UAE TEAM ADQ

Tereza Neumanova came close to victory, securing an impressive second place in the opening stage of the Tour of Chongming Island.

Tereza Neumanova came close to victory, securing an impressive second place in the opening stage of the Tour of Chongming Island. Eleonora Gasparrini delivered a superb lead-out, while Karolina Kumiega finished 8th and claimed the Polka Dot Jersey as the QOM (Queen of the Mountains) leader. Great teamwork for UAE Team ADQ.

The 108.9-kilometre stage began and ended at Chongming New City Park, with the peloton battling rainy conditions that persisted throughout the day. Despite the wet roads, the pace remained high, and Kumiega showed her strength by collecting valuable points to earn the QOM jersey by the end of the stage.

In the final stretch, all the top sprinters' teams came into play. Anastasia Carbonari took charge in the last few kilometres, setting the pace for the lead-out by Gasparrini, who positioned Neumanova for the sprint finish. The Czech rider gave it her all but was narrowly overtaken in the final metres by Mylène De Zoete of Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team, ultimately securing a strong second place. Kumiega rounded out the top ten with her ninth-place finish.

After the race, Neumanova expressed her satisfaction with the podium result, saying: “I’m very happy with this podium because it’s been a difficult season for me, with physical problems causing a lot of stress. So, to be on the podium today is really rewarding. The win was very close, and while it's a bit disappointing not to have taken it, I think we can be proud of our performance. Now, we’re focused on the upcoming stages, where we’ll have more opportunities to go for the win.”

NEXT STAGES

16/10/2024 - Stage 2 | Changxing Island Country Park - Chongming New City Park (129 km)               

Start: 5:10 - Finish: 8:10 CET

Live on discovery+/Eurosport from 7:05 CET

17/10/2024 - Stage 3 | Chongming New City Park - Chongming New City Park (111.4 km)

Start: 5:40 - Finish: 8:10 CET

Live on discovery+/Eurosport from 7:05 CET

(ph. Sprint Cycling Agency)