Description
September 15, 2023
Tour de Romandie 2023 🇨🇭 WE – Stage 1 – Yverdon-les-Bains – Yverdon-les-Bains : 144,1 km
First raced in 2022, the Tour de Romandie Féminin is a recent addition to the Women’s WorldTour calendar and as the last elite-level stage race in Europe,
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September 15, 2023
Tour de Romandie 2023 🇨🇭 WE – Stage 1 – Yverdon-les-Bains – Yverdon-les-Bains : 144,1 km
First raced in 2022, the Tour de Romandie Féminin is a recent addition to the Women’s WorldTour calendar and as the last elite-level stage race in Europe, it will draw a close to the road racing season for many of the world’s best riders. This year’s edition will span three days between September 15th and 17th and features three stages in the French-speaking part of western Switzerland. The first will take place on a circuit around Yverdon-les-Bains, the second on a mountainous route from Romont to the ski resort of Torgon, and the third on an undulating route from Vernier to Nyon.
Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ) won stage 1 of the Tour de Romandie Féminin in the sprint of a reduced peloton, just catching late attacker Carina Schrempf (Fenix-Deceuninck) on the finish line as the Austrian champion raised her hands, thinking she had won.
Despite a number of attacks, the race seemed to come down to a sprint until Schrempf made her move with 2.7 km to go, still holding a sizeable gap at the 200-metre mark. Certain she had held off the peloton, Schrempf sat up to celebrate, but Bertizzolo squeezed past on the last metres to take the win. Mischa Bredewold (Team SD Worx) finished third.
“When I started my sprint, I thought I would come second because Schrempf had a big advantage, then I saw we were gaining and gaining. The team played a big part, they guided me perfectly today,” Bertizzolo said.
“It’s an emotional victory. Just yesterday I told my sport director, Marcello Albasini, that the last race in Switzerland was nine years ago in Nyon when I won the European junior title, so Switzerland suits me well. I am really happy with my first WorldTour victory, my most important victory so far,” she continued.
As the winner of the first stage, Bertizzolo also takes the overall lead, four seconds ahead of Schrempf.
“Tomorrow I will be riding in yellow, that means a lot to me. It’s always a special colour because it reminds you of the biggest race in the world. It’s the very first time in a leader’s jersey for me, so it’s very special,” Bertizzolo looked forward to her first day in a leader’s jersey.
Results :
 won stage 1 of the Tour de Romandie Féminin in the sprint of a reduced peloton, just catching late attacker Carina Schrempf (Fenix-Deceuninck) on the finish line as the Austrian champion raised her hands, thinking she had won.
Despite a number of attacks, the race seemed to come down to a sprint until Schrempf made her move with 2.7 km to go, still holding a sizeable gap at the 200-metre mark. Certain she had held off the peloton, Schrempf sat up to celebrate, but Bertizzolo squeezed past on the last metres to take the win. Mischa Bredewold (Team SD Worx) finished third.
"When I started my sprint, I thought I would come second because Schrempf had a big advantage, then I saw we were gaining and gaining. The team played a big part, they guided me perfectly today," Bertizzolo said.
"It's an emotional victory. Just yesterday I told my sport director, Marcello Albasini, that the last race in Switzerland was nine years ago in Nyon when I won the European junior title, so Switzerland suits me well. I am really happy with my first WorldTour victory, my most important victory so far," she continued.
As the winner of the first stage, Bertizzolo also takes the overall lead, four seconds ahead of Schrempf.
"Tomorrow I will be riding in yellow, that means a lot to me. It's always a special colour because it reminds you of the biggest race in the world. It's the very first time in a leader's jersey for me, so it's very special," Bertizzolo looked forward to her first day in a leader's jersey.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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