There was loads of anticipation when the climb of Willunga Hill was first launched to the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under in 2024 and the joy is excessive as put together to climb it twice on Saturday’s second stage.
Some could dread the additional haul, whereas different will relish the chance supplied by the double climb. New contenders like Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek), Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) to returning rivals like Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek), Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM) and Ella Wyllie (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) all completely happy for a double whammy of Willunga Hill.
“Pretty completely happy that it is a double Willunga, I believe the tougher the higher, the longer the higher, so convey it on,” the present New Zealand champion Wyllie informed Cyclingnews on the beachside begin line of stage 1 in Brighton.
One ascent was decisive in 2024. Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) needed to combat to stick with the bunch within the wind and splits earlier than the climb however as soon as she received on its slopes, Gigante attacked with 2.3km to go. The Australian rider, who’s out this yr resulting from iliac artery endofibrosis surgical procedure, completed 16 seconds forward of her nearest rival on Willunga to assert the ultimate stage and total victory in 2024.
This yr nonetheless, the shift of the climb to stage 2 isn’t the one alteration.
After the primary ascent of the class 1 climb of 3km with a mean gradient of seven.4% and most of 11% finishes there’ll nonetheless be 23km of racing to go. Riders will descend, loop again round to McLaren Vale after which the 115km stage will end on the high of the second climb of Willunga Hill.
Stage 1 of the Women’s Tour Down Under was, in idea, for the sprinters. Daniek Hengeveld (Ceratizit-WNT) received with a suerb solo breakaway and will have carved out a GC hole of 43 seconds to her nearest rival, Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez) however the high 64 riders are nonetheless all inside 49 seconds.
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The total classification might change dramatically on Saturday. Last yr, after one ascent of Willunga, simply the highest ten that remained inside 47 seconds of Gigante.
With a difficult descent, flat roads after which one other tine up Willunga Hill, if anybody else takes off with as a lot gusto the gaps may very well be a lot greater.
Good sufficient?
Bradbury, one of many riders on the Willunga stage podium final yr is without doubt one of the riders many will likely be keeping track of, notably after a stellar 2024.
The 22-year-old claimed the stage win on the brutal Blockhaus on the Giro d’Italia Women, in addition to third total and second on the UAE Tour.
However, her give attention to these massive targets means she just isn’t but hitting her finest from.
“I’m not at high type as a result of it is January and I’ve some massive targets later within the season so it did not make sense to be within the in high type,” mentioned Bradbury.
“But I believe I’m in ok type, so I’m excited to tear it up within the subsequent few days.”
We’ve already seen what ‘ok type’ can appear to be on Willunga, with Bradbury having delivered an identical reminder of the place she was at earlier than the race final yr.
In 2024 Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) came to visit the road simply behind Bradbury. Judging the way in which Spratt raced aggressively on the AusCycling Road National Championships in Perth lower than per week in the past, the three-time race winner seems on type.
Then there may be Wyllie, who was seventh final yr however then the 22-year-old was simply launching into her first race with new workforce Liv-AlUla-Jayco.
“It’s very nice to be again once more with the workforce as a result of in your first yr there’s a little bit of additional nerves,” mentioned Wyllie.
“You simply need to make an excellent impression with the workforce and now I form of understand how the whole lot going goes and us ladies simply know one another so significantly better. We simply have so many extra playing cards to play and I believe it simply implies that it will likely be a greater race.”
There are additionally different riders that leap out as contenders who have not raced Willunga.
One is Niamh Fisher-Black who has now moved to Lidl-Trek so can have Spratt as an ally on the climbs. There can be the Tour de France Femmes and Giro d’Italia Women mountains classification winner Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance Soudal).
“I did a recon of the Willunga Hill and I believe it fits me. But I’ll see, particularly with the warmth right here,” mentioned the rider from Belgium who’s going to should handle by way of temperature of round 34 °C on Saturday.
The early season positioning of the race additionally provides one other massive variable, as even with out the warmth issue it may be laborious to inform the place the shape goes to take a seat after a break from racing.
One factor we do know, is that the GC scenario can have modified considerably after the 2 climbs of Willunga Hill. However, with a closing stage that features 2,000m of vertical ascent, Sunday’s 5 ascents of Stirling might ship the ultimate phrase on the 2025 Women’s Tour Down Under.