Imogen Cotter (Hess Cycling Team) was on the attack for about 45km today on the second stage a Setmana Ciclista Volta Femenina de la Comunitat Valenciana (2.Pro) in Spain.
The former Irish road race champion, riding with a new team this year after spending last season with Fenix-Deceuninck Continental, was the first to take off from the peloton on today's 117km stage from Borriol to La Vall d'Uixó.
The 30-year-old Irish woman forged clear solo for a time before being joined out front by Belgian rider Margot Vanpachtenbeke (VolkerWessels).
The duo then combined to pull out a gap of more than one minute and remain clear for about an hour of racing. However, they were never let get far by a peloton clearly intent on contesting the stage finish and the Irish-Belgian duo were swallowed up before the climbing started later in the stage.
Advertisement
The race was eventually won by Marlen Reusser (SD Worx-Protime); the Swiss rider attacking the front group solo with 5.9km to go after a long downhill section following the final climb of the day.
Reusser finished 27 seconds up on a seven-rider chasing group, led in by Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), and took the race lead, by 27 seconds from Vos, with two stages remaining.
Related News
Unfortunately, after he breakaway heroics Cotter was listed as a non-finisher, alongside her two team mates Sara Casasola and Rotem Gafinovitz. It was not clear at the time of writing why they were non-finishers, but we will update when more information becomes available.
Meanwhile, two other Irish riders also competing on new teams this year - Liam O'Brien (Lidl-Trek Future Racing) and Dillon Corkery (St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93) - were in action today in France at the 183.4km Classic Var (1.1).
The race featured a hilly finale, of four climbs, including the ascent of Mont Faron to the finish; some 5.7km at 8.4 per cent, which is a stern test at any time of year, but especially early season.
O'Brien, aged 19 years and in his first season out of the juniors, put in a more than creditable ride with 43rd of the 107-rider field. He was some 5:29 down on the winner, Lenny Martinez of Groupama-FDJ.
Corkery (24), a bigger rider than O'Brien and more suited to flatter terrain, got his job done for his new team and rode to the finish, placing 90th at 13:06.
Up front, the finale was marked by plenty of drama when Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno X Mobility) surged clear from the select group in the final kilometre and looked like he had the race sewn up.
However, the 2021 Tour de l'Avenir winner celebrated too early, freewheeling for a prolonged period before the line - apparently in the belief he had already crossed the line. Rising French star Martinez hunted him down and lunged at the line to pip the Norwegian to victory.
