Marianne Vos extends her reign in La Molina
June 8 th 2024 - 16:26 [GMT + 2]
The queen stage of the Volta a Catalunya has had a very special name. Marianne Vos (Team Visma-Lease a Bike), the great attraction of this premiere of the women's stage race of the Catalan race has added a spectacular victory at the finish in La Molina that places her as the leader of the general classification before the closing of the race this Sunday in Barcelona. The triple world champion, has demonstrated her versatility overcoming the great climbers of the race and is about to become the first winner in the history of the Volta a Catalunya.
The second stage of this 1st Volta a Catalunya had a high mountain route of 95.7 kilometers starting in La Seu d'Urgell and climbing two 1st category passes: the Collada de Toses and the mountain station of La Molina, arrival of this special day that was expected to be decisive to define the final winner of the race. Again, the fight for the breakaway was intense in the early stages, first with a solo attempt by Laia Bosch (Massi-Baix Ter), the most combative rider of the day, and then with a group of 12 riders that had dangerous names such as the Danish Cecilie Uttrup-Ludwig (FDJ-SUEZ).
However, the team of leader Ally Wollaston, the AG Insurance-Soudal Team, despite the absence of its great aspirant in the general classification Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio due to a fall, wanted to control the race on the ascent to the Collada de Toses. In the end, the group of favorites has arrived compact at the foot of the final climb in La Molina, where this time the great protagonism has been for the Visma-Lease a Bike team. With continuous attacks that has started the young promise Fem van Empel and has taken over Maud Oudeman, the team has selected the group until it has been Marianne Vos herself, the number 1 of this Volta a Catalunya, has attacked 7 kilometers from the finish and has gone solo on her way to her 254th victory as a professional cyclist, a record that makes her be considered by many the best cyclist in history.
Vos reached the finish line 51 seconds ahead of her teammate Riejanne Markus, who initially seemed to be her team's big option for the overall after finishing second in La Vuelta Femenina, and 56 seconds ahead of Norwegian Katrine Aalerud (UNO-X Mobility), winner of the reVolta in 2021. A true exhibition in the queen stage of this Volta Catalunya that makes even greater the legendary figure of Marianne Vos and that leaves her as a great favorite for the final victory in the absence of the third stage this Sunday, which will take place between Molins de Rei and Barcelona on a route of 86.6 kilometers.
