Eleonora Gasparrini secured a top-10 result for UAE Team ADQ in the opening stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Femenina, a demanding and nervous 91.9-kilometre race starting and finishing in Santa Susanna.
The opening day was marked by high temperatures, constant tension in the peloton, and several crashes. One of them involved young British rider Abigail Miller during the first half of the race. Fortunately, she was able to continue without serious consequences.
A lone breakaway animated the stage for much of the day before being caught by the peloton with around six kilometres remaining. UAE Team ADQ then worked to organise a lead-out for Gasparrini ahead of the expected bunch sprint.
However, the final kilometres proved particularly chaotic. Intense positioning battles and another crash split the peloton, disrupting the sprint preparations. In the end, Team Visma | Lease a Bike dominated the finish, with Nienke Veenhoven taking victory ahead of her teammate Marianne Vos.
Gasparrini successfully navigated the hectic finale to finish inside the top 10, giving UAE Team ADQ a solid start to the three-day Spanish stage race.
Attention now turns to Stage 2, which is expected to play a decisive role in the general classification. The 130-kilometre stage will start in Sant Vicenç de Castellet and finish atop the iconic climb to La Molina, where the contenders for the overall victory will likely emerge.
(ph. Getty Sport)
