By love-89.com On October 17, the 2024 Yongda Tianheng Circular Chongming Island International Women’s Road World Tour kicked off its final stage, the Chongzhong stage and city circuit race. In a fiercely competitive finale, Marta Lach from the Senla Tian Shi-WNT Women’s Pro Cycling Team emerged victorious, crossing the finish line first. This victory marked her second consecutive stage win, allowing her to don both the green jersey for sprinting points and the yellow jersey for overall points, taking it from teammate Milin De Sote. Additionally, Annie Kniенberg from the Valka Vessell Women’s Pro Cycling Team claimed the polka dot jersey for the best climbing points, while fellow teammate Scarlett Suoren secured the white jersey for the top young rider.
The event, one of 27 stages in this year’s women’s world tour, is notable as the only multi-day stage race held in China. Spanning three days from the 15th to the 17th, the competition covered a total distance of 349.3 kilometers, including an 108.9 km stage on the 15th, a 129 km stage on the 16th, and the final 111.4 km stage.
The last stage, consisting of a city circuit race, provided riders one last chance to secure favorable rankings. Riders began with a 30.9 km large loop, followed by seven laps of 11.5 km each through Chongming’s old town. Points were awarded at three sprint points located at 30.9 km, 53.9 km, and 76.9 km, with a Category 4 climbing point set at 6.7 km.
At 11:40 AM, the gun sounded to start the concluding stage. In contrast to the cloudy weather the previous day, the skies cleared, and a gentle breeze accompanied the riders, creating ideal conditions as they faced the final day of competition. Most of the race saw the riders moving in a large pack, with only brief splits during the sprint points. The first sprint featured a group of six, including Milin De Sote and Marta Lach, while the second sprint drew nearly ten contenders.
As the third lap began, several riders broke from the main pack creating scenarios of two in the lead, with three chasing and the main group close behind. The two leaders held a lead of 1 minute and 22 seconds over the chasing group and nearly 3 minutes over the main pack. Notably, the four riders in the lead group were part of the main field. Eventually, the two-leader group reached the third sprint point first, with Annie Kniенberg claiming it for Valka Vessell.
With over 30 kilometers remaining, the chasing group was caught by the main field, while the two leaders maintained their advantage, albeit narrowing to 1 minute and 46 seconds. As the pace quickened, the pack stretched out into a long line, reducing the gap to the leaders. After the fifth lap, the lead group split as one rider dropped back, leaving Kniенberg alone in front. Though her lead fluctuated, at one point growing to 1 minute and 13 seconds, the tension mounted as the pack pushed harder.
In the final 15 kilometers, riders from the Senla Tian Shi-WNT team revved up their pace, steadily closing in on Kniенberg, with the gap shrinking from 35 seconds down to 25 seconds. Meanwhile, yellow jersey wearer Milin De Sote and green jersey holder Marta Lach waited strategically within the main pack, preparing for a late push. As Kniенberg attempted to extend her lead in the final lap, it mustered at only 32 seconds, and within the last 4 kilometers, she was overtaken by the main group.
Emerging in the last 3.5 kilometers, De Sote and Lach moved to the front of the pack, jockeying for position. In the final 2 kilometers, riders began to search for the best spots for a powerful finish. In the last kilometer, sprinters lined up, and amid a thrilling dash, Marta Lach crossed the line first, clinching her second consecutive stage victory while also ascending to first place overall. Her team, Senla Tian Shi-WNT, secured the stage win and topped the overall team standings.
Among Chinese riders, the best performance in the first stage was achieved by Qi Wenjia of the Badiren Women’s Continental Team, finishing sixth. Zeng Luyao of the Silverbase European Women’s Team took 11th in the second stage, while Liu Jiali of the Lingning Star Women’s Team claimed 21st in the final stage. Qi Wenjia also finished highest among Chinese riders in the overall standings, ranking 21st, while the top-placed Chinese team was Lingning Star, ranked 11th overall.
The 2024 Yongda Tianheng Circular Chongming Island International Women’s Road World Tour has officially concluded. Since 2003, cycling has become a hallmark of Chongming, and this marks the sixth occasion the race has been held here. Additionally, the island is home to China’s first cycling-themed park, earning it the title of “Cycling Paradise.” The last three days saw the race route traverse the entirety of Chongming Island, highlighting its green, ecologically friendly, and livable nature, showcasing the allure of this world-class ecological destination to the world.