- Demi Vollering wins the third stage on the Donostia boulevard
- Demi Vollering wins the Itzulia 2024 and her second txapela.
- The podium was completed by Mischa Bredewold in second and Juliette Labous in third.
The last stage of the Itzulia Women 2024 had arrived. A course similar to that of the Clásica San Sebastián awaited the riders, almost 115 kilometres that would decide the winner of this year’s race.
Mischa Bredewold set off in the yellow jersey, which she would fight to retain by the end of the day. It wasn’t going to be easy, with a gap of just 14 seconds over the second-placed rider, overall victory was going to be a very close affair.
The stage got off to a fast start and the breakaway did not arrive until the 62nd kilometre, comprised of 12 riders: Blanka Vas (SDW, 3), Amanda Spratt (LTK, 15), Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka (CSR, 23), Eleonora Ciabocco (DFP, 32), Carina Schrempf (FED, 51), Inge Van Der Heijden (FED, 55), Urska Zigart (LAJ, 66), Claire Steels (MOV, 76), Nikola Noskova (COF, 86), Victorie Guilman (AUB, 93), Elena Pirrone (CGS, 111) and Laura Asencio (WNT, 191). The leaders achieved a maximum lead of 2 minutes and 10 seconds over the peloton.
Team SD Worx-Protime controlled the race and reduced the gap to 50 seconds the first time across the finish line. Aware that the hardest and most decisive climb of the day was coming up: Murgil. Ramps of almost 20% awaited over a distance of 4 kilometres. The gap to the breakaway was 40 seconds.
This began to reduce drastically to 20 seconds after the first two kilometres of the climb. Demi Vollering didn’t think twice when the time came and launched an attack that Juliette Labous (DFL, 33) was only able to follow for a few metres. The Dutchwoman set a very fast pace and set her sights on the finish line. Behind, a group of 9 riders with Labous lost more than 30 seconds. The group with race leader Mischa Bredewold lost more than a minute before the Mendizorrotz pass.
After the descent to Orio, Vollering was 48 seconds ahead of the chasing group and one and a half minutes ahead of the group with the yellow jersey. On the flat, the breakaway set a very high pace and maintained its distance from the chasing groups.
In the end, Demi Vollering won the third stage of the Itzulia Women 2024 and took the overall victory ahead of Mischa Bredewold and Juliette Labous respectively.
Standings after Stage 3
Stage winner: Demi Vollering (SDW, 2)
Overall individual ranking: Demi Vollering (SDW, 2)
Mountain classification: Demi Vollering (SDW, 2)
Overall points classification: Demi Vollering (SDW, 2)
Overall ranking best young rider: Ella Wyllie (LAJ, 63)
Overall team classification: Team SD Worx-Protime
Overall ranking best Basque rider: Ane Santesteban (LKF, 131)
Most combative: Amanda Spratt (LTK, 15)
