Race Report Stage 8 – Elisa Longo Borghini Takes Overall Victory in Giro d’Italia Women 2024
Stage 2 of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes was a short yet intense race, covering 69.7 kilometers from Dordrecht to Rotterdam. This stage, the first of two races on the same day, was designed with the sprinters in mind, featuring a flat profile that was sure to culminate in a high-speed dash to the finish line. After an exciting sprint, it was Charlotte Kool of Team DSM-firmenich PostNL who once again emerged victorious, claiming her second consecutive stage win and solidifying her lead in the overall standings.
Early Tactics and Breakaway Attempts
The day began with much anticipation, as the riders set off from Dordrecht in perfect conditions for racing. The flat terrain and the short distance suggested that the sprinter teams would dominate the day. The pace was high from the outset, with teams like SD Worx-Protime, FDJ-Suez, and Lidl-Trek taking control at the front of the peloton, ensuring that no early breakaway could establish a significant lead.
One of the notable early moves came from Audrey De Keersmaeker of Lotto Dstny, who launched an attack around the 30-kilometer mark. She quickly opened up a 30-second gap, testing the peloton’s resolve. However, her solo effort was short-lived as the sprinter teams, intent on setting up a bunch sprint, reeled her back in with just under 10 kilometers to go.
A Technical and Tense Finale
As the race entered the final 10 kilometers, the tension in the peloton was palpable. The flat roads leading into Rotterdam were conducive to high speeds, but they also demanded precision and focus, especially as teams jostled for position in the run-up to the finish. With around 5 kilometers remaining, the pace accelerated further, and the sprinter trains began to form.
SD Worx-Protime, led by Lorena Wiebes, looked determined to control the finale. However, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL, with Charlotte Kool in their ranks, had other plans. Kool, who had already shown her sprinting prowess by winning the opening stage, was perfectly positioned by her teammates, ready to launch her final burst of speed.
The Sprint and the Victory
As the riders rounded the final corners and the finish line came into view, the sprinters opened up. Lorena Wiebes appeared to have the edge, but Charlotte Kool timed her sprint to perfection, coming around Wiebes in the final meters to take the victory by a narrow margin. Kool’s win was met with jubilant celebrations from her team, as she not only secured another stage win but also retained the yellow jersey.
Kool was elated after the race, reflecting on her performance: “The team did an incredible job once again. We knew it would be a fast and hectic finish, but they kept me in the perfect position, and I’m so happy to have finished it off. Winning two stages in a row is just unbelievable.”
With this second stage victory, Charlotte Kool has solidified her position at the top of the General Classification. While the early stages of the Tour de France Femmes are more suited to sprinters, Kool’s dominance in the sprints has given her a strong platform to build on. The challenge for Kool and her team will be to maintain this momentum as the race progresses into more varied terrain, where the all-rounders and climbers will begin to make their presence felt.
Lorena Wiebes, who finished second, remains a significant threat in the sprint stages. Despite the disappointment of not securing the win, Wiebes was philosophical after the race, acknowledging Kool’s superior sprint but vowing to come back stronger in the upcoming stages.
This afternoon the Tour de France Femmes continues with a short but technical 6.3-kilometer individual time trial in the afternoon of the same day. This time trial could see some shifts in the General Classification, especially with powerful riders like Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) and Olympic Individual Time Trial Champion Grace Brown looking to gain time on their rivals.
Charlotte Kool’s back-to-back victories have made her the rider to watch in the sprint stages, but the race is far from over. With more challenging stages to come, the battle for the yellow jersey is only just beginning. As the Tour de France Femmes moves into its next phase, the riders who content for the general classification will start to show themselves. After the ITT today, with tomorrow’s hard stage ahead, the GC cards will be shuffled.