Eglantine Rayer secured a dramatic victory on the second stage of the Tour de l’Avenir Femmes, completing a remarkable solo breakaway that spanned over 70 kilometres. The 20-year-old French rider, representing dsm-firmenich PostNL, crossed the finish line in Condove, Italy, with a lead of more than one and a half minutes over the chasing peloton.
The day began in Villaroger, where the riders faced a challenging course that featured three categorised climbs in the first 70 kilometres. The relentless ascent caused the race to fracture early, with Rayer making her move during a descent. Reflecting on her attack, she said, “I’m still not realising it. I went off on my own in a descent and gained a bit of time. I thought, ‘I’ll go to the base of the Mont-Cenis, and after that, I’ll be caught.’”
Rayer’s breakaway saw her quickly establish a considerable gap, reaching the top of the final climb with a four-minute advantage. Despite beginning to lose time in the final kilometres, she held on for a memorable win. Exhausted yet elated, she described the closing moments, saying, “At 10 kilometres to go, I had nothing left. I was really empty. I told Emilian [Broë, the national coach] that it wasn’t going to happen. But at 5 kilometres, I thought, ‘The faster I go, the sooner this will be over,’ so I pushed on and made it to the end.”
The peloton, led home by Austria’s Marie Schreiber and Britain’s Josie Nelson, finished 1’35” behind Rayer. The yellow jersey remained on the shoulders of Rayer’s compatriot, Marion Brunel, who safely navigated the stage to retain her overall lead. Brunel’s margin over second-placed Isabella Holmgren of Canada now stands at 16 seconds, with Holmgren continuing to lead the mountains classification.
Rayer’s victory is a significant milestone in her young career, particularly after enduring a difficult start to her professional journey. She joined dsm-firmenich PostNL in 2022 but has faced numerous setbacks, including an operation earlier this year. “I didn’t feel at home on the bike,” she admitted, reflecting on her struggles. “I lost confidence in myself. It’s something we don’t talk about enough, but it’s really hard to deal with.”
The stage win has reignited her passion for cycling. “I was thinking about my family at the end, especially my granddad,” Rayer said, visibly emotional. “He didn’t see any of this. He only saw me win my first Normandy championship. Since then, I’ve had some tough times mentally. This victory is for everyone who believed in me.”
As the race heads into its final stage, Rayer will look to consolidate her position in the general classification. The queen stage from Bobbio Pellice to Colle delle Finestre promises to be a stern test, with its 16-kilometre hors catégorie climb at an average gradient of 9%.
For now, though, Rayer is content to celebrate her hard-fought victory. “I’m just happy, sitting on a bench in Italy, eating Tagada sweets,” she said with a smile.
2024 Tour de l’Avenir stage 2 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
