How the women's Tour Down Under went: Swiss rider Rüegg wins World Tour opener

Stage 1: Breakaway coup by Hengeveld

Cheers at the start on Friday for the German team Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team. Dutch rider Daniek Hengeveld outsprinted the sprinters with a 50-kilometre solo and celebrated her second professional victory. After 101.9 kilometres between Brighton and Snapper Point, the 22-year-old finished 36 seconds ahead of the peloton. Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez) sprinted out of the peloton to second place ahead of Austrian Kathrin Schweinberger (Human Powered Health).

Stage 2: Rüegg triumphs on Willunga Hill

Saturday was the queen stage, which ended on Willunga Hill, the most famous mountain of the Tour Down Under. The last 3.5 kilometres with a medium gradient of around seven and a half per cent were to provide a preliminary decision in the overall standings. Niam Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) and Neve Bradbury (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto) were considered the top favourites. While the New Zealander and the Australian initially determined the action on the final climb and neutralised each other with their attacks, two companions, Silke Smulders (Liv AlUla Jayco) and Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly), were lurking in their slipstream. A good kilometre before the finish, the Dutchwoman Smulders attacked first. Only Rüegg was able to follow, Fisher-Black and Bradbury had nothing more to add. The Swiss road champion Rüegg took the lead shortly afterwards and overtook Smulders in the final metres to the mountain classification, who crossed the finish line in second place, ten seconds behind.

Stage 3: Dygert lets Canyon//SRAM rejoice

The final section on Sunday had the most metres in altitude of the tour with 2142 metres. However, these were spread more evenly over the route than on Saturday, where the majority of the 1981 metres of elevation gain awaited in the finale on Willunga Hill. The final ascent of the 105.9 kilometres around Stirling on Sunday was not nearly as difficult as the previous day, averaging around four per cent over the last two kilometres. At the end there was an uphill sprint by a larger group. Chloe Dygert (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto) launched her attack 200 metres before the finish, quickly tore a hole and brought victory to the finish for the German team. Smulders and Rüegg followed behind. The 23-year-old from Schöfflisdorf thus defended the ochre-coloured overall leader's jersey and celebrated the biggest success of her career.