Ally Wollaston surprises Marianne Vos in Manresa
June 7 th 2024 - 20:24 [GMT + 2]
The women's Volta a Catalunya has started with a surprise in its opening stage in Manresa. The young New Zealander Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) has been able to beat the triple world champion Marianne Vos (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) in the explosive sprint held at the Muralla del Carme of the capital of Bages after the 100.6 kilometers of the course, thus also becoming the first leader of the race before a mountain stage between La Seu d'Urgell and La Molina that is expected to be decisive in order to decide the overall classification.
A group of 122 top international cyclists divided into 20 teams have started this Friday, June 7, the first women's stage edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. A historic start that had as first course a first stage with start and finish in Manresa, European City of Sport 2024, which had 100.6 kilometers of medium mountain route through the regions of the center of Catalunya with two scoring ports: the Coll de Pinós and the Coll de Cal Pallarès (3rd category).
Catalan Mireia Trias (Massi-Baix Ter) has been one of the most active cyclists in the fight for the breakaway throughout the stage, despite the control of the teams AG Insurance-Soudal and Visma-Lease a Bike, two powers of the world women's peloton that has worked throughout the day to keep intact their chances of winning the stage. However, the perseverance of the rider from Girona has been rewarded with a solo breakaway that lasted until just before facing the last pass of the day and that has given her the prize for combativeness.
It seemed that the victory in this first stage was in the peloton, which has been selected throughout the stage by the demanding route and a heat that has been the protagonist throughout the day. And despite the escape attempts both on the descent of the Coll de Cal Pallarès and in the last kilometers, where the most prominent movement was that of Anastasiya Kolesava (Canyon//SRAM Racing), nothing prevented a mass sprint on arrival in Manresa.
The ramps of the Muralla del Carme, which had already seen a final of the men's Volta a Catalunya in 2012, have witnessed in this case an exciting finish where the young New Zealander Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance-Soudal Team), 23 years old, was able to overcome in a very tight finish the great favorite of the day, the triple world champion Marianne Vos (Team Visma-Lease a Bike), who has settled for second place while the Cuban champion Arlenis Sierra (Movistar Team) was third.
So, everything is at stake before the second stage on Saturday, a mountain challenge of 95.7 kilometers between La Seu d'Urgell and the high-altitude finish at the resort of La Molina, after passing through the Collada de Toses. Two 1st category passes that are expected to be decisive in the resolution of the general classification of this 1st women's edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya.
