Mareille Meijering clinched the overall victory in the 2024 Vuelta Extremadura Féminas, maintaining her lead through the final 17.2-kilometre time trial. Meanwhile, Ellen van Dijk marked her comeback with a commanding win in the time trial stage.
The last challenge of the three-day Vuelta Extremadura Féminas awaited riders today: a time trial from and to Zafra, featuring flat terrain. Meijering, following her stage victory, defended a thirty-second lead over Gaia Realini from Italy. Océane Mahé stood third in the standings, trailing Meijering by 49 seconds.
Meijering secured seventh place in the time trial, maintaining her overall lead to clinch the Vuelta Extremadura title. Her performance in the time trial was slightly faster than her closest competitor Realini, who finished 35 seconds behind in the general classification.
(Photo credit: Sprint Cycling)
The time trial victory belonged to Ellen van Dijk, adding to the Dutch success in Extremadura. Van Dijk, competing for the first time since becoming a mother five months ago, finished 24 seconds ahead of her teammate Brodie Chapman. Stina Kagevi from Sweden claimed third place, the best result of her young career, albeit conceding over a minute to Van Dijk.
Ellen van Dijk, who finished sixth overall, expressed satisfaction with her comeback race, setting her sights on future challenges, including the Tour de Normandie Féminin and classics like Gent-Wevelgem. Meanwhile, Meijering’s triumph marked a historic moment for Movistar, securing their 100th victory.
In her post-race comments, Van Dijk emphasised her focus on performance rather than solely on winning, highlighting the importance of process and execution. She expressed excitement about upcoming races and praised the team atmosphere during the event.
Realini, content with her podium finish in the general classification, acknowledged the valuable lessons learned during the race. Despite changes in route affecting her strategy, she remained resilient and focused on areas for improvement.
2024 Vuelta Extremadura Feminas Stage 3 result
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2024 Vuelta Extremadura Feminas GC result
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Main photo credit: Sprint Cycling Agency
