Santos Tour Down Under: Race Report – Women’s Stage 2

Switzerland’s Noemi Ruegg created Santos Tour Down history after winning the Health Partners stage 2 Unley to Willunga on Saturday. 

The 23-year-old reigning Swiss road champion became the first female from her native country to take out a stage and stay atop of the general classification, after now retired compatriot Martin Elmiger was the first to claim a stage of the Santos Tour Down Under 18 years ago. 

"It feels good, in Switzerland cycling isn’t really big yet on the road,’’ Ruegg said. 

“It’s really nice to take this step and prove we can do it as well.” 

“It’s such a small country, we have a really strong national (cycling) team.” 

Ruegg’s EF Education-Oatly team used all of their tactical nous to lead the climbing specialist to the top of the Willunga Hill summit in a stunning finish where she dropped her serious rivals. 

“I still can’t believe what happened today,’’ Ruegg said revealing she left Switzerland’s freezing temperatures seven days ago. 

“I’m also a bit surprised as back in Switzerland it’s cold, I didn’t spend weeks in Spain (to get adjusted to the heat) but I also think this preparation is good. 

“I trained a lot in the cold, and I also asked for some heat training. 

“I always stayed healthy and had some good rides.”     

Poland’s UAE Team ADQ climber Dominika Włodarczyk claimed the efex Queen of the Mountain after a hard day in the saddle. 

The reigning national road Polish champion was ecstatic with the rewarding accolade in the heat in her second Santos Tour Down Under appearance. 

“I was here in Adelaide a week earlier it was a good time to adapt and the change of the time zone and I really, really like Adelaide,’’ she said. 

“I remember from last year I felt amazing. 

“But I’m not really a rider who likes this type of conditions.” 

Shock Ziptrak stage 1 winner Daniek Hengeveld, who was wearing the Santos ochre’s leader’s jersey, was under pressure as soon as the start gun fired on King William Road, Unley to signal the Health Partners women’s stage 2 was on. 

With several riders wearing ice packs on their way to signing on, 79 riders started the race but France’s Eglantine Rayer (FDJ-SUEZ), Canada’s Mara Roldan (Team Picnic Post NL) and Netherlands Teuntje Beekhus (Uno – X Mobility) did not start. 

With temperatures reaching 35C, Hengeveld at about 25km before the finish had lost contact with the leaders but still managed to keep the Ziptrak sprint jersey. 

Just 3.8km from the historic debut King William Road, Unley women’s start was the first challenge of the day.

Poland’s UAE Team ADQ climber Dominika Włodarczyk picked up maximum points over efex Queen of the Mountain leader Alyssa Polites (ARA Australia) who earned six points while Lidl-Trek’s Clara Coppini earned four points. At that early stage of the race Polites was still the leader.

Lidl-Trek’s Niamh Fisher-Black benefitted from the power of her team after she was rewarded for working hard put pressure on a docile peloton. 

Fisher-Black seeing off Lidl-Trek teammate Amanda Spratt’s second efex Queen of the Mountain atop Willunga Hill appeared to be calculated. 

Belgium’s Julie Van De Velde (AG Insurance – Soudal) earned six points with Ruegg (EF Education – Oatly) coming in third before the grande finale at the same place. 

New Zealand’s Ally Wollaston (FDJ-SUEZ) was at the front of the race before Lidl-Trek’s Niamh Fisher-Black worked hard to pull in the peloton to race off from the front. 

Lidl-Trek’s Australian Amanda Spratt had her time in pole position of the reduced peloton just before the second efex Queen of the Mountain at the top of Willunga Hill in what appeared to be a battle of attrition. 

Fisher-Black was on Spratt’s wheel just before the before the Kiwi claimed maximum QOM points over the three-time Santos Tour Down Under champion. 

The tactical battle was on full display as favourites started working the peloton hard. 

With under 3km before the finish, Australia’s Neve Bradbury who talked down her chances of being in good form after skipping last weekend’s national titles was on the wheel of Fisher-Black at the bottom of the Willunga Hill. 

Ziptrak® Sprint #1
56.4km, Main Road, McLaren Flat at McLaren Flat General Store
Approx. 12:51pm

Ziptrak® Sprint #2
88.6km, Main Road, Willunga at Willunga Show Hall
Approx. 1:41pm 

efex Queen of the Mountain #1
3.8km, Queen of the Mountain #1 - Windy Point (category 1)
Distance: 3.8km, Total Ascent 229m, Maximum Gradient: 20.0%, Average Gradient: 6.0%
Belair Road at Belair Family Health Centre, Belair        
Approx. 11:28am 

efex Queen of the Mountain #2
92.3km, Queen of the Mountain #2 - Willunga Hill (category 1)
Distance: 3.0km, Total Ascent 224m, Maximum Gradient: 15.6%, Average Gradient: 7.4%
Old Willunga HIll Road, Willunga Hill
Approx. 1:47pm 

efex Queen of the Mountain #3
114.9km, Queen of the Mountain #3 - Willunga Hill (category 1)
Distance: 3.0km, Total Ascent 224m, Maximum Gradient: 15.6%, Average Gradient: 7.4%
Old Willunga Hill Road, Willunga Hill
Approx. 2:23pm

STAGE 2 LEADERS

SANTOS OCHRE LEADER'S JERSEy – noemi ruegg (ef education - oatly)

ZIPTRAK® SPRINT JERSEY Leader – noemi ruegg (ef education - oatly)

EFEX QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN JERSEY leader – dOMINIKA WLODARCZYK (UAE TEAM ADQ)

ZWIFT YOUNG RIDER'S JERSEY leader – ELEONORA CIABOCCO (TEAM PICNIC POSTNL)

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