Daniek Hengeveld seized the spotlight on the opening day of the 2025 Women’s Tour Down Under, storming to a solo victory on the 101.9-kilometre stage from Brighton to Aldinga Beach. The 22-year-old Dutch rider attacked with 50km remaining and defied a peloton reluctant to chase, ultimately crossing the finish line 43 seconds ahead of Ally Wollaston and Kathrin Schweinberger.
“This is so different because it’s my first race after my crash last year on a new team, and I lost a little bit of confidence after last year,’’ Hengeveld said post-stage. Reflecting on her recovery from a devastating crash at the Tour of Britain in 2024, she added, “I was finally racing like I was 18, and I thought, this is why I race. I struggled a lot, especially with the mental part of it.”
A determined attack pays dividends
Hengeveld launched her move shortly after the day’s only categorised climb, Heatherdale Hill, sensing an opportunity as the peloton hesitated. “I was actually struggling on the climb,” she admitted, “and I thought, well, I better just go now because everybody is struggling. So that was my motivation to just go and see how far I could go.”
Despite the peloton briefly organising a chase, with Canyon-SRAM’s Chloé Dygert and Tiffany Cromwell among those leading the pursuit, Hengeveld’s gap only grew. By the final 20km, her lead stood at two minutes, and though the sprinters’ teams rallied late, the Dutch rider held firm to claim her first Women’s WorldTour victory.
Polites’ early aggression secures mountains jersey
Alyssa Polites, representing the ARA Australian National Team, animated the early part of the race with a solo attack that lasted nearly 40km. The 20-year-old Australian crested Heatherdale Hill alone, securing the maximum points to claim the Queen of the Mountain jersey.
“I had the finish line right on the QOM,” Polites explained. “They just really egged me on in the car. And I made it across.” Her efforts also earned her the Zwift Young Rider jersey, marking a strong start to the season for the promising rider.
Wollaston and Schweinberger settle for podium places
As Hengeveld powered toward the finish line, the peloton regrouped for a sprint to contest second place. Wollaston, racing for her new team FDJ-SUEZ for the first time, edged out Human Powered Health’s Schweinberger in a chaotic sprint. Speaking about the team’s performance, Wollaston said, “The lead-out was perfect, but we maybe miscalculated or under-committed to getting the break back today.”
Despite the frustration of missing out on the win, Wollaston recognised the positives. “It’s a good lesson to take into the next few days. The form is there, not only in the sprint but also on the climb,” she said.
Hengeveld now holds the Santos Ochre Leader’s jersey, alongside the Ziptrak points classification. She leads Wollaston by 43 seconds, with Schweinberger sitting a further two seconds behind.
Looking ahead to stage 2, which features two ascents of the iconic Willunga Hill, Hengeveld acknowledged the challenge but remained optimistic. “I’m not a typical climber, so we will see if I can stay in the lead; otherwise, I’ll give it to one of my teammates,” she said. “We just want to be aggressive again, and hopefully, it works out.”
2025 Women’s Tour Down Under Stage 1 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Tour Down Under
