Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta: Van Vleuten conquers climbs to take stage 2 victory
Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta: Van Vleuten conquers climbs to take stage 2 victory
This story first appeared on VeloNews.com.
Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Team) took victory on the Queen stage and the lead of the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta after going solo in the final 30km of the climb-filled day.
Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) and Liane Lippert (Team DSM) completed the podium, finishing over two minutes down on the winner.
Van Vleuten attacked early on the penultimate category 1 climb, initially taking Demi Vollering (SD Worx), Longo Borghini, Mavi García (UAE Team ADQ) and Lippert with her, but soon rode her rivals off her wheel to ride solo for almost 30km to the finish.
Sarah Roy (Canyon-SRAM) and Lucinda Brand (Trek-Segafredo) were away together for most of the stage but were caught at the bottom of the decisive climb.
Van Vleuten now leads the overall classification by a minute and 54 seconds over Longo Borghini.
Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta (2.WWT) Colindres → Colindres
VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek
VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek
BRAND Lucinda
Canyon//SRAM Racing