As it happened: Sprinters dominate Women's Tour Down Under opener in Campbelltown

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 2024 Women's Tour Down Under. The South Australian three-day stage race opens a new season of the Women’s WorldTour. 

Racing is just about to set off for stage 1 of the Women's Santos Tour Down Under from Hahndorf to Campbelltown for a total of 93.9km. A total of 94 riders are registered to take the start in Hahndorf today. 

“It feels pretty different to last time I raced but in a really good way. I kind of see it with a different perspective now and I am a little more relaxed and I’m just excited for today. Today is a really fun way to start racing again," Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) told Cyclingnews before the start of the race in Hahndorf.

Peloton remembered former teammate and friend Melissa Hoskins  with a minute of silence. 

The riders head out of the 2.4km neutral zone and are officially on their way. It's a hot today in Adelaide with a maximum forecast of 35 degree Celsius.

And racing is underway for stage 1 of the Women's Tour Down Under. Today's relatively flat course is predicted to favour the sprinters.

It's been reported that Matilda Raynolds (BridgeLane) had a mechanical just as the flag dropped. 

It's all together in the opening kilometres. No attacks just yet as we head to the first intermediate sprint of the day, 12km into the stage.

Australian champion Ruby Roseman-Gannon is lead out by her teammates Liv AlUla Jayco teammates to take top points at the intermediate sprint. Her teammate Georgia Baker was second and Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ), third.

Three-rider breakaway goes clear immediate after the sprint. the move inclosed India Grangier, Katie Ragusa and Matilda Raynolds. Kate Richardson (Lifeplus Wahoo) trying to come across. 

Trio has over one minute gap on the peloton with 77km to go. 

71km to go

Breakaway of three riders, India Grangier (Coop-Repsol), Katie Ragusa (Human Powered Health) and Matilda Raynolds (BridgeLane) have 50-second lead. Kate Richardson (Lifeplus Wahoo) trying to make it across to the trio.

With 67km to go, breakaway trio now has 2:25 on the peloton which is spread across the road. Lone chaser is only 11 seconds behind the break which she hopes to catch before the first QOM climb coming in 3km.

Ragusa attacks with 200 metres to go to take the QOM points ahead of Grangier and Raynolds. Gap holding at over 2:30 to peloton. Next will be the second intermediate sprint of the day with bonus seconds on the line. 

The three riders in the break are working well together, each taking a turn at the front with a lead of 3:02 to the peloton. The field seems very comfortable with the gap with 61km to go.

Ragusa goes back to her  team car to get an ice sock  on a very hot day with current temperature of 33 degrees celcius.

55km to go

After chasing solo for a long time, Richardson finally connects to the breakaway, making it four riders at the front.

Matilda Raynolds, who came third on the opening stage from Hahndorf when she last lined up at the race in 2020, said given the level of competition this year the continental team had to be realistic but this didn’t mean they wouldn’t be grasping opportunities should they come – and Raynolds clearly saw one early in stage with the break.

“A dream would be if I could get a top ten in our first WorldTour race but I’ve just got to take it how it is out there, read the road, read the opportunities and also we have got some great teammates so where I can support them, particularly some of the younger women. We shouldn’t back down, we can do really well.”

Recap of the Women’s Tour Down Under Stage 1, as we hit the halfway mark. Three riders - India Grangier (Coop-Repsol), Katie Ragusa (Human Powered Health),  Matilda Raynolds (BridgeLane) - made their move after the first intermediate sprint, 12km into the 93km stage. Kate Richardson (Lifeplus Wahoo) chased solo for 42km before joining up with the trio. The break has 3:12 minutes on the peloton with 47km to go. 

Raynolds launched her sprint first but Ragusa came around to get top points and bonus seconds at the second intermediate sprint in Woodside. 

As the gap almost hit the four-minute mark for the four leaders, the peloton accelerates to give chase. With 40km to go, the gap is now 3:12 to the four riders in the break.

Coming up in 5kms is the second and final QOM of the day, the cat 4 Kenton Valley climb extends across 2948 metres with a maximum gradient of 8.9 per cent.

37km to go

Liv AlUla Jayco is lined up at the front of the peloton. Their effort brought the gap down to 1:54 to the four-rider break.

Yet again, Ragusa takes the maximum points in the second QOM and will wear the QOM leader's jersey at the end of the stage. Raynolds takes advantage of the sprint to launch a solo attack.

Raynolds is going all in with her attack. The BridgeLane rider has a one-minute gap to the field with 31km to go. with the remnants of the break chasing.

No panic for Grangier who calmly fixes her slipped chain. Soon after Ragusa has a mechanical and gets a new rear wheel from neutral service.

Raynolds keeps pushing the pace in her solo attack with a lead of 1:44 to the peloton. Behind her, Grangier and Richardson are chasing with 24km to go. 

Peloton absorbs Grangier and Richardson leaving only Raynolds off the front with a gap of 1:50.

A couple of rollers but mostly all downhill to the finish for Raynolds with less than 20kms to go.

Crash in the peloton which included Henrietta Christie and Felicity Wilson-Haffenden. They quickly got back on their bike.

Riders from AG Insurance-Soudal, Canyon-SRAM setting the pace at the front of the field to bring back solo leader Raynolds.

Maeve Plouffe (dsm-firmenich PostNL) is struggling on the rolling terrain.

The peloton speeds on the sweeping descent around Millbrook Reservoir while lone leader Raynolds is giving it everything to try and hold them off.

The last rider from the breakaway, Raynolds is caught by the peloton setting up the bunch sprint.

Another crash in the peloton on the fast, twisty road with two riders hitting the tarmac.

7km to go - peloton speeding to finish for expected bunch sprint

Lidl-Trek takes position at the front, setting up their train. 

3km to go and it's all about positioning - AG Insurance-Soudal on the left, Lidl-Trek on the right and FDJ-SUEZ also taking position at the front, Here comes Liv AlUla Jayco to take their position.

Battle for the front with 1.8km to go. Liv AlUla Jayco lined up at the front while Lidl-Trek move up. 

Ally Wollaston of AG Insurance-Soudal takes the win!

Unofficial top 3 of Stage 1 of the Women's Tour Down Under:

1. Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance-Soudal)

2. Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco)

3. Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ)

“I’m just really proud,” 23-year-old Wollaston said. “The girls rode amazing today. I can’t thank them enough for the work they did today.”

Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance  Soudal) wears the first ochre leader’s jersey at the 2024 Women’s Tour Down Under.