By hannover-web.com On October 15, 2023, the much-anticipated 2024 Yongda Tianheng International Women’s Road Cycling World Tour kicked off with its first stage, the Chongxi segment, spanning 108.9 kilometers. This year’s competition features 18 teams and 99 professional cyclists.
After more than two hours of racing under rainy conditions, it was Mi Lynn De Saut of the Sernia-Tian Shi-WNT Women’s Pro Cycling Team who surged ahead in the final sprint to cross the finish line first, clinching the stage victory and donning the yellow jersey for the best overall time. Among Chinese riders, Qi Wenjia from the Badirui Women’s Continental Team secured the highest rank, finishing in sixth place.
The 2024 Chongming Island Women’s World Tour is part of the prestigious 2.WWT category, alongside renowned races like the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a España. This year, the Women’s World Tour will feature 27 events globally, with 13 multi-day races taking place in countries including France, Spain, Italy, the UAE, and Australia. Notably, the Chongming Island Women’s Tour remains the only multi-stage UCI event for women in China.
The three-day race comprises the Chongxi stage at 108.9 kilometers, the Chongdong stage at 129 kilometers, and the Chongzhong circuit stage at 111.4 kilometers. Throughout the competition, riders will navigate through 17 towns in the Chongming District, passing key landmarks such as the Yangtze River Bridge, Changxing Island Urban Park, the Lotus Expo Park, and the Shanghai Sports Training Base, allowing them to immerse themselves in the ecological achievements and the natural beauty of Chongming.
The race commenced at Xin Cheng Park on Chongming Avenue, where the sound of the starting horn sent cyclists rapidly through the starting arch. The first stage included two sprint points located at 46.3 kilometers in Ruihua Orchard and at 83.2 kilometers in Xisha Village Park, along with a Category 4 climbing point at 16.4 kilometers near Gelong Port Bridge. This stage featured a mostly flat, circuit-style route.
A light drizzle made the roads slippery, adding a level of difficulty for the riders. As the race unfolded, rain began to fall again, further slickening the roads. Cyclists rode cautiously, though some attempted a breakaway, only to rejoin the main pack quickly. The first sprint point saw intense competition, with Mi Lynn De Saut emerging as the first to score, followed closely by her teammate Marta Lach.
At the second sprint point, the Sernia-Tian Shi-WNT team demonstrated their strength again, with Marta Lach taking the top spot and her teammate Katharina Schwainborg coming in third.
With just 3 kilometers to go, teams positioned their sprinters for the final push. In a thrilling finish, Mi Lynn De Saut made a decisive move, sprinting ahead from her teammate’s right side to narrowly claim victory at the finish line, registering a time of 2 hours, 29 minutes, and 07 seconds. In addition to the yellow jersey, her performance at the first sprint and the finish also earned her the green jersey for the best sprinter.
After the race, Mi Lynn expressed her satisfaction with her performance, saying, “The rain didn’t really affect my ride. There are many straight roads and no dangerous turns. I was focused during the sprint and hope we can achieve good results tomorrow.”
The polka-dot jersey for the best climber went to Carolina Cumiye of Team UAD, while Sophie Van Rooijen of the VWT gained the white jersey symbolizing the best young rider.
On October 16, the 2024 Chongming Island Women’s Road Tour will commence its second stage, starting at Changxing Island Urban Park and finishing at Chongming New Town Park over a distance of 129 kilometers, the longest segment of the tour, which will also feature two sprint points and one climbing point.
