
AG Insurance – Soudal sprints into the top ten in the final stage of Santos Tour Down Under

On Sunday, January 19, the third and final stage of the Santos Tour Down Under was raced under high temperatures, with the peloton tackling a challenging 105.9 km course around Stirling.
This closing stage, designed for climbers and all-rounders, featured two third-category climbs and bonus seconds available during intermediate sprints. The course, consisting of five and a half laps, demanded everything from the riders.
After just over 105 kilometers, the race concluded with a sprint among the strongest riders. Alexandra Manly secured an impressive seventh place, closely followed by Justine Ghekiere in ninth. The stage victory went to Chloé Dygert (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto). In the general classification, Justine Ghekiere finished in a strong sixth position, while Julie Van De Velde also took sixth place in the mountains classification.

Alexandra Manly said after the race: “Today was a really good day for the team. Everyone did there job to perfection until the final. In the final we got boxed in and went too late. But overall a really nice day with the team.”
“The conditions were tough due to the heat (38°C). We went all-in for the stage win today, and the entire team executed perfectly as expected. It’s unfortunate that the sprint didn’t fully come together, but this effort will undoubtedly pay off in the future,” concluded Sport Director Stijn Steels