As it happened: Swiss champion outclimbs peloton to win Women's Tour Down Under stage 2

Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 2 of the Women's Tour Down Under.

Stage 1 winner Daniek Hengeveld (Ceratizit-WNT)  tops the general classification with a 43-second lead on Ally Wollaston (FDJ-SUEZ) and 45 seconds on Kathrin Schweinberger (Human Powered Health).

Read what she had to say about her first WorldTour victory - 'I was finally racing like I was 18 again' – Daniek Hengeveld grasps winning moment at Women’s Tour Down Under

Another beautiful summer but a lot warmer today the forecast calls for highs of 34C atop Willunga Hill.

Three-time winner Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) wearing a cooling vest at the start, getting ready for a hot day in the saddle.

The riders are rolling through the 5km neutral section on their way to the official start for Stage 2 of the Women's Tour Down Under. The second day of the race will be the most decisive of the three days as the peloton tackles 115km from Unley to the top of Willunga Hill. 

The first challenge comes early with the cat 1 climb of Windy Point,  3.8km long with an average gradient of 6% and a max pitches of 20%. 

Alyssa Polites (Australia)  took the first mountains jersey after two years of setbacks and illness on stage 1. Will she defend her QOM leader’s jersey? We will know very soon.

Peloton is compact behind race director Stuart O’Grady's car. Attacks should fly early. 

Flag drop. We're out of the neutral zone and racing has started!

As riders were taking off from the start line in Unley the fans were starting to assemble on Willunga Hill, which was hosting the opening time trial of the new ProVelo Super League in the morning before the Women’s WorldTour race came through. The breeze was light but the intensity of the heat and sun already kicking in to add an extra difficulty factor to the 3km climb with an average gradient of 7.4%.

Peloton still together on the slopes of Windy Point. 

QOM leader Polites is slightly boxed in with 500 metres to the top of Windy Point. Lots of teams spread across the front of the pack.

QOM #1 - Windy Point

Polites looked left and right and jumped first but UAE's Dominika Wlodarczyk came around to take the top points. The two riders are now tied at the top of QOM classification.

Polites and Wlodarczyk rejoined the peloton on the descent. Peloton reshuffling. Ella Wyllie makes a short acceleration to get to the front, and slots behind her teammates.

Ceratizit-WNT directeur sportif Fortunato Lacquaniti shared his thoughts with Cyclingnews at the start today on Daniek Hengeveld's win on stage 1:

“The team is happy - at the finish of the last season, they won in China, in the WorldTour. The first race this year is a win also - it is very nice. Our team is normally not the best team or the best budget, but we have good competence, and skills. This is important for yesterday, to test them. To win a race, normally a lot of team waits for the sprint in the finale. and the other option is to attack in a long breakaway. Daniek was very, very strong yesterday and it was a good result for us.”

“Our team is very happy for the stage this year, but for the GC, Daniek is not the climber. The stage is very hard today. The team will try to keep the jersey, but the strategy is different for today. I think there are other options for today, other riders.”

He added that Dilyxine Miermont is the rider to watch for the QOMs but maybe not the stage. The team is also focussed on Sarah Van Dam for tomorrow’s stage.

First attack of the day comes from ARA Australian National Team - Alli Anderson is off solo with 102km to go.

Rebecca Korner (UNO-X) is having trouble keeping up with the pack. The heat already hitting some of the riders. 

Newly crowned Australian U23 time trial champion Anderson has a 20-second lead on the peloton. After miscalculating yesterday, the pack will probably keep a tight leash on any breakaway today.

100km to go

Anderson in solo break with a gap of 31 seconds to the field. Riders falling off the back, on the undulating roads.

Teams Liv AlUla Jayco and Lidl-Trek are at the front of the field, controlling the pace and the gap to the lone breakaway.

One rider to watch today is Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal), winner of the mountain stage 7 into Le Grand Bornand and the queen of the mountains polka dot jersey at the 2024 Tour de France Femmes.

"It's really hot, but I'm feeling good. I'm excited for today and I will try on to hang on as long as possible on Willunga Hill with the favourites and I hope for the best results,” she shared with Cyclingnews at the start today.

Peloton is single file as they make their way through the Coromandel Valley. 

QOM #1 Windy Point results:

1. Dominika Wlodarczyk  (UAE Team ADQ)
2. Daniek Hengeveld (Ceratizit-WNT)
3. Clara Copponi (Lidl-Trek)
4. Barbara Malcotti (Human Powered Health)
5. Josie Talbot (Liv AlUla Jayco)

And Anderson is reeled in. Peloton is back together with 91.5km to go.

Looming further on in stage 2 is the double-ascent of Willunga Hill.

“Pretty happy that it's a double Willunga, I think the harder the better, the longer the better, so bring it on,” the current New Zealand champion Ella Wyllie (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) told Cyclingnews  in 'Bring it on' – Climbers excited for double ascent of Willunga Hill at Women’s Tour Down Under

Another attack from ARA Australia team. This time it's sprinter Maeve Plouffe is off solo inside of 91km to go.

Plouffe has managed to push her lead to 41 seconds. 

Let’s hear what Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) had to say at the start of stage 2.

“I feel like it's always something you need to work on throughout the whole year, so I've been trying to adapt to the heat a bit better, but it's also really important during the race to get lots of water, pour it over yourself, get ice and just keep as cool as possible.”

When asked about her rapid rise, she said "I feel like I started last year off really well, and it took me a while to realize that I actually deserved to be there. I feel like I thought it was just a bit of luck, but I think now I deserve to be here."

She explained the reason she skipped the Australia National Championships, "I only have a certain amount of time in Australia, so I decided to keep that time to stay at home in Melbourne and see friends and family because it's a long season. And it's it's also important to keep the mind happy."

Peloton going through their musettes while holding Plouffe at 57 seconds. 

FDJ-Suez' Marie Le Net jumps to try and brdige up the 52 second gap to Plouffe.

Another big group of around 11 riders trying to escape at the front.  

Big chase group is catching Plouffee with 81k to go, they have 16 seconds.  Reaction in the peloton driven by Lidl-Trek.

80km to go

Around 12 riders in the break with 19 seconds on the field.

Break includes Amber Pate (Liv AlUla Jayco), Kristyna Burlova (Ceratizit-WNT), Maeve Plouffe (Australia), Marie Le Net (FDJ-Suez), Rachele Barbieri (Picnic-PostNL), Greta Marturano (UAE Team ADQ), Maike van der Duin (Canyon-Sram), Babette van der Wolf (EF Education-Oatly) and Emily Watts (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93).

Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Lidl-Trek) lost contact with the break as Lidl-Trek leads the chase.

Wilson-Haffenden dropped back to lead the chase. And peloton is back together and a counter-attack tries to go.

FDJ-Suez launches another attack. And Tiffany Cromwell covers and drives it at the front. 

70km to go

A bit of respite in the peloton after a few teams tried, unsuccessfully, to launch a breakaway. Lidl-Trek once again setting the pace at the front.

And another brief attack by FDJ-Suez. They obviously are trying to force a breakaway before the first ascent of Willunga Hill. 

Peloton is surrounded by vineyards as they race through McLaren Vale on their way to the intermediate sprint and iconic Willunga Hill.

A few riders did not take the start in Unley today. Picnic-PostNl's Mara Roldan collapsed after the finish yesterday from the heat and stayed in the hotel today. Eglantine Rayer (FDJ-SUEZ) and Teuntje Beekhuis (Uno-X) also did not start. 

Another attack by ARA Australia Team again, and it's Alli Anderson again just after the feedzone at 62.5km to go.

Anderson - crowned Australia U23 time trial national champion a week ago in Perth - is showing her TT form and has a 36-second lead with 61km to go.

Anderson takes top points and bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint line. She has 32 seconds on the field.

UAE's Karlijn Swinkels won the battle in the peloton for second. She took second in both intermediate sprints on stage 1.

More attacks off the front. A group of 10 riders joining together with another group chasing. Peloton is strung out with 56.5km to go.

All the action has closed down the gap to Anderson but she's not giving up. She keeps looking behind her and the peloton sits up.

Respite in the peloton as some riders take a nature break. Anderson keeps her head down and has 42 seconds with 54km to go.

Amber Pate going back to her Liv AlUla Jayco team car.

50km to go

Anderson is in a solo breakaway, for the second time today and has 1:10 gap. Field took some time to take in bidons and food. 

Attack by Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez)! 

No reaction so far from the peloton as Wollaston tries to bridge across the 1:06 gap to Anderson. 

Let’s hear from some of the teams’ directeur sportifs who shared their thoughts with Cyclingnews at the start in Unley.

Ina Teutenberg, Lidl-Trek directeur sportif,  spoke about Daniek Hengeveld's successful breakaway. When asked if the race got away from the teams, she said, "I think she was really strong, I don't think it got away. I think it was underestimated how strong she was and how she could hold it. We only had one person to help a little bit - we didn't have a whole team chasing. I think some teams are not 100% fit. It's the usual - some Europeans are fit, some are not, and all these Aussies are fit. So it's a hard race to control, because the fitness level is sort of different."

Beth Duryea, Canyon-SRAM directeur sportif about the dual Willunga ascents.

"I think it's great for fans to be able to go out there see the peloton go past even more times. I think the bigger impact is having Willunga on stage two instead of stage three. Having it two times - I think everyone that's good on Willunga could probably do it two, three, or four times, and it would be a similar outcome.”

Giorgia Bronzini, Human Powered Health directeur sportif, said, "I think the first effort on Willunga might not come from the main GC riders, but maybe from the second-line of the team that has a GC leader. It's going to be full gas for a breakaway. I think already in the first time up Willunga it's going to be hard to be in the lead.”

Canyon-Sram takes over the pacemaking, stringing the peloton, as the cars were cleared between Wollaston and Anderson. Pace has definited amped up.

More attacks including Georgia Baker.

Maike van der Duin of Canyon-Sram tries to escape again.

Crash

Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Lidl-trek) hits the deck again, the second time in two days, after a squeeze in the peloton. 

Another crash, including Niamh Fisher-Black, Lidl-Trek's leader, who went down and quickly got a new bike from her mechanic. 

Wollaston catches Anderson with 40km to go. 

Wollaston goes to the front, after quick encouragement to Anderson. The team of the race leader Hengeveld goes to the front of the pack to set the pace.

Lidl-Trek sends another rider, in addition to Wilson-Haffenden, to help Fisher-Black rejoin the field. 

Fisher-Black and Lauren Bates (ARA Australia) who both went down in the crash have rejoined the peloton as the 2-rider break has 1:10 lead with 35km to go.

Anderson and Wollaston are working well together. Anderson's team car shared bidons with Wollaston. They're both all in. 

Anderson and Wollaston see 5km to the second intermediate sprint, at the bottom of Willunga Hill. The duo have a 1:37 gap.

The pink colours of EF Education come to the front of the field. 

Wollaston and Anderson still working well together as they see 1km to go for the intermediate sprint. Wollaston is sitting on Anderson's wheel.

Wollaston takes the front with 200 metres to go, and Anderson does not contest the intermediate sprint and happily takes second. The pair has 1:12 gap on the peloton.

No one jumps for the field for the third spot. Lauretta Hanson (Lidl-Trek) took the remaining points as she led them through the line.

25.5km to go

Wollaston continues solo as Anderson can't match the pace as the road starts going up. Gap is now 43 seconds.

Race leader Hengeveld is losing contact in the field.  

Wollaston is reeled in by the Lidl-Trek's Fisher-Black with her teammate Amanda Spratt on her wheel.  

Fisher-Black is taking charge with Spratt on her wheel, doing damage to the peloton, as many riders including Pate are losing touch.

Now it's Spratt setting the pace at the front of the reduced peloton which includes Neve Bradbury, and Elise Chabbey. 

Ruth Edwards is just hanging at the back.

While Hengeveld has lost tough her teammate Sarah van Dam is still hanging on. Justine Ghekiere is tucked into the group.

Bradbury has her teammate Chloe Dygert to help her.

While Hengeveld has lost tough her teammate Sarah van Dam is still hanging on. Justine Ghekiere is tucked into the group. Bradbury has her teammate Chloe Dygert to help her.

QOM #2 - Willunga Hill

Wlodarczyk jumped first but got boxed in and Fisher-Black took top QOM points.

Attack from Canyon-Sram as they descend after the first QOM, quickly closed down by Lidl-Trek.

Another attack by FDJ-Suez's Chabbey. Quick reaction from the field led by Dygert and her pink shoes.

Lots of attacks but nothing is able to get away and stick inside of 19km to go. 

Group that was dropped on the climb have rejoined the pack. Julie van de Velde of AG Insurance attacks but it is quickly nullified.

15km to go

Non-stop attacks, splitting the group. Bradbury and Dygert caught out in the second group.

Riders are flying, hitting speeds of 85 kmph as they descend Willunga Hill. 

The front group of 10 riders,  is single-filed, as they try to recover before the final ascent of Willunga Hill.

Spratt goes to the front of the lead group, encouraging riders to pull through but some like Pate will sit as her team leader is in a group behind her.

Chase group of around 15 riders is being led by Picnic-PostNL. Neutral car was allowed in the gap between the groups.

Dygert goes solo to try and bridge up from the chase group to the front group, inside of 10km to go.

Race officials clearing the cars as Dygert is closing fast, and she connects with 9.2km to go. 

The pace at the front has slowed down and the two front groups are back togehter with 8.2 km to go.

And FDJ-Suez's Amber Kraak counters with Pate jumping on her wheel. Field closes down the move immediately.

Van Dam takes a flyer and Ella Simpson (St-Michel) works her way across. 

Dygert attacks, marked by Spratt who is not prepared to work with Dygert.

5km to go

2km to the bottom of Willunga Hill with the reduced peloton getting ready for the final ascent. 

Attack by Dygert with 1km to go to the 2nd intermediate sprint. FDJ chasing her down.

Dygert is opening a gap. Kraak and Van de Velde are chasing. 

Spratt responds at the front of the field to try and bring Dygert back. She reels in Kraak and Van de Velde.

Fisher-Black attacks with Bradbury on her wheel., blasts by Dygert. 

Silke Smulders comes across and joins the duo at the front with 2.6km to go.

Fisher-Black eases off slightly after decimating the peloton. On her wheel are Bradbury, Smulders and Noemi Rüegg.

Wlodarczyk and Chabbey are chasing.

Fisher-Black accelerates again, but the other three riders stay with her. Chabbey and Wlodarczyk join the four with 1.7km to go.

Chabbey attacks, Wlodarczyk covers immediately. And Fisher-Black counters with Bradbury marking her.

Riders from the back joining with 1km to go! 

Bradbury attacks!

Smulders counters and only Ruegg can stay with her. Bradbury and Fisher-Black are dropped.

Drag race to the top of Willunga Hill to the finish line

After a quick look over her shoulder,  Rüegg takes the win! Smulders is second.

Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Uno-X Mobility) led a small chase group to the line, taking third, 26 seconds behind the winner. Bradbury was fourth.

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Swiss champion Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatley) takes the win and the ochre leader's jersey. 

Let's hear from the stage winner and new GC leader. 

“Honestly,  I cannot put in words how this feels. It was really a team effort; the team put me in perfect position all day, kept me safe, and did this super leadout into the first climb. We went with this goal into this stage, and I knew I had such a good winter back in Switzerland. I felt so good, but honestly, I didn't think that it would turn out so speechless. I just want to thank everyone who supported me towards this in the last few years.”

“It means really a lot, because I know I am strong, but I always struggle a bit with my confidence. I always feel like, Oh no, I'm not so strong. So I really need a team that supports me, and I have to believe in myself and to win gives me so much confidence and gives me the proof that I did everything right the last few weeks and years. So yeah, really makes me proud, and super happy.”

About defending the jersey.  “Yeah, definitely. Actually stage three was the one I was targeting most. And then when I did the recon of this climb, I thought, well, that's actually also pretty good for me. But actually, in the beginning, we said that's more for Megan, tomorrow would be more for me. So I think we just have to stay strong tomorrow and also just enjoy. This is my first win on the WorldTour level. I also just want to enjoy it. And, tomorrow we will see, but today was amazing.”