Spaniard in the mix at French WWT event

Movistar Team gets Balearic allrounder, Eider Merino (25th) inside elite finale group, Jasinska in early break. Van Vleuten (MTS) wins with impressive final effort.

Dutchwoman Annemiek Van Vleuten (MTS) bested compatriot Anna Van der Breggen (DLT) with an extremely surprising last move to claim honours in the 5th La Course by Le Tour de France (UCI Women’s WorldTour), a tough mountainous course in the Alpes over 112.5km and the cols of Romme and La Colombière (Cat-1).

The Movistar Team completed yet another great performance within the best teams in the world, just two days after the end of the Giro Rosa. Malgorzata Jasinska started the French race just like she finished the Italian Grand Tour -on the attack, into an early break lasting through the opening 2km of the Col de Romme-, while Lorena Llamas, Eider Merino and Mavi García took the Polish riders’ baton by staying into the selected peloton during the first main climb.

#LaCourse ¡¡Arranca @mavi_at!! Salta la balear en busca de las dos mujeres de cabeza y abre un ligero hueco. ¡CARRERÓN! #MujeresMovistarMolan pic.twitter.com/9E8AffJ0ew

— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) July 17, 2018

At La Colombière, and as Llamas and Merino were dropped from the elite group, García tested her legs with a nice solo move behind the two leaders -Uttrup Ludwig (CBT) and Brand (SUN)-. The Spaniard then stayed into a first big pursuit group after a huge acceleration from Van Vleuten, Van der Breggen and Moolman (CBT, 3rd), finishing in 13th place (+3’35”). Merino, in turn, took the 25th spot after battling stomach problems all day.