Santos Tour Down Under 2024 - Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance Soudal) wins the Women’s Ziptrak Stage 1

New Zealand track and now road sensation Ally Wollaston claimed a debut WorldTour major prize by winning the Ziptrak stage 1 of the new 2024 UCI Women’s WorldTour season. Wollaston, 23, barnstormed across the Maryvale Road, Athelstone finish line to beat a super fast bunch to earn her team AG Insurance Soudal a perfect start to the new year. Wollaston’s efforts earned her a hat trick of wins on her most successful WorldTour day, including the Santos Ochre Leader’s Jersey, the stage win, and the Ziptrak Sprint Jersey. Wollaston beat Liv Jayco AlUla’s Georgia Baker to the Fox Oval finish line with Italy’s Sofia Bertizzolo, 26, (UAE Emirates) earning a precious third placing on equal time just ahead of Kristyna Burlova. “I’m really proud of being patient and backing myself,’’ Wollaston said. “Once I committed to the sprint I thought, oh hell, I could actually win this but it wasn’t until the final few metres for sure.” Wollaston said she had trained hard in heated settings in New Zealand in a bid to acclimatise before coming to Adelaide and it paid off in 36C heat. Wollaston last year upstaged the superstars of the Santos Tour Down Under at the Criterium Classic in the streets of Adelaide after winning New Zealand’s criterium championship. The day’s work probably finished as planned for most riders and their teams – a bunch sprint finish - as Italy’s Katia Ragusa entertained fans early on. Ragusa had a brilliant start winning the efex Queen of the Mountain Jersey after riding powerfully in the breakaway during her team debut for Human Powered Health. #santostourdonwunder #tourdownunder #women #AllyWollaston #Wollaston #AGInsuranceSoudal #AGinsurance #cycling #cyclisme #australia #adelaide #ziptrack Cyclism’Actu TV ... toute l’information vélo sur