Strong and offensive start for AG Insurance - Soudal at La Vuelta Femenina.

Strong and offensive start for AG Insurance - Soudal at La Vuelta Femenina.

AG Insurance - Soudal opened La Vuelta Femenina with an attentive and offensive performance, racing prominently at the front throughout Stage 1 and making their mark on the first Grand Tour of the season.

Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio was one of the standout riders of the day, fighting for valuable mountain points on the classified climbs. The experienced South African secured second place on the first climb and maximum points on the second, collecting a total of 10 QOM points.

This puts Moolman-Pasio level on points with Maeva Squiban in the mountains classification, with Ashleigh sitting second overall as Squiban claimed the jersey by finishing ahead in the final sprint.

Reflecting on her day, Moolman-Pasio said: “Stage 1 done. I felt really strong out there today and I’m happy to take some points in the mountains classification. On the first climb I got a bit blocked trying to come out of the bunch, so Maeva went ahead. But on the second climb I was the strongest and took maximum points.

In the final sprint I struggled with positioning, so I didn’t get the chance to challenge for a better finish position against Maeva. We’re tied on QOM points, but she takes the jersey by finishing ahead of me in the sprint.

It was also a stressful finale with Urška crashing on the last descent, but thankfully she got back on and didn’t lose any time.

A solid start for us, the team spirit is high, and we’ll come back fighting again tomorrow.”

The finale also brought tension for Urška Žigart, who was involved in a crash with just 9 kilometers to go. The incident threatened to cost valuable time in the general classification, but the Slovenian showed resilience and determination to fight her way back.

With crucial support from teammate Marthe Goossens, Žigart managed to reconnect with the peloton exactly on the finish line, avoiding any time loss in the GC standings. Žigart explained: “It was a good final in the end, as I could close the gap with the main group on the finish line. Unfortunately there was a crash at 9KM to go, where I was involved. I got back on my feet quite quickly and put back my chain on. My teammate Marthe waited for me and gave everything she had, so it was all in to the finish line. Let’s hope I’m not too sore tomorrow and we go on like this.”

Shari Bossuyt also reflected on a demanding opening day: “It was a really tough race, and the course was harder than I expected. They kept a very strong pace on every climb. By the end, I was already on the limit, because of the demanding course in the beginning of the stage.

So it was a little disappointing because I was really looking forward to this stage, but when the legs are no longer there, we also have to accept that. Luckily, it’s only day one and we still have six more days to make the most of it.”

With strong teamwork, mountain points, and Urška safely remaining in contention for the general classification, AG Insurance - Soudal starts La Vuelta Femenina with confidence for the stages ahead.