An outstanding solo victory by Australian rider Brodie Chapman sealed the third and final stage of the Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées, capping off a perfect day for UAE Team ADQ. The 127.8 km route from Abidos to Pau was expertly controlled by the Emirati squad, showcasing both tactical strength and team cohesion.
Chapman was particularly active from the early stages, staying alert at the front of the bunch and always ready to follow breakaway moves. With about 25 kilometers to go, she made her move, bridging across to Alessia Vigilia (FDJ-SUEZ), who had attacked shortly before. The two worked together briefly before Chapman, the Australian time trial champion, decided to go solo with around 20 kilometers remaining.
Displaying great determination and strength, Chapman increased her advantage in the closing kilometers and crossed the finish line alone, nearly one minute ahead of the chasing group.
It was a strong all-around team effort: in the bunch sprint, Polish national champion Dominika Włodarczyk claimed third place, while 22-year-old Spaniard Paula Blasi finished fifth on the stage and secured the white jersey as the Best Young Rider of the race. In the overall classification, Blasi finished fifth, with Włodarczyk seventh.
Thanks to this collective performance, UAE Team ADQ was awarded Best Team of the race.
After the finish, Brodie Chapman said: “Feels really nice to win in the UAE Team ADQ jersey. We had a plan for an aggressive race and we all supported each other to take opportunities and make the race hard. So it was easy to give full commitment to my move because I knew behind I had Domi and Paula ready to respond. I’m happy with how my form is and it was a parcours that suited me well, it gives me confidence as I build towards the Giro d’Italia Women.“
(ph. Anouk Flesch)
