Ewers secures solo win at Navarra Women's Elite Classics

Veronica Ewers (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) took a solo win at the Navarra Women's Elite Classics in Pamplona. The American attacked her breakaway companions over the last classified climb of the day crossing the line alone ahead of runner-up Ane Santesteban and third-placed Kristen Faulkner (both BikeExchange-Jayco), and Mireia Benito (Massi-Tactic) in fourth. Jelena Erić (Movistar Team) took the bunch sprint for fifth.

Navarra Women's Elite Classics was a 124.8km race in Pamplona, Spain. It was another challenging day for the women's peloton after competing at the hilly Emakumeen Nafarroako won by Sarah Gigante (Movistar) on Tuesday.

The peloton faced eight ascents for the event starting with Muro de Olaverri (24km), Muro de Tiebas (54km), Muro de Biurrun (58km), Muro de Tirapu (67km), Muro de Artajona (77km), and then the final three ascents over El Perdon (102km), Muro de Zariquiegui (107km) and Muro Galar (114km) before an undulating 10km to the finish line in Pamplona.

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Lija Laizane (Eneicat-RBH Global), Aurela Nerlo (Massi-Tactic Women Team), Yeny Lorena Colmenares (Colombia Tierra de Atletas-GW-Shimano), and Usoa Ostolaza (Laboral Kutxa Fundación Euskadi) rode in the breakaway, and later joined by Mireia Benito (Massi-Tactic Women Team).

Benito went solo after Muro de Artajona but a chase group formed that included the eventual podium finishers - Santesteban, Faulkner and Ewers - and they caught her with 37km to go.

The quartet maintained just over a minute heading into the final climbs El Perdon, Muro de Zariquiegui and Muro Galar. However, the gap dropped to just 10 seconds to a select chase group behind with 17km to go and into the Zariquiegui.

The gap pushed back out to one minute, when Ewers attacked her breakaway companions over the final climb of the Muro Galar, crested the ascent, and then settled in a time trial-like position for the run-in to the finish.

Behind, Benito lost contact as teammates Faulkner and Santesteban put in a chase to try and catch Ewers. Inside 2km to go, it was clear Ewers would hold her lead and she crossed the line with the stage win in Pamplona. 

Results powered by FirstCycling.