While Team Coop – Hitec Products is performing well in the Bretagne Ladies Tour, where Nicole Steigenga took another podium place for the team in the second stage, Tiril Jørgensen showed herself in another UCI stage race. With the Norwegian team she participated in the new Vuelta Ciclista Andalucia ‘Ruta del Sol’. After three hard stages, the 21-years-old rider found herself back on the 16th place in the general classification.
“The race was very cool, with long climbs and beautiful roads”, Tiril takes us back to three dace of racing in the south of Spain, in the race that has already been organised for years for the men, but now had its first edition for the women. “I felt really good, even in the hot weather. All the stages had a lot of altitude and long hills. The first two stages ended with nine kilometers climbing to the finish.”
Tiril really grew into the race. After a 24th place at the first stage, she got 14th at the second stage and ended with a 13th place on Thursday. “The biggest teams, Movistar and UAE pushed hard from the beginning of the final climb in the first two stages, so it got very split up both days. My legs got better and better each day, and I managed to stay longer with the best climbers every stage.”
Ready for new races
While there was still a battle for the win in the GC, the teams also made it a hard final stage. “We started almost directly into the climbs, where it was a hard pace from the bottom. I was in a group with five riders, but a big group caught us when there were 20 kilometers left to go. In the end I sprinted to a third place of the peloton, behind ten leaders. I am happy with the results and to take my first UCI-points. I feel that my shape is getting better and I am so ready for new races soon.”
Photo: Flotographie73