Isabella Holmgren uses solo attack to claim first pro road victory at Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria

Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) celebrated her first professional road racing victory at the Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria. 

The 19-year-old Canadian attacked over the final ascent with 10km remaining and held off lone chaser and runner-up Évita Muzic (FDJ-SUEZ) as Thalita de Jong (Human Powered Health) won the reduced-group sprint for third on the day.

Between top-tier stages races, Itzulia Women and Vuelta a Burgos, the peloton competed in the one-day 1.1 Durango Durango Emakumeen Saria on Tuesday.

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The field lined up for a challenging 113km race in and around Durango, including four circuits with an intermediate sprint atop Alto de Miota. The race then routed into a larger loop in the last 40km that included three ascents; Arietio (4.3km at 4.2%), Alto de Goiuria (5km at 4.7%) and then a final climb over Alto de Goiuria but from a different direction that started with a steep 10% in the first 1km followed by 4.8km at 5.6% and a descent into the Durango finish line.

The peloton remained largely intact through the opening short circuits with Eva Anguela (Cantabria Deporte-Rio Miera) and Catalina Anais Soto (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) securing the first of the intermediate sprints, respectively.

However, a decisive attack came from Elena Hartmann (Ceratizit Pro Cycling) at the 30km mark, with the Swiss rider pushing her lead to over a minute on the chasing field.

Hartmann picked up the remaining intermediate sprint points over the last two laps of the shorter circuit, securing the special classification jersey, before she was swept up by the peloton with 30km to go.

The field split apart over the three ascents inside the final 30km of the race, with the first significant attack coming from Holmgren with 10km to go over the final climb of the Alto de Goiuria.

Chasing the solo Canadian on the upper slopes were Évita Muzic (FDJ-SUEZ) and Ane Santesteban (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi), but the pair never regained contact.

Holmgren crested over the top and sped down the descent on the other side, sweeping along the wide open turns with a slim 14-second gap in the final 2km. That was all she needed to claim her first road victory since turning pro with Lidl-Trek in 2024.

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