After yesterday’s stage, where she already began chasing climbing points, Polish champion Dominika Wlodarczyk has claimed the green QOM leader’s jersey at the end of today’s challenging second stage of the Tour Down Under in Australia.
The stage proved to be demanding for the riders of UAE Team ADQ, featuring the iconic uphill finish on Willunga Hill and intense heat throughout the day. Wlodarczyk showed her intent early on, conquering the first QOM point just a few kilometers into the race.
Meanwhile, Karlijn Swinkels secured additional points by winning one of the intermediate sprints. In the critical moments of the stage, Greta Marturano and Erica Magnaldi worked hard in the group of top riders to set up their teammate.
The double ascent of Willunga Hill ultimately split the peloton, leaving only the strongest riders in contention. Wlodarczyk stayed with the lead group and finished the stage in an impressive 5th place, as Swiss champion Noemi Ruegg claimed a solo victory. Wlodarczyk now sits 4th in the General Classification, 36 seconds behind the new leader Ruegg.
Dominika Wlodarczyk commented: “Today was all about Willunga Hill, a climb we had to tackle twice, making the stage even tougher than last year. The heat didn’t make it any easier – 35°C in the shade is definitely not the favorite condition for a girl from Poland!
Our plan was to position Karlijn, Erica, and me well going into the climb. Lizzie and Bertizzolo did an incredible job keeping us in the right spots, and Greta was outstanding, controlling every single move in the peloton. The whole team gave their all today, and I couldn’t be prouder. Earlier in the stage, I went for some mountain points, but I didn’t want to spend too much energy there – our main focus was to fight for the GC on this crucial stage.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go entirely our way on the climb, but we left nothing out there. We now head into tomorrow’s stage wearing the mountain jersey and sitting 4th in the GC. We’re hungry for more, and with such a strong team, I’m confident we’ll show our winning spirit again!”
Tomorrow’s Stage:
Stage 3 | 105.9km | Sunday 19 January | Stirling – Stirling | Start 11:10 ACDT.
