Justine Ghekiere carrying defending champions’ banner for Women’s Tour Down Under

The AG Insurance-Soudal crew kicked off the 2024 season on the Tour Down Under with an exhilarating victory by Sarah Gigante on Willunga Hill. 

With the Australian out after surgical procedure for iliac endofibrosis, the duty of defending Gigante’s title falls to the Tour de France polka dot jersey winner Justine Ghekiere.

The Women’s Tour Down Under will get underway in Brighton on Friday with a hilly first stage to Aldinga as a warm-up for the Willunga stage which this yr comes mid-race as an alternative of on the ultimate day.

Ghekiere is heading into the opening stage with a mixture of trepidation and aspiration. The climate is because of grow to be more and more sizzling this weekend in South Australia after a gentle week and it will likely be a giant adjustment for riders coming from the Northern Hemisphere.

“I’m excited. It’s my first time right here,” Ghekiere mentioned within the pre-race press convention. 

“I did a recon of Willunga Hill and I believe it fits me. But I’ll see, particularly with the warmth right here. I come from Belgium the place it is snowing, so it is actually heat right here.”

Ghekiere had a stellar 2024 season with a stage win within the Tour de France Femmes and a victory within the mountains classification there and on the Giro d’Italia and Volta a Catalunya. The 28-year-old may nicely goal the mountains classification on the Tour Down Under, however her first main aim is the Vuelta a España in May.

“I’ll take it daily. Maybe I can go for the KOM once more, however I believe we’ve got different plans, and we’ve got choices with the crew,” Ghekiere mentioned. 

“To do higher than final yr with Sarah and Ali [Wollaston – who won stage 1 but has since signed with FDJ-SUEZ] could be very troublesome, however we’ll see.”

Ghekiere’s main aim is available in May when she hopes to finish an important assortment.

“Right now it is extra preparation – I’ll do some races in Belgium, however I then additionally need to be a great kind on the Vuelta, as a result of I need additionally the mountain jersey – then I’ve it within the three Grand Tours. So it will be very good if I do this. For right here [the Tour Down Under], I’ll see my kind is nice and we’ve got plans with the crew. I believe I need the absolute best end result within the GC.”