Olivia Baril (UAE Team ADQ) had big ambitions for the second edition of the Tour of the Basque Country and she didn’t miss her chance to shine alongside the best cyclists in the world, to whom she offered the strongest opposition during of the three stages of the competition.
After finishing fifth on Friday and seventh on Saturday, Baril again managed to fight at the front on Sunday to finish third in this race presented at the end of the event.
The 25-year-old cyclist rode alongside the various victory contenders for the first 80 kilometers, after which things got lively on the climb to Mendizorrotz.
That’s when provisional point guard and reigning Itzulia champion Demi Vollering (SD Worx) and her compatriot Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) began to launch the attacks. The two Dutch managed to break away from the leading group for a few kilometres, swapping first place over and over until the top of the last climb of the day.
The Swiss Marlen Reusser (SD Worx), the Polish Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon / SRAM Racing) and Olivia Baril had not said their last word, however, and they worked to catch up with the fugitives on the descent.
Patient until then, Reusser finally launched a fateful attack less than 13 kilometers from the finish, leaving her rivals unresponsive to the power of her pedal strokes. She quickly broke away from the crowd, heading solo towards San Sebastian, where she scored a double blow.
The 31-year-old veteran not only won the stage, but her lead of 2 minutes and 38 seconds over her closest pursuers allowed her to triumph in the general classification.
Meanwhile behind, Baril and four other competitors remained neck and neck before sprinting to the finish. Vollering was the fastest of the group, just ahead of the Rouynorandienne.
Frenchwoman Évita Muzic (FDJ – Suez), Katarzyna Niewiadoma and Annemiek van Vleuten followed in order, leaving the general classification unchanged behind Vollering, second at 1 minute 50 seconds behind her teammate Reusser.
Niewiadoma (+2 min 59 s) completed the three-day cumulative podium, one second ahead of Baril, who thereby signed the best result of his career in a World Tour stage race. Note that she notably surpassed van Vleuten (+3 min 7 s), double world champion on the road.
Last year, still in Itzulia, Olivia Baril finished second in the second stage and eleventh overall in the event.
Also in action at the Tour of the Basque Country, Sherbrooke’s Magdeleine Vallières-Mill (EF Education – TIBCO – SVB) finished 47e Sunday and it points to 45e level of the general classification.
The athletes will benefit from a few days of rest before returning to action on Thursday, for the start of the Tour de Bourgos, another stage competition on the women’s world circuit. In addition to Baril and Vallières-Mill, Simone Boilard (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93 WE) and Adèle Normand (Massi – Tactic) will be there.