The opening stage of the 2024 Tour de l’Ardèche proved to be a challenging affair, covering 88 kilometres from Saint-Fortunat-sur-Eyrieux to Beauchastel. The day’s racing quickly thinned out the peloton, with the first significant split occurring after the technical descent of the initial climb. By this point, only 15 riders remained in the leading group. The pace intensified further on the second climb, which spanned 8 kilometres, leading to another shake-up in the group. While some riders managed to bridge back, it was clear that only the strongest would survive the brutal pace.
As the stage progressed, the advantage of the front group continued to grow, ensuring that the eventual winner would emerge from this select group of riders. The final kilometres saw a flurry of attacks, but none were successful in escaping the vigilant group. The race came down to a sprint, where Thalita de Jong launched her effort with full confidence, taking the win by a narrow margin of one second over Karolina Perekitko. Debora Silvestri rounded out the podium in third.
Reflecting on the stage, De Jong expressed her delight at finally securing her first win of the season. “After the technical descent of the first climb, we were only left with 15 riders in the first group. On the second climb of 8 kilometres, we rode at a good pace; some riders from the back returned, but in the end, the strongest survived. I was confident about my sprint, despite some attacks which I answered immediately. I started my sprint fully and won with a nice advantage,” she said.
De Jong also spoke about her journey back to form following a bout of COVID-19 after the Tour de France Femmes. “This win means a lot, after a lot of top 10 spots I could finally raise my arms for the first time. After the Tour de France Femmes, I tested positive for COVID-19 and missed a couple of days of training. From the weekend onwards I could restart, and after the criterium in Oetingen last Saturday, I felt really great. I was looking forward to the Ardèche,” she explained.
Karolina Perekitko, who finished just behind De Jong, described the final sprint and her efforts throughout the stage. “There were several attacks in the final; I stayed in the wheels. Then I launched the sprint, but I was cut off by a speed bump that really stopped me. She [De Jong] is very fast, I know my own capabilities, and honestly, I couldn’t beat her,” Perekitko admitted. Despite the disappointment of missing out on victory, she was satisfied with her performance, particularly the time she gained over some of her rivals in the general classification. “I was surprised that we were so few at the top of the first climb. I thought we’d be around 20 or 30. But it was full gas, and it thinned out the group,” she added.
Debora Silvestri, who took third place, remained in the mix throughout the day, and Maëva Squiban secured a spot in the top 10 at 2’20”. Squiban’s teammate Lotte Claes finished 6th, and Valentina Cavallar, who also placed within the top 10, expressed satisfaction with her result, commenting, “It’s a first encouraging stage on this Tour de l’Ardèche. I might have been a bit impatient during the stage with several attacks, but I am satisfied with this top 10 on the first stage.”
With the leader’s jersey now on her shoulders, De Jong acknowledged the challenges that lie ahead. “Controlling the race will be difficult, but whatever happens, I’m very satisfied with today’s victory,” she concluded.
2024 Tour de l’Ardeche Stage 1 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: TCFIA
