Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-Suez) started the final stage of the Tour of Scandinavia with a 17-second deficit to Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) after the latter took over the race lead on stage 4. Following Saturday’s ITT, Uttrup promised to go down fighting, and despite the yellow jersey being glued to her wheel for much of the final day, the Dane delivered in the finishing laps, her last and victorious attack coming 800 metres from the line.
The stage victory belonged to Uttrup who celebrated in front of a home crowd in Haderslev, but the gap to the chasing bunch was just two seconds too small, and Van Vleuten wrapped up overall victory in the penultimate stage race of her career.
How it happened
- Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) took the points on the first climb of the day, bringing her total to an unassailable lead in the QOM classification. The Swiss rider only had to finish the stage to add the peacock pattern to her growing collection of distinctive jerseys, and though she was caught up in a seven-rider pile-up as nerves built up in the last 50 km, Chabbey was able once more to climb the podium.
- The breakaway of Elena Hartmann (Israel Premier Tech Roland) and Anya Louw (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step) – joined for some time by Mia Sofie Rützou (Danish national team) – still held a tantalising advantage with 25 km to go, but disaster struck in a corner 20 km out. Hartmann hit the ground first and hardest with Louw sent careening into the corner padding, and while the young Australian was able to get up and going again, Hartmann was still sitting where she fell when the peloton came through two minutes later.
- With Louw regathered in the last lap, the big sprint teams were determined to set up a bunch gallop, and Movistar led the race into the last 1500 metres for Liane Lippert. Uttrup wasn’t done though, and the Dane made her last-ditch attempt to steal glory with 800 metres to go, accelerating hard up the opposite side of the road.
Brief stage results
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Final GC standings
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Quote of the day
Uttrup made a promise and did not disappoint, even as torrential rain made the finale ever more dramatic.
“The last few laps were crazy in the rain, oh my god,” Uttrup said post-stage. “It was like flooding, full-on rain, but I was a woman on a mission. I wanted to give it my all and I really did.
“I think I tried a few times and we also tried to split it a bit earlier in the wind. That didn’t happen but it was good fun.”
Up next: Classic Lorient Agglomération – September 2nd
Formerly known as the GP de Plouay, the one-day Classic is usually a tune-up race for the women before Worlds, but as we’ve already crowned our 2023 champion this year’s race will be a very different vibe. The course lends itself to a break, a reduced group, or even a lone attacker, so it’s fully open for the taking. For a full race preview check back into EscapeCollective.com closer to the event.
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