Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Well being) marked her return to street racing in strong trend in Australia, and Saturday on the Cadel Evans Nice Ocean Highway Race her fourth-place end was additionally a ‘win’ from a dash in a nine-rider chase group. She used her climbing expertise on the 2 ascents of Challambra Crescent to shed different contenders after teammate Audrey Cordon-Ragot was reeled again in from her solo assault however could not reply to race-winner Rosita Reijnhout’s assault on Melville Avenue.
The previous US street champion formally retired from the professional peloton in 2021 after seven seasons, throughout which she received phases on the Tour de Feminin, a stage of the Giro Rosa in addition to De Brabantse Pijl. However ‘retirement’ didn’t imply giving up racing altogether, as she has taken on a agency dedication to off-road racing, successful occasions from Outdated Man Winter to the Chequamegon MTB Pageant, and including a second place eventually yr’s epic Leadville Path 100 MTB.
Her return to the Girls’s WorldTour with Human Powered Well being in 2024, final seen racing with Trek-Segafredo, noticed her quickly replicate previous climbing type paying homage to her most up-to-date street races in Australia. The final time she competed at Tour Down Underneath was 4 years in the past and she or he took the general title.
“It feels nice to get fourth,” Edwards stated in a staff assertion. “We prefer to win so in fact I’d have preferred to do some higher however I’m happy with this and the way the staff rode, I felt protected the entire time.”
The shape for the 30-year-old was in query heading to her first street begin in a number of years, however she referred to as it “form of enjoyable” to see what she might do towards the ever-stronger subject of professional girls.
“We don’t know the way I’m going to do and that’s form of enjoyable. There’s not essentially stress on me to win or get a podium however there’s stress to see how good I will be,” she instructed Cyclingnews simply earlier than her begin at Tour Down Underneath earlier in January.”You possibly can’t actually fail whenever you don’t actually know, and for me that’s fairly thrilling.”
On the three-stage Girls’s WorldTour opener, Edwards scored a high 10 on stage 2. It’s no shock she referred to as Tour Down Underneath “certainly one of my favourite street races”.
In 2020 Edwards was additionally eighth general at Cadel Evans Highway Race, now rebranded because the Deakin College Elite Girls’s Highway Race. 4 years later she discovered herself on the entrance of the race with 15 riders over the primary move of Challambra Crescent (1.1km at 8.2%) with simply 26km to race. Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance coverage-Soudal) launched the primary acceleration on the climb to disperse riders. Throughout the highest Ella Wyllie (Liv AlUla Jayco) led the best way and the remaining mountain factors went to Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-SUEZ) and Edwards.
On the ultimate full circuit, the tempo slowed and plenty of riders caught again on, spurring Cordon-Ragot to assault on a flat part main by means of a move of the end line for one final climb of Challambra. Whereas her effort was introduced again, it did enable Edwards to sit down in ready for the ultimate two climbs.
“The wind was blowing so exhausting. It was a headwind, so I knew that if I didn’t have 45 seconds it will be exhausting to hold on,” the French champion stated. “However, I knew that if I used to be out the entrance the women within the chase [Edwards and Katia Ragusa] might simply sit on.”
With simply 5km to go, an opportunistic assault by Rosita Reijnhout (Visma-Lease a Bike) from a bunch of three leaders resulted in a solo win for the 19-year-old, with Dominka Wlodarczyk (UAE Group ADQ) and Uttrup Ludwig trailing for second and third, respectively. Edwards simply ran out of actual property to make any catch however received the dash behind for fourth.
“I’m feeling tremendous assured being again within the peloton and I’m excited to have the ability to push and try to race exhausting,” Edwards added. “I take a whole lot of motivation going into European races.”
Edwards’ time in Australia concluded with three occasions, and a pair of high 10s to offer her confidence for extra. For the early-season stage races and the Classics, Human Powered Well being heads to Europe to race UAE Tour Girls and Setmana Valenciana in February.
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