Team Visma | Lease a Bike claimed victory in the opening team time trial of the Princess Anna Vasa Tour. Racing along the Bulwar Filadelfijski in ToruĊ, the yellow-black squad completed the 3.2-kilometre route in 3 minutes and 46 seconds, making them the fastest of the 20 teams competing. Riejanne Markus crossed the line first, earning her the leader’s jersey for the next stage. The team is the only Women’s WorldTour racing in Poland this week and are the major favourites for GC and stage success.
The Polish stage race, now in its fifth edition, saw 20 teams battling for an early lead in the general classification. The Canyon SRAM Generation team set the initial pace with a time of 4 minutes and 6 seconds over the 3.1-kilometre distance. However, this was quickly bettered by the WCC Team, who clocked in at 3:59, holding the top spot for a significant portion of the race.
It wasnât until the later stages that times started to tumble. The VolkerWessels Women’s Pro Cycling Team set a new best time of 3:53, but their lead was short-lived. MAT Atom Deweloper WrocĊaw soon edged ahead by a mere second, registering a time of 3:52. Meanwhile, the host team, TKK Pacific Nestle Fitness ToruĊ, finished with 3:54, securing third place.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the final team to take to the course, delivered a commanding performance, stopping the clock at 3:46. This performance placed them six seconds ahead of their nearest rivals, MAT Atom Deweloper WrocĊaw.
Reflecting on the win, Riejanne Markus expressed her pride in the team’s effort. “I am super proud of the team,” she remarked. “Three of our riders had never ridden a team time trial before; I think they did very well. There were some small mistakes, but together as a team, we recovered very well. I really like the team time trial, and I am very happy that as a team we were able to win this stage.”
With Markus finishing first, she will don the leader’s jersey for the next stage. “It’s nice to start tomorrow in the leader’s jersey,” she said. “We are going to try to defend the jersey in the next few days, and besides that, I am looking forward to the time trial on Sunday. I have also made that a goal. Furthermore, I hope to gain race rhythm towards the Tour de France.”
This victory marks Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s twelfth win of the season, highlighting their strong form as they continue through the Princess Anna Vasa Tour.
Princess Anna Vasa Tour Stage 1 result
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