Lorena Wiebes won the opening stage of the Tour of Burgos on Thursday. The Dutch rider beat her teammate Lotte Kopecky on a small hill.
The opening stage through the Spanish hilly landscape offered plenty of spectacle. Early in the 125-kilometer stage, cracks appeared in the peloton, but there was no definitive break. Two riders then tried their luck in the attack: Morgane Coston and Idoia Eraso.
It soon became clear that the two escapees were not given a chance, but the peloton also did not roll out the red carpet for Wiebes. In the final, several riders tried to ride away on the rolling terrain. As a result, the peloton thinned out quickly.
With 5 kilometers to go, attackers Célia Gery and Steffi Häberlin had a lead of half a minute on the peloton, but they were caught just before the final kilometer banner. In the subsequent sprint, Wiebes was the strongest, although it visibly took a lot of strength.
Wiebes could barely cheer on the finish line due to fatigue. Behind her, the Italian Elisa Balsamo finished second, and world champion Kopecky finished third. For the 26-year-old Wiebes, it is the 101st victory in her career.
The Tour of Burgos lasts until Sunday. On Friday, Wiebes will have another chance in a fairly flat stage, but Saturday is a stage for the pure climbers. The four-day stage race concludes on Sunday with an individual time trial of over 9 kilometers.