Olds wins first-ever La Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta

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American Shelley Olds (Alé-Cipollini-Galassia) overcame a late-race puncture to win the inaugural La Mardrid Challenge by La Vuelta Sunday in a sprint finish ahead of Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Honda) and Kirsten Wild (Hitec Products).

Olds, who joined Alé-Cipollini from Bigla Pro Cycling in July, jumped up the right-hand side of the road in the finale, coming off Wild’s slipstream and powering across the line to beat Bronzini by more than a bike length.

The race featured multiple cirucits of a 6km course in downtown Madrid, and despite numerous attempt to break up the pack with early attacks, the bunch came to the line mostly together after reeling in a final 13-rider breakaway inside 10km to go.

The peloton took the bell for the final lap together, and the inevitable bunch sprint was on, but Olds, who suffered a puncture as the race ratcheted up for the finish, had to fight her way back to the group with the help of a single teammate. Alé-Cipollini moved Olds into position near the front of the pack, and from there the diminutive American sprinter took over.

Hitec massed near the front to set up Wild, but Olds would not be denied, freelancing her way onto the Hitec sprinter’s wheel before launching her own winning move for the line.

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