Women's Tour of the Basque Country - Stage 1: Bredewold wins the opening stage

In the absence of the top sprinters, the Dutchwoman crossed the line ahead of Arlenis Sierra (Movistar) from Costa Rica and the top favourite for overall victory, Demi Vollering (SD Worx - Protime). It is her first victory in the white jersey with blue stripes and yellow stars. With Ricarda Bauernfeind, Justyna Czapla (both Canyon//SRAM) and Hannah Ludwig (Cofidis Women), who won the Navarra Women's Elite Classic two days ago, all the Germans at the start finished with the 68 riders in the head group.

It took 80 kilometres before the first successful attacks were launched. Petra Stiasny (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Stine Dale (Coop-Repsol). The latter left her fellow breakaway rider 50 kilometres from the finish and set off solo. But she got new company. The Austrian Valentina Cavallar (Arka-B&B Hotels Women) rode to the front of the Norwegian from the peloton and left her behind. But Dale fought her way back.

>> Women's Tour of the Basque Country: Favourites and route

With 30 kilometres to go, the duo still had a 50-second lead. On the last climb of the day to Itziar (3rd category) 18 kilometres before the finish, the peloton had closed the gap to 20 seconds and Dale had been swallowed up in the meantime. Cavallar made it over the mountain classification, which secured her the classification jersey, and was then also dropped. Although there were still various attacks in the last ten kilometres, the terrain was ultimately not difficult enough for anyone to break away from the peloton. So the bunch sprint, which Bredewold won and thus took the overall lead, was inevitable.

Women's Tour of the Basque Country 2024: Results - the top 10 of stage 1

1. Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx - Protime) 3:25:45
2. Arlenis Sierra (Movistar) +0:00
3. Demi Vollering (SD Worx - Protime) +0:00
4. Josie Nelson (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0:00
5. Fleur Moors (Lidl-Trek) +0:00
6. Olivia Baril (Movistar) +0:00
7. Amber Pate (Liv AlUla Jayco) +0:00
8. Thalita de Jong (Lotto Dstny Ladies) +0:00
9. Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek) +0:00
10. Nadia Quagliotto (Laboral Kutxa - Fundacion Euskadi) +0:00

Women's Tour of the Basque Country 2024: The current overall standings

1. Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx - Protime) 3:25:35
2. Arlenis Sierra (Movistar) +0:04
3. Demi Vollering (SD Worx - Protime) +0:06
4. Olivia Baril (Movistar) +0:07
5. Stine Dale (Coop-Repsol) +0:07
6. Juliette Labous (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0:09
7. Josie Nelson (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0:10
8. Fleur Moors (Lidl-Trek) +0:10
9. Amber Pate (Liv AlUla Jayco) +0:10
10. Thalita de Jong (Lotto Dstny Ladies) +0:10