A day after Karlijn Swinkels’ second-place finish at La Périgord Ladies, UAE Development Team was back in action on French roads for La Picto en Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
The 139.2km race took the riders from Poitiers to Châtellerault over a demanding course featuring several short climbs.
Joining the UAE Development Team riders were WorldTour teammates Karlijn Swinkels and French rider Maeva Squiban, who is continuing her preparations for the upcoming Tour de France Femmes.
Squiban, racing on home roads, delivered a solid performance to finish fifth. Victory went to Nicole Steigenga (AG Insurance–Soudal Team).
Maeva Squiban tried several times to attack on the climb, but was unable to make a difference and it all came down to a sprint.
It is worth noting that Karlijn Swinkels was involved in a crash and did not finish the race. However, it does not appear to be anything serious.
The weekend in France therefore ends on a positive note for UAE Team ADQ, following Swinkels’ runner-up finish on Saturday and another top-five result courtesy of Squiban.
(ph. @photo.candice17)
