Marta Lach closed out the 2024 Tour of Chongming Island with a double victory, winning both the final stage and the overall classification. The Polish rider, competing in her penultimate race for Ceratizit-WNT, claimed a convincing stage win in the sprint ahead of Scarlett Souren and Sofie van Rooijen, both from VolkerWessels. The bonus seconds earned from the sprint allowed Lach to overtake her teammate Mylène de Zoete in the General Classification.
The 110.4km stage unfolded on a 29.9km opening loop, followed by seven laps of an 11.5km circuit. It was characterised by multiple breakaways, including a notable effort from Anne Knijnenburg and Nela Slaníková, who built a lead of up to 1:42 minutes. Knijnenburg eventually went solo with 23km remaining, but was caught just 4.5km from the finish line.
In the final sprint, it was Lach who launched from Van Rooijen’s wheel, taking the victory by half a bike length over Souren. Van Rooijen came in third, narrowly beating Tereza Neumanová, who had been positioned for a sprint by her lead-out team before being overtaken in the final moments.
The stage also saw several crashes in the final kilometre, as riders jostled for position, with a mass pile-up occurring around 250 metres from the line. Lach, however, stayed clear of the chaos, securing her second consecutive stage win at the Tour.
“I knew it was going to be chaotic in the final lap,” Lach commented to Wielerflits. “Positioning was everything, and I managed to find the right spot at the right time. It feels amazing to win the overall after such a tight race.”
The intermediate sprints during the stage were crucial in shaping the final GC standings. Knijnenburg took the day’s QOM sprint and the final intermediate, while her teammate Van Rooijen won the first intermediate sprint, edging closer to the podium. Souren grabbed the second sprint, tightening her hold on a top-three finish.
Despite the aggressive racing from Knijnenburg and Slaníková, Ceratizit-WNT controlled the peloton and reeled in the breakaway as the race entered its final phase. As the bell rang for the final lap, Knijnenburg held a diminishing 35-second lead but was caught shortly after.
Reflecting on the race, Lach added, “It’s a bittersweet victory as it’s my last race for Ceratizit-WNT, but I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end this chapter. I’m looking forward to what’s next with Team SD Worx-Protime.”
In addition to her stage and overall win, Lach also took the green points jersey, while Van Rooijen secured the white U23 jersey. The team classification was claimed by Ceratizit-WNT, further underlining their dominance throughout the race.
2024 Tour of Chongming Island Stage 3 result
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2024 Tour of Chongming Island GC result
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Main photo credit: Getty
