Wollaston Vows to Honor the Santos Tour Down Under Ochre Jersey
Ally Wollaston on Saturday said she had promised to honour the Santos Tour Down Under leader’s jersey.
And on Sunday, she did in style.
However, the Kiwi alluded to the Hyundai Stage 3 – Norwood to Campbelltown – as potentially being out of reach for the affable allrounder. The back-to-back steep Corkscrew climbs before the superfast descent finish on Maryvale Road, Athelstone, are destined to test Wollaston’s resources and her teammates’ resilience.
Wollaston says her team does have an ace who could disturb the favourites on Monday.
“I think it could be a miracle if I make it over (Corkscrew), but yeah, I’ll still give it a good shot,” Wollaston said.
Lauren Dickson Emerges as a Key Card for FDJ United-SUEZ
“I think Lauren Dickson is a real unknown in the peloton at the moment.
“The way she was climbing (Sunday) was phenomenal.
“She was all over almost every attack, so I think she could be a really good card to play (on Monday).
“But yeah, our whole team has to really sit up with really strong riders, we’re looking forward to it.”
Wollaston Delivers Perfect Defense on Health Partners Stage 2
Wollaston defended the Santos Ochre Leader’s Jersey with a near-perfect performance as Health Partners Stage 2 started from Magill for the first time in Tour Down Under history.
Wollaston claimed the win after a gallant sprint to the Paracombe finish line after her team FDJ United-SUEZ delivered an outstanding platform for a reduced sprint to the summit.
“It was bloody tough that route, yeah, was a really tough day out there,” Wollaston said.
“But they’ve (rivals) put a lot of pressure on our team to chase in the final and there was a very, very strong breakaway.
“So we’re lucky that we had the strength to bring it back, but it was pretty touch-and-go there on the final ascent.”
Early GC Gaps and Pressure on Rival Teams
Saturday’s Ziptrak Stage 1 race leader Wollaston held a 10-second lead over Josie Nelson, Amber Kraak, Lea Curinier, and Marie Le Net before Sunday’s stage.
Australian team LIV AlUla Jayco was two riders down at Magill after Georgia Baker did not start following a crash that damaged her knee during the opening stage.
Baker joined Amber Pate, who had already been ruled out after a recent training accident, but it didn’t stop the team from launching an early attack after Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ) claimed the first efex Queen of the Mountain points at Ashton, 10km into the stage.
Attacks, Abandons, and a Shifting Virtual GC Lead
Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ), the 2023 Australian national road champion, abandoned the race 66.3km before the finish, adding further complexity for Blasi’s team.
Finland’s Wilma Aintila (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto) then shocked the peloton when she became the virtual GC leader after claiming maximum Ziptrak intermediate sprint time bonuses at Lobethal ahead of Wollaston.
Aintila opened a 1 minute 32 second advantage with 63km remaining before the Paracombe finish.
The peloton eventually reeled Aintila back in after the second Ziptrak intermediate sprint at Lobethal, with Wollaston leading the chase around 38km from the finish.
Late Breakaways and Final Climbs Shape the Paracombe Circuit
Kraak, Wollaston’s teammate, joined Spain’s Mavi Garcia (UAE Team ADQ), the oldest rider in the race at 42 and making her team debut, in a short-lived breakaway as the peloton prepared for the first of three laps around the Paracombe circuit.
Blasi later secured maximum efex Queen of the Mountain points to take the climber’s jersey heading into Monday’s Hyundai Stage 3, though UCI world road champion Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education–Oatly) forced her to work hard on the penultimate lap.
Wollaston Holds Firm as Late Attacks Fail
With less than 7.5km remaining, Chloe Dygert (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto), winner of Stage 3 at last year’s Tour Down Under, ignited the GC battle.
Wollaston stayed composed and perfectly positioned to retain the overall lead before Sarah Van Dam (Team Visma – Lease a Bike) launched a late attack just 1.5km from the finish.
Wollaston remained stoic, sealing a flawless defense of the Santos Ochre Leader’s Jersey after a gruelling 130.7km stage raced in 35°C heat.
Santos Tour Down Under Stage 2 Results
- HEALTH PARTNERS WOMEN’S STAGE 2 WINNER – Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-SUEZ)
- SANTOS OCHRE LEADER’S JERSEY – Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-SUEZ)
- ZIPTRAK SPRINT JERSEY – Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-SUEZ)
- EFEX QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN – Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ)
- MYWHOOSH YOUNG RIDER’S JERSEY – Justyna Czapla (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto)
- YAMAHA MOST COMPETITIVE RIDER – Wilma Aintila (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto)
Santos Tour Down Under Stage 2 Video Highlights
Photos – Santos Tour Down Under
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