Women's Tour of the Basque Country - Stage 2: Bredewold again! European champion continues her team's super streak

This time, however, the situation was different. The European champion won in the sprint of a small group ahead of Mavi Garcia (Liv Jayco AlUla) and Juliette Labous (dsm-firmenich PostNL). The Frenchwoman made the decisive attack eleven kilometres before the finish. Only Bredewold and Garcia were able to follow. The trio saved a mini cushion for the finishing straight, where the new and old overall leader once again proved to be the best sprinter.

SD Worx- Protime's amazing streak at the Tour of the Basque Country continues. The team has won every stage ever held in this race: all three stages in 2022 and 2023 as well as the two stages now.

Behind Bredewold, who now has a 14-second lead over Labous in second place in the overall classification, the other riders follow at one-second intervals. Demi Vollering (SD Worx - Protime), the top favourite for overall victory, is currently fifth. Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon//SRAM as the best German) is 16th, 29 seconds behind.

Another tough start to the stage

Once again, very little happened on the road at first. Only the Austrian Valentina Cavallar (Arka-B&B Hotels Women) provided a little variety in the first 60 kilometres. She rode out of the peloton at the two mountain classifications after 17 and 45 kilometres (both category 3) to secure points for her jersey, which she successfully defended. Otherwise, the peloton remained closed.

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

The situation was different on the third climb of the day. On the mountain classification of Urruztigaina (2nd category), the previous leader Bredewold initially ran into problems when her team picked up the pace. Vollering attacked shortly before the summit. The Dutchwoman was first over the summit, with a group formed behind her around all the other favourites for the overall classification. They caught up with Vollering again over the following kilometres on the descent and in the undulating section afterwards. The breakaway was over 16 kilometres before the finish and the peloton had caught up again. Then came the decisive attack by Labous.

Women's Tour of the Basque Country 2024: Results - the top 10 of stage 2

1. Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx - Protime) 2:34:58
2. Mavi Garcia (Liv Jayco AlUla) +0:01
3. Juliette Labous (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0:01
4. Olivia Baril (Movistar) +0:04
5. Demi Vollering (SD Worx - Protime) +0:04
6. Elise Chabbey (Canyon//SRAM) +0:04
7. Arlenis Sierra (Movistar) +0:09
8. Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez) +0:09
9. Thalita de Jong (Lotto Dstny Ladies) +0:09
10. Ane Santesteban (Laboral Kutxa - Fundacion Euskadi) +0:09

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

1. Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx - Protime) 6:00:02
2. Juliette Labous (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0:14
3. Mavi Garcia (Liv Jayco AlUla) +0:15
4. Elise Chabbey (Canyon//SRAM) +0:18
5. Demi Vollering (SD Worx - Protime) +0:19
6. Olivia Baril (Movistar) +0:21
7. Arlenis Sierra (Movistar) +0:23
8. Marlen Reusser (SD Worx - Protime) +0:27
9. Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez) +0:28
10. Thalita de Jong (Lotto Dstny Ladies) +0:29