Mireia Benito finishes ninth overall at the Tour Down Under

Mireia Benito finishes ninth overall at the Tour Down Under

On Monday, the tenth edition of the Australian race came to a conclusion with a stage that featured the first dual ascent of Corkscrew Road in the history of the event, thus bringing the climbers to the fore and reshuffling the general classification. After rolling out from Norwood, attacks began coming thick and fast, but a breakaway formed after more than 20 kilometers, when two riders managed to build a gap on the others. That advantage ballooned to five minutes with 80 kilometers to go, putting pressure on the chasers, who had to up the pace in order to reduce the deficit.

By the time the duo reached the punishing gradients of Corkscrew Road, the bunch was sitting just one minute behind them, a gap they managed to erase with ease on their way to the top of the 2.4km ascent. On the technical descent, a couple of riders zipped clear, followed by a chasing group that featured Mireia Benito. The Spaniard - who had been on the attack the day before - put in a strong effort, just like on the Paracombe stage, and stayed with the others the second time up Corkscrew Road on her way to finishing eighth on the stage won by Noemi Rugg, who took home also the ochre jersey.

Mireia looks back on a strong Tour Down Under of the team: “It has been a very special TDU. Throughout the stages, we had each other’s backs: everyone was fully committed to the goals we set, and today we finished it by giving everything we had.

I felt incredibly protected by my teammates. They did an amazing job all day, especially in the lead-out, it was scary fast and really hectic, but they positioned me perfectly to start the climb with the best riders. I gave it everything there. I crested the first climb in a small second group just behind 3 other riders, but then everything came back together and the fireworks started the second time we went up Corkscrew. These short efforts aren’t my biggest strength, but I pushed the pedals as hard as I could today.

Coming into the sprint, we were caught from behind, so I managed to finish 8th on the stage and 9th on GC. Everyone worked really hard during the pre-season to arrive here in the best possible condition, and we can go onto the next races with no regrets, proud of what we’ve done.

It’s a really nice way to start the season, and I’m super grateful for the opportunity. I can’t thank enough everyone who helps us keep dreaming big: our hard-working staff, making sure we don’t miss a thing on the other side of the world, and our sponsors, who of course make our dreams possible. Seeing the vibes and commitment in this team, I’m sure bigger things will come in the days ahead.”

This bold display on what was another hard day of racing helped Mireia make a spectacular jump in the overall standings, which she concluded in ninth place. It was for the fourth time that Benito finished a stage race in the top ten since joining AG Insurance - Soudal at the beginning of 2023 and a promising start to the season, which she’ll continue at this week’s Tour Down Under One-Day Classic.