Federica Venturelli continued her impressive run of form and came agonisingly close to another sprint victory. In Stage 1 of the CIC-Tour Féminin des Pyrénées, a 118.6-kilometre route from Saint-Jean-de-Luz to Mourenx, the young UAE Team ADQ rider secured an excellent second place.
The stage was decided in a highly contested bunch sprint, with Venturelli narrowly beaten by fellow Italian Martina Alzini (Cofidis Women Team). Marie Le Net (FDJ-SUEZ) completed the podium in third place.
Following her victory last Sunday at Dwars door de Westhoek in Belgium, Venturelli once again demonstrated her strong form and confirmed that she has fully recovered from the injury setback that kept her sidelined for an extended period.
The breakaway of the day was brought back by the peloton in the closing kilometres, with UAE Team ADQ playing an important role in the chase. Paula Blasi, Alena Ivanchenko, Dominika Wlodarczyk, Giada Silo and Milana Ushakova all contributed to the effort before delivering an excellent lead-out that allowed Venturelli to fight for the win right to the finish line.
After the stage, Federica Venturelli said: “Today’s race was fairly uneventful. There was a breakaway of four riders, but it was caught in the final stages. We worked very well as a team, staying together at all times and taking the lead when necessary. Then, in the final kilometres, the team worked really well for me, gave me a lot of confidence, and I’m very happy about that. Paula (Blasi) and Domi (Wlodarczyk) gave me a perfect lead-out, and I was only beaten by Alzini in the final metres, but I’m still happy with this second place after last Sunday’s victory in Belgium. Over the next few days, we’ll be focusing on the general classification and the climbs, so my role will shift more towards supporting the others, and I’ll be delighted to help them after what they did for me today”.
The race is expected to intensify tomorrow with Stage 2, a 94.9-kilometre route from Arrens-Marsous to Bagnères-de-Bigorre. The ascent of the Col du Tourmalet will likely prove decisive in the battle for the general classification.
(ph. Pascal Gantié)
