Another promising performance for UAE Development Team came today at the Festival Elsy Jacobs à Luxembourg, where 18-year-old German talent Magdalena Leis secured an impressive fourth place after an aggressive and mature ride.
The race covered 121.6 kilometres, starting and finishing in Cessange, with challenging weather conditions adding an extra layer of difficulty to the day. Rain accompanied the riders throughout much of the race, but it did not stop Leis from being one of the main protagonists.
Almost half of the race was spent in an eight-rider breakaway, which formed with 55 kilometres remaining. Alongside Magdalena Leis in the move were Erin Boothman (Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s Continental Team), Nina Berton (MIX Luxembourg-Iceland), Katharina Sadnik (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), Steffi Häberlin (Team SD Worx – Protime), Bodine Vollering (VolkerWessels Cycling Team), Lidia Cusack (United States), and Nina Lavenu (AG Insurance Soudal Devo Team).
The leading group built an advantage of nearly two minutes as they pushed on through the rain, making it increasingly clear in the closing stages that the fight for victory would come from the breakaway.
Leis showed both strength and composure throughout the decisive phase of the race. The young German rider responded to every attack launched by her rivals and remained consistently attentive at the front. In the final kilometres, she also took the initiative herself, launching a couple of determined attacks in an attempt to go clear, although neither move managed to create the decisive gap.
The race was ultimately decided in a sprint among the leaders, with Erin Boothman taking victory ahead of Swiss national champion Steffi Häberlin, while Nina Berton completed the podium in third. Magdalena Leis crossed the line in a strong fourth place, narrowly missing out on a podium finish after an excellent all-round display.
Behind the leading group, Scottish rider Eilidh Shaw added another solid result for UAE Development Team, sprinting to 11th place and finishing just outside the top 10.
The result confirms the continued growth of UAE Development Team’s young riders, with Leis once again demonstrating her talent, race intelligence, and attacking mindset against strong international competition.
(ph. Getty Sport)
