Today saw the first GC battle of this year’s edition of the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana. The team rode a smart race, covering the dangerous moves and setting up Juliette Labous for the decisive climb of the day. There she made the jump into the leading group, fighting for victory in the fast descent towards the finish line. She finished in a solid eight position as part of the first chasing group behind the solo winner Reusser. After some good teamwork, Juliette now sits in a solid position going into the two remaining stages.
After the stage, Juliette Labous said: “It was a good day from a team perspective today. At the start, there were quite some attacks that Eglantine covered well in a smart way and when we came to the first of the two main climbs, Abi, Josie and Becky put a hard pace to reduce the bunch and make the others tired. Coming into the final climb Josie, Francesca, and Eglantine went super hard and I could attack. We were only around 10-15 riders left on top and then I played the game by following the attacks. Unfortunately, Reusser got away and won with quite a big gap. I launched my sprint too early so I missed the podium in the end. But I’m very happy about the legs so far and can’t wait for the queen stage tomorrow and feel the confidence from the whole team”