Bossuyt sprints to victory at La Vuelta

Bossuyt sprints to victory at La Vuelta

Lore De Schepper pulls on the white jersey after an unforgettable day for our squad.

Shari Bossuyt claimed the biggest victory of her career - and one of the most important in the history of our team - on the second stage of La Vuelta Femenina. It was a well-deserved success for the 25-year-old Belgian, who thanks to the bonus seconds made an impressive jump on the general classification, where she is now second.

Travelling from Lobios to San Cibrao das Viñas over 109.8 kilometers, the stage was a hilly one featuring a 1.8km climb not far from the finish - the perfect opportunity for those looking to shake things up and prevent the stage from coming down to a mass gallop. The pace was long high before the riders arrived there, as several teams pushed hard on the descent with 20 kilometers to go in anticipation of the climb, hoping to create some gaps.

Attacks came thick and fast in the closing kilometers, but they were neutralized by the time the bunch rode under the flamme rouge. Timing was everything on the finishing stretch, where an uphill drag to the line spiced things up, and Shari patiently waited for the last 250 meters to make her move and surge to the third pro victory of her career.

“I really can’t believe it! In the final kilometer, I told Ashleigh I could go all out for her in the sprint, because I was so far back and didn’t see it working anymore. But I somehow managed to make up a lot of places and came with a high speed in the final 300 meters. I don’t think anyone expected me to come at such a high speed, so I surprised them with this move. It’s fantastic, it’s a win I will definitely never forget”, an elated Shari said after the podium ceremony.

AG Insurance - Soudal’s perfect day was rounded out by Lore De Schepper; the young Belgian finished with the reduced main group and pulled on the best young rider jersey, which she’ll now sport during Tuesday’s stage to A Coruña, one of Galicia’s largest cities.