Navarra Classics 2021 [FULL RACE] (ladies)

May 14, 2021

Navarra Classics 2021 – Pamplona – Pamplona : 125,8 km

Like its sister race Emakumeen Nafarroako Klasikoa, Clasica Femenina Navarra is a hilly one-day race held in Spain’s northern region of Navarre. It’s also one of the youngest races on the calendar and despite only being a 1.1-ranked event it has seen several world-class riders finish on its podium. The race first took place in 2019 and was initially held as a 1.2-ranked event, but after an incredibly successful edition it was upgraded to a 1.1 event for the 2020 season.

Cuban national champion Arlenis Sierra of A.R Monex Women’s Pro Cycling Team took the win in the second day of attritional racing in Navarra. Sierra outsprinted Ruth Winder of Trek-Segrafredo, who took second after struggling to get around late-race attacker Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar).

Winder and Sierra caught Van Vleuten on the run-in to the finish line.

Sierra’s win comes just two months after a collision with a vehicle while training on in Tarzo, Italy, in March. It was also the first win for A.R Monex Women’s Pro Cycling Team since they took over Astana’s license and the first for Sierra since February 2020.

The torrential conditions of Thursday’s race did not make a return in Navarra, but the attritional tactics certainly did. The race was once again characterised by a whittling down of the bunch as attack after attack chipped away at the group.

The first three short, steep rises of the day caused the peloton to thin somewhat but it was on the longer, Tirapu climb, with just over 50km to go, that caused a smaller, select bunch to form.

Attack after attack came from the likes of Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope), and Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (SD Worx), as well as van Vleuten, who was active throughout in an attempt to match her 2020 win.

Soraya Paladin of Liv Racing was the first to force a significant gap, attacking to go solo and eventually stretching her lead to around 20 seconds. Canyon-SRAM, who seemed to spend the entire race on the back foot, tried to bridge to Paladin with Ella Harris putting in an attack but the young Kiwi was quickly closed down by Katrin Hammes of Ceratizit-WNT.

It was former world champion, Marta Bastianelli of Ale BTC Ljubljana joined by Rachel Langdon of Instafund La Prima, who eventually bridged up to Palladin with 28km to go, and the trio soon had a 25-second gap.

Once again it was Canyon-SRAM chasing with Omer Shapira on the front of the peloton and the three were soon caught. Canyon missed out on yet another move as Grace Brown of Team BikeExchange was next to go solo.

With 18.6km to go, Uttrup Ludwig and Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx) bridged to Brown but the peloton, wise to Brown’s knack of time trialling to the win, eventually closed down the gap with 12km to as van Vleuten’s Movistar team moved to the front.

Uttrup Ludwig, Fisher-Black, and Brown were caught on a steep rise which made for the perfect launchpad for van Vleuten’s next attack. The defending champion took Moolman Pasio and Longo Borghini with her on the steep, 20 per cent gradient and the three were then joined by Marta Cavalli of FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope.

Van Vleuten set a high tempo over the top of the climb, encouraging the others to work to pull out a bigger lead as BikeExchange, Canyon-SRAM and Ale BTC Ljubljana took turns to try and pull the dangerous move back.

On the final, steep rise of the race Fisher-Black put in a huge effort to bridge to the group containing her teammate just as Moolman Pasio was also putting in a huge effort on the front which momentarily distanced van Vleuten.

The front group quickly rejoined over the climb and with Fisher-Black in the mix the move appeared to be the definitive break of the day. So much so that Lucinda Brand of Trek-Segafredo decided to bridge to the group with Marta Cavalli, who had been distanced, on her wheel.

With 6km to go the group looked set to go to the line together but behind it was Elise Chabbey of Canyon-SRAM, who has come to be defined as a powerhouse domestique this season, pulling on the front to bring them back.

Before the group was finally reeled in, Longo Borghini put in another dig to try and get clear and this time the Italian national champion was joined by Spanish champion, Mavi Garcia of Ale BTC Ljubljana. The pair did not last long in front, however, as yet again Swiss national champion Chabbey single-handedly brought the duo back with 1.2km to go.

Canyon-SRAM’s efforts to keep the group together for sprinter Hannah Barnes looked to have failed as van Vleuten attacked again to get clear with just 1km to go. It appeared to be a textbook move from the European Champion until sprinters Winder and Sierra joined her and sat on her wheel until the finishing straight.

As the trio approached the line, Winder found herself boxed in by van Vleuten and unable to launch her sprint fully, leaving Sierra to win by a clear margin ahead of the American national champion with van Vleuten taking third.

Results :
1 Arlenis Sierra Canadilla (Cub) A.R. Monex Women’s Pro Cycling Team 3:16:59
2 Ruth Winder (USA) Trek-Segafredo
3 Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar Team Women
4 Grace Brown (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:00:06
5 Demi Vollering (Ned) Team SD Worx
6 Marta Cavalli (Ita) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
7 Emilia Fahlin (Swe) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
8 Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Liv Racing
9 Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAM Racing
10 Krista Doebel-Hickok (USA) Rally Cycling
11 Tereza Neumanová (Cze) Women Cycling Sport
12 Greta Marturano (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
13 Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) Team SD Worx
14 Lucinda Brand (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
15 Vita Heine (Nor) Massi Tactic Women Team
16 Katie Clouse (USA) Rally Cycling
17 Debora Silvestri (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
18 Olga Zabelinskaya (Uzb) Cogeas Mettler Look Pro Cycling Team
19 Erica Magnaldi (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
20 Spela Kern (Slo) Massi Tactic Women Team
21 Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Team SD Worx
22 Eider Merino Cortazar (Spa) A.R. Monex Women’s Pro Cycling Team 0:00:09
23 Anna Shackley (GBr) Team SD Worx 0:00:12
24 Mavi Garcia (Spa) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
25 Elise Chabbey (Swi) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:00:23
26 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:00:26
27 Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Liv Racing
28 Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:00:40
29 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:06
30 Marta Lach (Pol) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team 0:01:37
31 Federica Piergiovanni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
32 Soraya Paladin (Ita) Liv Racing 0:01:41
33 Tamara Dronova (Rus) Cogeas Mettler Look Pro Cycling Team 0:02:24
34 Olha Kulynych (Ukr) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
35 Giorgia Bariani (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
36 Ganna Solovei (Ukr) LVIV Cycling Team 0:03:15
37 Kathrin Hammes (Ger) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
38 Ariadna Gutierrez Arzaluz (Mex) A.R. Monex Women’s Pro Cycling Team 0:03:17
39 Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
40 Sarah Roy (Aus) Team BikeExchange
41 Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Team SD Worx
42 Olivia Baril (Can) Massi Tactic Women Team
43 Lauretta Hanson (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
44 Omer Shapira (Isr) Canyon-SRAM Racing
45 Petra Stiasny (Swi) Cogeas Mettler Look Pro Cycling Team
46 Mikayla Harvey (NZl) Canyon-SRAM Racing
47 Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
48 Silvia Magri (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:05:06
49 Caroline Baur (Swi) Instafund Racing
50 Noemi Rüegg (Swi) Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime Women Cycling
51 Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
52 Manon Souyris (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime Women Cycling
53 Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Liv Racing
54 Patricia Ortega Ruiz (Spa) Massi Tactic Women Team
55 Rachel Langdon (GBr) Instafund Racing
56 India Grangier (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime Women Cycling
57 Lara Vieceli (Ita) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
58 Sophie Wright (GBr) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
59 Nadia Quagliotto (Ita) BePink
60 Elena Cecchini (Ita) Team SD Worx
61 Christina Schweinberger (Aut) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
62 Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
63 Arianna Fidanza (Ita) Team BikeExchange
64 Rotem Gafinovitz (Isr) Instafund Racing
65 Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team Women
66 Ella Harris (NZl) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:07:50
67 Marta Jaskulska (Pol) Liv Racing 0:08:25
68 Lourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:10:01
69 Jelena Eric (Srb) Movistar Team Women
70 Tayler Wiles (USA) Trek-Segafredo
71 Aigul Gareeva (Rus) Cogeas Mettler Look Pro Cycling Team 0:11:20
72 Usoa Ostolaza Zabala (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi
73 Morgane Coston (Fra) Macogep Tornatech Girondins de Bordeaux
74 Isabella Bertold (Can) Instafund Racing
75 Bronwyn Macgregor (NZl) LVIV Cycling Team
76 Melissa Maia (Por) Team Farto-BTC
77 Anna Baidak (Rus) Eneicat-RBH Global-Martin Villa
78 Elisabet Escursell Valero (Spa) Rio Miera-Cantabria Deporte
79 Emma Grant (GBr) Massi Tactic Women Team
80 Luce Bourbeau (Can) Macogep Tornatech Girondins de Bordeaux 0:11:23
81 Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Trek-Segafredo
82 Margaux Vigie (Fra) Valcar-Travel & Service
83 Clara Copponi (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
84 Vera Looser (Nam) Instafund Racing
85 Anastasiia Chursina (Rus) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
86 Silvia Zanardi (Ita) BePink
87 Sara Martin Martin (Spa) Movistar Team Women
88 Fie Osterby (Den) Rio Miera-Cantabria Deporte
89 Nicole Hanselmann (Swi) Women Cycling Sport
90 Idoia Eraso Lasa (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi 0:11:26
91 Laura Asencio (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
92 Victorie Guilman (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
93 Teniel Campbell (TTo) Team BikeExchange
94 Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Movistar Team Women
95 Jessica Allen (Aus) Team BikeExchange
96 Andrea Ramírez Fregoso (Mex) A.R. Monex Women’s Pro Cycling Team
97 Naomi De Roeck (Bel) LVIV Cycling Team
98 Agnieta Francke (Ned) Team Farto-BTC
99 Noemie Abgrall (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime Women Cycling
100 Laura Tomasi (Ita) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
101 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
102 Heidi Franz (USA) Rally Cycling
103 Sara Poidevin (Can) Rally Cycling
104 Malgorzata Jasinska (Pol) Women Cycling Sport
105 Moniek Tenniglo (Ned) Team BikeExchange
106 Mariia Miliaeva (Rus) A.R. Monex Women’s Pro Cycling Team 0:13:12
107 Maeva Squiban (Fra) Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime Women Cycling 0:16:31
108 Lucie Liboreu (Fra) Macogep Tornatech Girondins de Bordeaux 0:17:02
109 Gaia Masetti (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
110 Alessia Vigilia (Ita) Women Cycling Sport
111 Luciana Roland (Arg) Women Cycling Sport
112 Elisa Dalla Valle (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
113 Elena Pirrone (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
114 Matilde Vitillo (Ita) BePink
115 Maria Banlles Santamaria (Spa) Sopela Women’s Team
116 Naia Amondarain Gaztañaga (Spa) Sopela Women’s Team
117 Camila Ayala (Arg)
118 Nicole Steigenga (Ned) Doltcini-Van Eyck-Proximus Continental Team
119 Michaela Drummond (NZl) BePink
120 Vania Canvelli (Ita) BePink
121 Ziortza Isasi Cristobal (Spa) Eneicat-RBH Global-Martin Villa
122 Paula Diaz Lopez (Spa) Rio Miera-Cantabria Deporte 0:17:16