BePink 0:21:17
59 Claire Steels (GBr) Sopela Women’s Team 0:21:20
60 Ingvild Gåskjenn (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:21:25
61 Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team 0:21:33
62 Holly Henry (Can) Instafund Racing 0:21:38
63 Nadine Michaela Gill (Ger) Bizkaia-Durango 0:21:52
64 Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Team SD Worx 0:21:53
65 Mireia Benito Pellicer (Spa) Massi Tactic Women Team 0:21:58
66 Alison Jackson (Can) Liv Racing 0:22:42
67 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:23:38
68 Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:23:55
69 Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:24:01
70 Eri Yonamine (Jpn) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:24:07
71 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team DSM 0:30:28
72 Silvia Zanardi (Ita) BePink 0:30:35
73 Mercedes Carmona Ramos (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango 0:33:51
74 Kathrin Hammes (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team 0:34:00
75 Vita Heine (Nor) Massi Tactic Women Team 0:34:31
76 Stine Borgli (Nor) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:34:41
77 Aida Nuño Palacio (Spa) Rio Miera-Cantabria Deporte 0:34:53
78 Malgorzata Jasinska (Pol) Burgos Alimenta Women Cycling Sport 0:35:17
79 Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Trek-Segafredo 0:35:32
80 Lucia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango 0:35:36
81 Melissa Maia (Por) Team Farto-BTC 0:35:51
82 Valerie Demey (Bel) Liv Racing 0:35:54
83 Laura Asencio (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team 0:36:17
84 Tereza Neumanová (Cze) Burgos Alimenta Women Cycling Sport 0:36:31
85 Nina Kessler (Ned) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:36:54
86 Tanja Erath (Ger) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:37:16
87 Aafke Soet (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:37:18
88 Caroline Baur (Swi) Instafund Racing 0:37:54
89 Isabella Bertold (Can) Instafund Racing
90 Sandra Alonso Dominguez (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango 0:38:12
91 Lara Crestanello (Ita) BePink 0:38:35
92 Ziortza Isasi Cristobal (Spa) Eneicat-RBH Global-Martin Villa 0:38:39
93 Diana Carolina Peñuela Martinez (Col) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:39:00
94 Amalie Lutro (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:39:07
95 Ane Iversen (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:39:08
96 Susana Perez Conejero (Spa) Rio Miera-Cantabria Deporte 0:39:09
97 Enara Lopez Gallastegi (Spa) Team Farto-BTC 0:39:42
98 Naia Amondarain Gaztañaga (Spa) Sopela Women’s Team 0:42:42
99 Mieke Kröger (Ger) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:43:21
100 Eukene Larrarte Arteaga (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi 0:43:48
101 Irantzu Beloki Arcelus (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi 0:43:49
102 Sofia Rodriguez Revert (Spa) Sopela Women’s Team 0:43:56
103 Carolina Esteban Fernandez (Spa) Rio Miera-Cantabria Deporte 0:44:29
104 Amaia Lartitegi Ormazabal (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango 0:44:33
105 Luciana Roland (Arg) Burgos Alimenta Women Cycling Sport 0:45:04
106 Dorka Jordan (Hun) Instafund Racing 0:45:09
107 Isabel Martin Martin (Spa) Rio Miera-Cantabria Deporte 0:45:22
108 Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:45:48
109 Silvia Zuñiga Garcia (Spa) Eneicat-RBH Global-Martin Villa 0:47:03
110 Ariana Gilabert Vilaplana (Spa) Bizkaia-Durango 0:50:56
111 Nofar Maoz (Isr) Burgos Alimenta Women Cycling Sport 0:51:18
112 Cristina Pujol Muñoz (Spa) Team Farto-BTC 0:51:34
113 Garazi Estevez Guede (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi 0:52:21
114 Antri Christoforou (Cyp) Burgos Alimenta Women Cycling Sport 0:53:06
115 Jip van den Bos (Ned) Jumbo-Visma Women Team 0:54:42
116 Prisca Savi (Ita) BePink 0:55:40
117 Josie Nelson (GBr) Team Coop Hitec Products 1:03:15
118 Katia Martinez Minarro (Mex) Eneicat-RBH Global-Martin Villa 1:04:26
119 Liliana Jesus (Por) Team Farto-BTC 1:10:00
120 Natalia Saiz Sanchez (Spa) Sopela Women’s Team 1:11:19
121 Alessia Vigilia (Ita) Burgos Alimenta Women Cycling Sport 1:16:18
122 Ainhize Barrainkua Agirre (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi 1:16:40
123 Maria Banlles Santamaria (Spa) Sopela Women’s Team 1:19:54
124 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) BePink 1:27:50