How the race finished
Daria Pikulik of Human Powered Health put in a powerful sprint to win the first stage of the 2023 Santos Tour Down Under ahead of Clara Copponi (FDI-Suez) and Georgia Baker (Team Jayco-Alula), making history as the first World Tour win for Human-Powered Health.
Full results are available below.
How it happened
The 110.4km stage started in Glenelg, with riders heading south before looping out to South Australia’s coastline. Early on, world tour teams Trek-Segafredo, FDJ-Suez, and Team Jayco-Alula were all visible on the front. With these big name teams holding the pace high, it proved difficult in the opening kilometres for a break to form.
With 88 km remaining to race, Tiril Jorgensen of Team Coop Hitec Products and Georgia Whitehouse of Ara Skip Capital clipped off the front over a little rise in the road. Unsure whether to follow or not, and with the wind picking up, the front of the peloton clipped off in pursuit, forming an echelon to do so. Suddenly, the peloton was split in two: a seemingly straightforward stage showing signs of other possibilities thanks to the wind.
With the front bunch not quite able to capitalise on the split, everything came back together and the pace came off for a little. Approaching the first Queen of the Mountain point of the race, Team Jayco-Alula and FDJ-Suez once again monitored the front, and it was Gladys Verhulst of FDJ who launched a huge attack as the road pitched up to 10% to take maximum points.
At the first intermediate sprint, on the main road in Willunga, Trek Segafredo lined up a full lead out for their leader Amanda Spratt, but Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez) wound it up on the other side of the road. She held on to cross the line first with Alex Manly and Ruby Roseman-Gannon (both Tam Jayco-Alula) in her wheel, all three picking up precious bonus seconds that could become critical in the overall GC race.
With 40km left to race, the peloton crossed the finish line for the first time, taking notice of the cross winds driving in along the coast. Mia Griffin of Israel Premier Tech Roland took the opportunity to jump away, but she was quickly brought back by an attentive group of racers also looking for opportunities, including EF Education-TIBCO-SVB’s Krista Doebel Hickok. As the peloton headed back inland there was a lull in the action, everyone taking the opportunity to refill and refocus for what was increasingly looking to be a sprint finish.
Sensing an opportunity as the peloton relaxed slightly, Isabelle Carnes (ARA Skip Capital) and Gina Ricardo (Team Bridgelane) jumped off the front, quickly establishing a gap of 30 seconds. One of the early attackers of the day, Tiril Jorgensen (Team Coop Hitec Products) and Dilyxine Miermont (St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93) also tried to get across to the pair off the front, but the pair at the front had quickly settled into a strong rhythm and the chasers were not able to make the junction.
Rolling into the second sprint of the day, the pair off the front held on to a 1 minute gap, picking up the points and the bonus seconds between them. Dilyxine Miermont, still hovering in the gap and not quite able to come across to the front, picked up the final points available. Turning back towards the coast with around 15km to go, Team Jayco-Alula came back to the front to control the chase and bring the break back for their sprinters to have an opportunity to win the stage.
Sensing an opportunity as the peloton relaxed slightly, Isabelle Carnes (ARA Skip Capital) and Gina Ricardo (Team Bridgelane) jumped off the front, quickly establishing a gap of 30 seconds. One of the early attackers of the day, Tiril Jorgensen (Team Coop Hitec Products) and Dilyxine Miermont (St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93) also tried to get across to the pair off the front, but the pair at the front had quickly settled into a strong rhythm and the chasers were not able to make the junction.
Rolling into the second sprint of the day, the pair off the front held on to a 1 minute gap, picking up the points and the bonus seconds between them. Dilyxine Miermont, still hovering in the gap and not quite able to come across to the front, picked up the final points available. Turning back towards the coast with around 15km to go, Team Jayco-Alula came back to the front to control the chase and bring the break back for their sprinters to have an opportunity to win the stage.
As the peloton turned into the cross winds, Trek-Segafredo lined up on the front. Under their pressure, the peloton caught the pair with 10km to go and rolled straight past, forming an echelon on the front that pulled a group of about 20 riders clear including four riders from both Team Jayco-Alula and Trek Segafredo. Significantly, FDJ-Suez had only one rider present in the front group. With 8.7km to go the peloton behind split again, the riders strung out and desperately trying to work together against the wind to reconnect to the front. Led by Ally Wollaston of the New Zealand Team, the group behind was able to come back to the front. Once it was back together the pressure went off, everyone getting their breath back and thinking once again about a bunch sprint.
Rolling in towards the finish, Georgia Howe of Team Jayco-Alula brought the speed up, with Trek Segafredo and FDJ-Suez lining up their sprint trains along the coast road. Next to take up the front for Team Jayco-Alula was Alex Manly, keeping her sprinter Georgia Baker perfectly positioned. As they swung through the chicanes into the finishing straight Maggie Coles-Lyster (Zaaf Cycling) was perfectly positioned on the back of the Team Jayco-Alula lead out, but behind them riders found space to the right and left to open up their sprints. Clara Copponi hit the front first, but a huge acceleration through an opening in the centre of the group saw Daria Pikulik of Human Powered Health come through and take the win.
Race Report by Sophie Hamer
