'You need to pick your battles' - Yellow jersey Mischa Bredewold holds Itzulia Women race lead as late attackers disrupt her focus for another stage win

Mischa Bredewold of SD Worx-Protime maintained her lead in the Itzulia Women’s race after finishing second on stage two, despite a strong late attack by Dominika Włodarczyk of UAE Team ADQ. Wearing the yellow jersey following her stage one victory, the 25-year-old was the favourite on the less mountainous middle stage but was ultimately unable to secure back-to-back wins. The stage’s finale saw Bredewold caught between chasing stage glory and protecting her overall lead, a balancing act that left her narrowly short of the stage win. Bredewold admitted that focusing on both the stage victory and general classification was a challenge, explaining that she had to be strategic about when to respond to attacks. In the closing kilometres, she chose not to follow Włodarczyk and Shirin van Anrooij’s move on the final climb, a decision influenced by her desire to preserve her position in the overall standings. Despite her team’s efforts to control the race, the limited number of riders in SD Worx-Protime made it difficult to manage the numerous attacks, especially in the crucial moments of the finale. The stage concluded with a fast-paced sprint where Bredewold launched her effort early but fell just short of catching Włodarczyk. She acknowledged the difficulty of timing her sprint against a headwind over a relatively long finishing straight. Nevertheless, her second-place finish, combined with bonus seconds from an intermediate sprint, extended her lead in the general classification by 18 seconds over Yara Kastelijn and 19 seconds ahead of Riejanne Markus. Looking ahead, the decisive moment for the overall victory is expected to come on the Mendizorrotz climb during the final stage. Bredewold anticipates a fierce battle on this challenging ascent, which has historically been the race’s key battleground. With the yellow jersey still on her shoulders, she remains focused on defending her lead while navigating the tactical complexities of the concluding stage.