Vuelta a Extremadura Femenina: Ellen van Dijk dominates time trial to win stage 1a

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Lidl-Trek rider takes first win of 2025 ahead of Mie Bjørndal Ottestad and Katrine Aalerud

GENNEP NETHERLANDS OCTOBER 08 Ellen Van Dijk of The Netherlands and Team Lidl Trek sprints during the 26th Simac Ladies Tour 2024 Stage 1 a 101km individual time trial stage from Gennep to Gennep UCIWWT on October 08 2024 in Gennep Netherlands Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images
Ellen van Dijk won the opening time trial of the Vuelta a Extremadura
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Time trial specialist Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) powered to victory on stage 1a of the Vuelta a Extremadura Femenina, finishing the 9km TT in 11:20 to take her first win of the year, and the race's leader's jersey.

Uno-X Mobility riders Mie Bjørndal Ottestad and Katrine Aalerud finished second and third respectively in Mérida, 10 and 22 seconds adrift of Van Dijk who started as the clear favourite for the stage.

Van Dijk's teammate Felicity Wilson-Haffenden was in the hot seat for a long time, but was knocked off the top spot as the big WorldTour riders started coming down the ramp.

A former TT world champion, and winner of the time trial here last year, Van Dijk was the out-and-out expected winner and duly delivered to give Lidl-Trek their fourth win of 2025. She will wear the leader's jersey for stage 1b.

"I'm super happy with it. I really love to race here and I'm super happy that you guys put a time trial in here," she said at the finish.

"For me it's also special, my coach Josu Larrazabal lives in Madrid, so he's also here and we could do the time trial together, so that makes it extra special."

Highly touted neo-pro Viktória Chladonová made her debut for Visma-Lease a Bike on Thursday and finished seventh on the stage, 38 seconds down on Van Dijk.

Stage 1b offers up 90km of racing with a category 3 climb in the middle of the stage, and a drag up to the line in Mérida.

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Matilda Price
Assistant Features Editor

Matilda is an NCTJ-qualified journalist based in the UK who joined Cyclingnews in March 2025. Prior to that, she worked as the Racing News Editor at GCN, and extensively as a freelancer contributing to Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Velo, Rouleur, Escape Collective, Red Bull and more. She has reported from many of the biggest events on the calendar, including the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France Femmes, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. She has particular experience and expertise in women's cycling, and women's sport in general. She is a graduate of modern languages and sports journalism.


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