Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta 2021 – Stage 1 [FULL STAGE] (ladies)

September 2, 2021

Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta 2021 – Stage 1 – Estación Invernal Cabeza de Manzaneda – A Rua : 118,7 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.

Less than a week after she was wearing the leader’s jersey at the Simac Ladies Tour, Swiss national champion Marlen Reusser (Ale BTC Ljubljana) won the opening stage of the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta from a solo break in A Rua. Coryn Rivera (Team DSM) won the chase-group sprint for second place ahead of Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) in third, Pauliena Rooijakkers (Liv Racing) finished fourth.

Reusser was one of four riders remaining from an original group of six when she attacked her breakaway companions with just over 2km to go and used her time trialling skills to stay away until the line.

The peloton finished 1:50 behind Reusser with Elisa Balsamo (Valcar Travel & Service) beating Anna Henderson (Jumbo Visma) to the line.

“I’m so tired. I thought I’m so tired of Holland, of Simac Ladies Tour. I was two days in school yesterday, the whole day travel,” said Reusser. “I thought we have a rest day today, it starts tomorrow – I had it wrong in my head. I was like, ‘yeah I can do whatever’ so I just thought I go for it and for a breakaway.

“I just pedalled a lot and we kept away and I felt the others don’t have that much so I just tried to go and it worked out. I didn’t want to sprint against Coryn Rivera so I tried my luck and it worked out. It’s incredible.”

After losing the lead of Simac Ladies Tour to Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (SD Worx) last week, Reusser claimed not to be looking to defend her GC lead at the Challenge by la Vuelta.

“Now I’m in front but it was not my dream to have the leader’s jersey again, it’s a lot of work,” said Reusser. “Yeah it’s nice but I think I’m not the fastest tomorrow. Let’s see. I think I’m really happy with having won a stage, I’m fine, let’s see.”

Reusser now leads the overall classification by 26 seconds ahead of Coryn Rivera (Team DSM) and 28 seconds ahead of Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) ahead of the stage 2 mountain time trial on Friday.

How it unfolded
The hilly 118.7km first stage of four started with a 15km descent which by the bottom had already stretched out the peloton before a short climb created even more splits.

On the main climb of the day, with 60km to go, a group of five riders broke away from the peloton. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Liv Racing), Marlen Reusser (Ale BTC Ljubljana), Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM), Lucy Kennedy (Team BikeExchange), Erica Magnaldi (Ceratizit WNT) gained 20 seconds on the peloton and a few kilometres later were joined by Coryn Rivera (Team DSM).

At the top of the climb, with 50km to go, the gap for the leaders had extended to 1:55. Kennedy and Magnaldi were distanced on the descent leaving Rivera, Chabbey, Reusser, and Rooijakkers at the front.

SD Worx, who missed the move, were pulling on the front with the world champion, Anna van der Breggen, on the front however the gap stayed around the two minute mark. With 20km to go the gap went out to 2:04 as Rivera, who had the best chance out of the group in a sprint, started to miss turns in an effort to save her legs.

With 15km to go it was clear that the breakaway would make it to the line with the gap between the front group and the much-reduced peloton still sitting at over two minutes. Movistar were working hard on the front and managed to bring the gap down slightly but with under 10km to go and a gap over just under 2 minutes the breakaway looked certain to make it to the line.

With 5.4km to go Chabbey attacked her breakaway companions however Rooijakkers quickly closed her down bringing the group back together. 1km later, however, Chabbey attacked again and got a gap but it was Reusser this time who brought her compatriot back to the group.

With 2.2km to go Reusser put in her own attack which the Swiss national time trial champion managed to hold. Behind, the three remaining riders were looking to each other to chase as Reusser extended her gap. In the peloton behind, Movistar were still chasing but the gap to the four leaders remained at 1:50 with less than 1km to go.

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

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