Itzulia Women: Mischa Bredewold sprints to opening stage victory from a select group of five

Mischa Bredewold of SD Worx-Protime claimed victory in the opening stage of the Itzulia Women race, prevailing in a sprint finish from a select group of five riders after a challenging 121.3-kilometre route around Zarautz. The stage featured multiple climbs, including the second-category Santa Ageda and the penultimate Etumeta ascent, where the decisive selection occurred. Bredewold outpaced Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Premier Tech) and Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek), who completed the podium, to take the first leader’s jersey of the three-day event. The race dynamics were shaped by a series of aggressive moves on the climbs, particularly from Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), who set a fierce tempo on the Etumeta climb and launched a solo attack near the summit. Despite her efforts, Niedermaier was reeled back by the chasing quintet, which included Bredewold, Kastelijn, Markus, and Lauren Dickson (FDJ United-Suez). The group’s cooperation faltered in the closing kilometres, allowing a larger chase group to close the gap to within 17 seconds by the finish, but not enough to threaten the leading riders. Bredewold reflected on her performance with measured confidence, highlighting the difficulty of the Etumeta climb where she surprised herself by matching the pace of stronger climbers. She acknowledged the tactical sprint battle, noting Markus’s early move and her own timely response to secure the win. Thanks to time bonuses from her stage victory and intermediate sprints, Bredewold now leads the general classification by a narrow margin, with Kastelijn and Markus close behind. Looking ahead, Bredewold remains cautiously optimistic about her overall chances, emphasising the need for a day-by-day approach given her team’s limited numbers. The stage also saw Kastelijn claim the Queen of the Mountains jersey, having accumulated the most points on the climbs, signalling an ongoing battle for the various classifications. The race promises further tactical intrigue as teams jostle for position over the remaining stages.