Vollering wins sprint from chasing group for SD Worx 1-2
Marlen Reusser (SD Works) wins Itzulia Women 2023, with Demi Vollering (SD Worx) second overall and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) third (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
SD Worx ended the 2023 Itzulia women with the top two spots on the final stage and the top two positions on the overall, but it wasn't the dominant Demi Vollering that secured the top prize rather her teammate Marlen Reusser. The Swiss rider attacked solo, carving out enough time to come in over the top of Vollering on the overall and add that missing top step to her run of stage podiums at the Spanish race.
Demi Vollering continued her run of victories on the second stage of the 2023 Itzulia Women, sprinting to victory in Amurrio ahead of Soraya Paladin (Canyon-SRAM). As a result the SD Worx rider also extended her lead on the overall, leaving her 56 seconds ahead of teammate Marlen Reusser, who came third on the stage, and taking her gap to third-placed Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) to 1:05.
Demi Vollering soloed to victory in the opening stage of the Itzulia Women, with a 47-second margin on runner-up and SD Worx teammate Marlen Reusser. A bad day for Annemiek van Vleuten saw her crash ahead of the final climb and lose significant time on overall race leader Vollering.
Itzulia Women - Race Information
The three-day Itzulia Women made its debut in 2022. Taking in the mountainous terrain of the Basque Country in northern Spain, the event was organised by OCETA sports association that also run the long-standing six-day Itzulia Basque Country men's stage race that is held in April.
In its second addition, Itzulia Women falls on the calendar in the middle of an important block of Spanish stage races, La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es taking place May 1-7 and then Vuelta a Burgos Feminas scheduled May 18-21.
Last year Itzulia Women travelled through a trio of Euskadi territories in the Basque Country - Alava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa - and featured 363.6km with 13 classified mountain passes and six intermediate sprints.
The mountainous route catered to the strong climbers among the 22 teams which lined up for the start in Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital of the Basque Country. All but two of the Women’s WorldTour squads competed, only Jumbo-Visma and Uno-X Women Pro Cycling being absent.
Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx) dominated the inaugural Itzulia Women by winning all three stages and the general classification. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Canyon-SRAM) finished the Basque stage race as overall runner-up, 47 seconds behind Vollering, with Kristen Faulkner (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) completing the podium at 1:07 minutes.
Vollering also won the points classification while Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) took home the polka-dot jersey as the mountain classification winner.
Itzulia Women 2023 - Contenders
Annemiek van Vleuten will lead Movistar at the three-day race aiming to win the overall title after securing the victory at La Vuelta Femenina last week. With her form on the rise, she will be one to watch for both stage wins and the overall title.
Demi Vollering (SD Worx) proved to be the strongest climber at La Vuelta Femenina, winning on the summit of Lagos de Covadonga. After a winning streak at the Ardennes Classics, too, she is in top form. She lines up as the defending champion aiming to win a second consecutive title.
Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM Racing) has shown the promising form, too, finishing 10th overall at La Vuelta Femenina, but the Itzulia parcours might suit her better given its punchier climbs, and there is no summit finish. Her opportunistic style will lend well to this year's route.
Évita Muzic (FDJ-SUEZ) is the likely leader for her team, even with Marta Cavalli on the start line, as the Frenchwoman was fourth on the two mountain stages at the Vuelta and sixth overall.
Olivia Baril (UAE Team ADQ) is a strong climber who could shine at the three-day race, given the opportunity to lead her team, watch for her to excel on the steeper ascents.
Veronica Ewers (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) excelled in the Spanish one-day races last season and was 10th overall at Itzulia Women, 8th at the Women's Tour, and 9th at the Tour de France Femmes. One full year of racing on the WWT under her belt and Ewers is capable of challenging for the overall titles.
