Sofie van Rooijen claimed her first ever WorldTour victory with a powerful sprint on stage 2 of the Tour of Chongming Island, turning Tuesday’s near miss into triumph. The UAE Team ADQ rider launched from Elisa Balsamo’s wheel in the final metres of the 128.6-kilometre stage from Shanghai to Chongming, holding off Mia Griffin of Roland Le Dévoluy and forcing Balsamo to settle for third.
A textbook sprint finish on the flat
For the second day in succession, the peloton raced across perfectly flat terrain on China’s eastern coast, this time over a longer 128.6-kilometre route beginning in Shanghai and finishing on Chongming Island. With barely a rise in elevation, it was another day designed for the sprinters, and the major teams were determined to keep the race together.
A small breakaway moved clear early on, but with the stage expected to finish in a bunch sprint, UAE Team ADQ, Lidl–Trek, and Liv AlUla Jayco all contributed to the chase. The escape was caught in the final kilometres as the teams began to assemble their sprint trains for the long, exposed finishing straight.
UAE Team ADQ deliver their sprinter to perfection
UAE Team ADQ took control of the finale, with Elynor Backstedt, Dominika Wlodarczyk and Lizzie Holden driving the pace into the final kilometre. Balsamo’s Lidl–Trek train appeared ready to dominate, but van Rooijen remained patient on the Italian’s wheel as the sprint opened.
At 200 metres to go, the Dutch rider kicked hard from Balsamo’s slipstream, immediately opening a gap. Griffin came surging up the right-hand side to secure second, while Balsamo faded to third. Cristina Tonetti of Laboral Kutxa–Fundación Euskadi finished fourth, followed by stage 1 winner Georgia Baker in fifth.
From heartbreak to breakthrough
The victory marked a fitting response after van Rooijen had finished runner-up on stage 1, where Kathrin Schweinberger crossed the line first but was later relegated for irregular sprinting. That result elevated Baker to the win and van Rooijen to second, setting up Wednesday’s redemption ride.
Her success in stage 2 also earned van Rooijen the leader’s jersey with one stage remaining, capping a day of control and precision from UAE Team ADQ. The team’s coordinated chase and measured lead-out underlined their growing consistency in the Women’s WorldTour sprints.
Speaking after the finish, van Rooijen described the win as a breakthrough moment after a challenging season:
“This one really means a lot to me. It’s been a tough year, both mentally and physically, but I came to China feeling strong and focused. The team gave me total confidence today, and the girls were absolutely flying in the lead-out. I’m so happy I could finish it off for them.”
2025 Tour of Chongming Island stage 2 result
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