Marta Cavalli wins the 1st edition of the Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge Women
Except in 2016 for the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche, the professional women’s peloton had never faced the mythical Mont Ventoux. For its fourth year of existence, the organization of the race has decided to organize a female counterpart to this event.
It was therefore at the end of the 100-kilometre race that Marta Cavalli inaugurated the prize list of this Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge Women.
After placing an attack 2.5 kilometres from the summit, Marta soared to the finish line and the Mont Ventoux observatory. It is in the heart of this mythical lunar landscape that the Italian managed to outrun the rest of the leading group, i.e. Clara Koppenburg (Cofidis), Pauliena Rooijakkers (Canyon Sram Racing) and Evita Muzic.
Evita Muzic, meanwhile, achieved a tour de force by arriving in 3rd place ahead of the Dutch Canyon Sram, and thus completes the podium of this first edition of the Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge Féminin.
Marta tells us about her victory: We had prepared for this race well and I had the opportunity to study it several times, especially with the passages of the Tour de France. I was in training last week, but I was already thinking about today’s race and my head was already in Mont Ventoux! I would really like to thank the organisation that allowed us to do a race like that.
I think that today we did a very good job with the team. We controlled all the climbs, we were always in front and we had planned the last kilometres. If I felt good I could attack, and that’s what I did. The last kilometres seemed quite long to me because we were still at high altitude, but I felt good and I found the good feelings I had had in the mountain course. I am very happy with this victory and I am very happy to offer the team a new first place!
Evita looks back on her race: “Today was kind of the perfect day for the team, with a victory, a podium and collective work throughout the race. I think we had a good race. “perfect team. We’re more used to running without headsets, but I think we all communicated well together. We didn’t panic, we had a girl in the breakaway (Jade Wiel) it was perfect and then the girls rode as hard as they could all the way up doing a perfect job of dropping off Marta in the best condition I knew full well it was the best of the race and I had a lot of confidence in her so that she would go and get the win. Once she attacked, it was every man for himself, I preferred to manage my climb because in the jolts I still have a little bit I am happy with this performance, and to be able to finish on the podium with my blue-white-red jersey which I will soon be putting back into play at the French championships.
Stephen Delcourt, general manager of the team looks back on this victory:
We took control of the race quite quickly with Jade who took part in the morning breakaway. Then Stine did a very big job at the front of the peloton, and from the bottom of the climb, we wanted to close the gap between the breakaway and the peloton, which was possible with the help of Jade up front and Stine in the peloton. Then with a lot of work from Brodie and Victorie from the Reynard chalet, the peloton was reduced little by little, skimming from behind. Once the race arrived in the last 10 kilometres and the percentages intensified, Marta let her class do the talking, managed to isolate herself following an attack and take the victory at the top of Mont Ventoux. It’s a great victory for the team, which proves its consistency. This first place has a very special flavour, it is a mark left in the history of women’s cycling with a first finish at the top of this legendary pass, and it bodes very well for the next events.