The Wolfpack - Women's Pro Cycling Team
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On Saturday, January 18, the second stage of the Santos Tour Down Under covered a challenging 115 km route from Unley to Willunga Hill, pushing the peloton to its limits with relentless climbs and a decisive summit finish.

Featuring two ascents of the iconic Willunga Hill, the stage demanded peak performance from the climbers, with Windy Point providing an early challenge and the final climb shaping the general classification. Aggressive racing and teamwork were key as riders vied for the summit finish.

AG Insurance – Soudal delivered an impressive performance, with Justine Ghekiere finishing in a strong sixth place and Julie Van De Velde securing tenth after an outstanding race. Justine is currently fifth in the general classification, with Julie in tenth. The victory went to Noemi Rüegg (EF Education – Oatly), who also takes the lead in the general classification.

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I received a lot of support from my teammates in the beginning, which was ideal. On the first ascent of Willunga Hill, I felt good and even had some reserves left, which allowed me to race strongly on the plateau. A group of nine riders, including me, broke away, but unfortunately, there was no cooperation. With three kilometers to go before the second climb of Willunga Hill, Chloé Dygart attacked, and I tried to close the gap but got caught in between. The chasing group, including Justine, rejoined, and I focused on setting a steady pace, which motivated Justine to sprint to the finish", said Julie.

The first time up Willunga Hill was horrible; I didn’t feel great and lost some confidence. I hoped Julie could get away in a break, giving us a chance with her. But on the second climb, I found Julie’s wheel again, regained power, and everything started to go well. I’m happy with today’s result”, added Justine after the race.