It was the perfect bunch sprint for Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez) as she charged along the oceanside straight and toward the Snapper Point finish line on stage 1 of the Women’s Tour Down Under. Perfect except one thing – the win had already been swept up by long-range solo attacker Daniek Hengeveld (Ceratizit-WNT).
That meant that even though the lead out was dialled, the sprint ideally timed and pace just what it needed to be, instead of celebrating an opening victory on the very first WorldTour race of the season for a second year running, the rider from New Zealand was second as she stepped out with her new squad for the first time.
The teams of the sprinters had let what was probably their best chance for victory of the race slip away.
“There's definitely good things to take from today but at the end of the day the team wants to race for the win and unfortunately, we just maybe miscalculated or under-committed to getting the break back today,” Wollaston told Cyclingnews as she headed to her team car after the stage.
“Just like all the other teams today, we all let the gap go.”
Hengeveld attacked alone with 50km to go and pushed the gap to two minutes. Eventually the chase got underway but it didn't gather enough momentum or widespread support, so Hengeveld stayed clear to win alone, 36 seconds ahead of the rest of the Women's Tour Down Under field.
“We definitely paid the price in the finish but it's a good lesson at least to take into the next few days, to be a little bit more vigilant,” Wollaston said.
It may have been a frustrating outcome in some ways, but in others it showed the strength of Wollaston's current condition and also what a remarkably quick adjustment the former AG Insurance-Soudal rider had made to her new team and her new team had made to the rider from New Zealand.
“I think it was a really good positive to take from today to know that the form is there, not only in the sprint, but in the climb as well," said Wollaston. “I felt really comfortable with the team and really confident in the team, actually, with 1km to go, two of my teammates came flying around and called my name out and they dropped me off in the perfect position.”
“So, yeah, I couldn't have asked anymore in the lead out, the lead out was perfect, and I think a few teams maybe went a little bit too early in the sprint so we were able to capitalise, on that.
"I felt a really collective buy in today, and a lot of support from my teammates to back me for the sprint today, which is pretty amazing considering it's my first day with the team. I already feel really supported and that there is a lot of belief in me, which is really nice,”
Perhaps the biggest factor in the success of the breakaway and the hesitance of the chase is what is to come during the rest of the three-stage race.
Saturday the race will tackle the iconic climb of Willunga HIll, and this year they will climb it twice, so there is no question that the climbers will come to the fore. Then Sunday's finale packs in even more metres of vertical ascent, delivering 2,142m of climbing in the 105.9km stage that includes five runs up the Stirling climb.
"Whoa, I'd have to have pretty good legs for stage 3, but it's still a possibility. We have a lot of strong riders, though, so if that doesn't work out we've got multiple options to play," said Wollaston.
"I'd need, I think, the best day I've ever had on the bike to get around on stage 3, but we try anyway."
