Women’s Tour Down Under stage 2 – LIVE

Another attack by ARA Australia Team again, and it’s Alli Anderson again just after the feedzone at 62.5km to go.

A few riders did not take the start in Unley today. Picnic-PostNl’s Mara Roldan collapsed after the finish yesterday from the heat and stayed in the hotel today. Eglantine Rayer (FDJ-SUEZ) and Teuntje Beekhuis (Uno-X) also did not start. 

Peloton is surrounded by vineyards as they race through McLaren Vale on their way to the intermediate sprint and iconic Willunga Hill.

And another brief attack by FDJ-Suez. They obviously are trying to force a breakaway before the first ascent of Willunga Hill. 

70km to go

A bit of respite in the peloton after a few teams tried, unsuccessfully, to launch a breakaway. Lidl-Trek once again setting the pace at the front.

FDJ-Suez launches another attack. And Tiffany Cromwell covers and drives it at the front. 

Wilson-Haffenden dropped back to lead the chase. And peloton is back together and a counter-attack tries to go.

Break includes Amber Pate (Liv AlUla Jayco), Kristyna Burlova (Ceratizit-WNT), Maeve Plouffe (Australia), Marie Le Net (FDJ-Suez), Rachele Barbieri (Picnic-PostNL), Greta Marturano (UAE Team ADQ), Maike van der Duin (Canyon-Sram), Babette van der Wolf (EF Education-Oatly) and Emily Watts (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93).

Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Lidl-Trek) lost contact with the break as Lidl-Trek leads the chase.

80km to go

Around 12 riders in the break with 19 seconds on the field.

Big chase group is catching Plouffee with 81k to go, they have 16 seconds.  Reaction in the peloton driven by Lidl-Trek.

Another big group of around 11 riders trying to escape at the front.  

FDJ-Suez’ Marie Le Net jumps to try and brdige up the 52 second gap to Plouffe.

Peloton going through their musettes while holding Plouffe at 57 seconds. 

Let’s hear what Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) had to say at the start of stage 2.

“I feel like it’s always something you need to work on throughout the whole year, so I’ve been trying to adapt to the heat a bit better, but it’s also really important during the race to get lots of water, pour it over yourself, get ice and just keep as cool as possible.”

When asked about her rapid rise, she said “I feel like I started last year off really well, and it took me a while to realize that I actually deserved to be there. I feel like I thought it was just a bit of luck, but I think now I deserve to be here.”

She explained the reason she skipped the Australia National Championships, “I only have a certain amount of time in Australia, so I decided to keep that time to stay at home in Melbourne and see friends and family because it’s a long season. And it’s it’s also important to keep the mind happy.”

Plouffe has managed to push her lead to 41 seconds. 

Another attack from ARA Australia team. This time it’s sprinter Maeve Plouffe is off solo inside of 91km to go.

Looming further on in stage 2 is the double-ascent of Willunga Hill.

“Pretty happy that it’s a double Willunga, I think the harder the better, the longer the better, so bring it on,” the current New Zealand champion Ella Wyllie (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) told Cyclingnews  in ‘Bring it on’ – Climbers excited for double ascent of Willunga Hill at Women’s Tour Down Under

And Anderson is reeled in. Peloton is back together with 91.5km to go.

QOM #1 Windy Point results:

1. Dominika Wlodarczyk  (UAE Team ADQ)
2. Daniek Hengeveld (Ceratizit-WNT)
3. Clara Copponi (Lidl-Trek)
4. Barbara Malcotti (Human Powered Health)
5. Josie Talbot (Liv AlUla Jayco)

Peloton is single file as they make their way through the Coromandel Valley. 

One rider to watch today is Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal), winner of the mountain stage 7 into Le Grand Bornand and the queen of the mountains polka dot jersey at the 2024 Tour de France Femmes.

“It’s really hot, but I’m feeling good. I’m excited for today and I will try on to hang on as long as possible on Willunga Hill with the favourites and I hope for the best results,” she shared with Cyclingnews at the start today.

Teams Liv AlUla Jayco and Lidl-Trek are at the front of the field, controlling the pace and the gap to the lone breakaway.

100km to go

Anderson in solo break with a gap of 31 seconds to the field. Riders falling off the back, on the undulating roads.

Newly crowned Australian U23 time trial champion Anderson has a 20-second lead on the peloton. After miscalculating yesterday, the pack will probably keep a tight leash on any breakaway today.

Rebecca Korner (UNO-X) is having trouble keeping up with the pack. The heat already hitting some of the riders. 

First attack of the day comes from ARA Australian National Team – Alli Anderson is off solo with 102km to go.

Ceratizit-WNT directeur sportif Fortunato Lacquaniti shared his thoughts with Cyclingnews at the start today on Daniek Hengeveld’s win on stage 1:

“The team is happy – at the finish of the last season, they won in China, in the WorldTour. The first race this year is a win also – it is very nice. Our team is normally not the best team or the best budget, but we have good competence, and skills. This is important for yesterday, to test them. To win a race, normally a lot of team waits for the sprint in the finale. and the other option is to attack in a long breakaway. Daniek was very, very strong yesterday and it was a good result for us.”

“Our team is very happy for the stage this year, but for the GC, Daniek is not the climber. The stage is very hard today. The team will try to keep the jersey, but the strategy is different for today. I think there are other options for today, other riders.”

He added that Dilyxine Miermont is the rider to watch for the QOMs but maybe not the stage. The team is also focussed on Sarah Van Dam for tomorrow’s stage.

Polites and Wlodarczyk rejoined the peloton on the descent. Peloton reshuffling. Ella Wyllie makes a short acceleration to get to the front, and slots behind her teammates.

QOM #1 – Windy Point

Polites looked left and right and jumped first but UAE’s Dominika Wlodarczyk came around to take the top points. The two riders are now tied at the top of QOM classification.

QOM leader Polites is slightly boxed in with 500 metres to the top of Windy Point. Lots of teams spread across the front of the pack.

Peloton still together on the slopes of Windy Point. 

As riders were taking off from the start line in Unley the fans were starting to assemble on Willunga Hill, which was hosting the opening time trial of the new ProVelo Super League in the morning before the Women’s WorldTour race came through. The breeze was light but the intensity of the heat and sun already kicking in to add an extra difficulty factor to the 3km climb with an average gradient of 7.4%.

Flag drop. We’re out of the neutral zone and racing has started!

Peloton is compact behind race director Stuart O’Grady’s car. Attacks should fly early. 

The first challenge comes early with the cat 1 climb of Windy Point,  3.8km long with an average gradient of 6% and a max pitches of 20%. 

Alyssa Polites (Australia)  took the first mountains jersey after two years of setbacks and illness on stage 1. Will she defend her QOM leader’s jersey? We will know very soon.

The riders are rolling through the 5km neutral section on their way to the official start for Stage 2 of the Women’s Tour Down Under. The second day of the race will be the most decisive of the three days as the peloton tackles 115km from Unley to the top of Willunga Hill. 

Three-time winner Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) wearing a cooling vest at the start, getting ready for a hot day in the saddle.

Another beautiful summer but a lot warmer today the forecast calls for highs of 34C atop Willunga Hill.

Stage 1 winner Daniek Hengeveld (Ceratizit-WNT)  tops the general classification with a 43-second lead on Ally Wollaston (FDJ-SUEZ) and 45 seconds on Kathrin Schweinberger (Human Powered Health).

Read what she had to say about her first WorldTour victory – ‘I was finally racing like I was 18 again’ – Daniek Hengeveld grasps winning moment at Women’s Tour Down Under

Welcome to Cyclingnews’ live coverage of stage 2 of the Women’s Tour Down Under.