Source : ABC NEWS
American cycling star Chloe Dygert has unleashed her considerable power to claim the last stage of the women’s Tour Down Under.
In typical Adelaide January heat, Switzerland’s Noemi Ruegg finished third in Sunday’s 105.9km stage to confirm she wins the overall Santos Tour title on debut.
Dygert (Canyon Sram) broke clear of the reduced peloton on the final climb to the finish at Stirling in the Adelaide Hills.
Ruegg (EF Education Oatly) finished third behind Dutch rider Silke Smulders (Liv AlUla Jayco) to retain the race lead.
The reigning Swiss national champion, seventh in last year’s Olympics road race, had won Saturday’s Queen stage at Willunga to take the lead.
She had a 15-second advantage over Smulders ahead of Sunday and they finished on the same time at Stirling, one second behind Dygert.
Even with a time bonus for finishing one spot higher on the stage than Ruegg, it was not enough for Smulders and she finished 13 seconds behind the Swiss.
This is the biggest result of Ruegg’s career.
The temperature is normally cooler in the Hills, but riders had to cope with a 30-plus oven on the undulating Stirling circuit.
While a series of attacks animated the stage, with Australian Ella Simpson (St Michel) the most prominent, it was too hot for any attack to stick.
Three-time race winner and Australian great Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) was also prominent at the front. She was the top-placed local rider overall, finishing seventh.
Compatriot and highly-respected domestique Sarah Roy, the EF Education-Oatly team captain, did a power of work for Ruegg to keep the Swiss safe until the explosive finale.
The race was all together at the start of the final 21.3km lap.
While no-one could break clear until Dygert’s winning move, the hot conditions and the hot pace shredded the peloton.
AAP
