At today’s menu was the Navarra Women’s Elite Classic with both start and finish in Pamplona. Arlenis Sierra of AR Monex was after 128 kilometers the fastest of a breakaway group, who narrowly managed to stay out of a small peloton. Demi Vollering, who became second yesterday, is the first rider on behalf of Team SD Worx at 5th place.
With 24 kilometres to go we saw a small leading group of 3 riders, with Niamh Fisher-Black amongst them. This group get caught before the Muro de Zariquiegui. It was Annemiek van Vleuten who tried to get away at this climb, where only Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio and Elisa Longo Borghini could follow the European champion. Niamh Fisher-Black could make the cross to the 3 leaders, and so there was a breakaway of four riders. In the final kilometres a group of about 20 riders prepared for the bunch sprint, with a top 5 result for Team SD Worx.
Niamh Fisher-Black, 20 years old, said after the race: “It was a hard day, with sore legs from yesterday’s race. Unfortunately, the wind didn’t play a role…something we had hoped for. I made a pretty steady start and stayed in the bunch for the first two climbs. With 10 kilometres to go, we created a very good situation with 2 riders, Ashleigh and myself, in a breakaway of four but we get caught in a hectic final, with some shorter and steep climbs and a lot of moves. It’s sad that we missed the opportunity we would like to see, but we really tried”.
The commentators praised this young rider’s jump, about which Fisher-Black said: “Yes, I’m really happy with my own results. I’m still finding my way of confidence and my capabilities. To make the jump to the group of Annemiek van Vleuten, Elisa Longo Borghini and my teammate Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio and to join this group with such big names in the final 10 kilometres of the race is a pretty cool feeling. Then the thoughts of winning will go through your head for a moment!”.
Photo credits: Getty Sport