Mischa Bredewold took a well-earned victory on Saturday in Medina de Pomar, coming out on top after a frantic, stop-start day of racing on stage 3 of the Vuelta a Burgos Féminas. Nadia Gontova (Liv AlUla Jayco) rode well to finish 12th, finishing in a select lead group just 12 seconds behind.
The 123-km route between Busto de Bureba and Medina de Pomar, never really settled into a rhythm. From the opening kilometres, riders were on the move, with Aniek van Alphen first to animate the day over the Alto del Portillo de Busto (Cat-3), joined by Irene Cagnazzo and Constance Valentin as early aggression split the bunch.
Van Alphen briefly forged clear before things were pulled back together, and soon after Valentin and Katharina Sadnik tried again, building a lead that peaked at just over a minute inside the first 30km. That move, too, was shut down.
An aggressive day of racing
What followed was a rolling series of attacks and counter-attacks, with Alicia González Blanco going solo at one point before a chase group formed behind her featuring Kaja Rysz, Valentin and Fariba Hashimi. Sharon Spini and Nicole Steigenga later bridged, while Hashimi herself launched another attempt before the race was temporarily neutralised approaching the Alto de Bocos.
SD Worx eventually lifted the pace in support of Bredewold, but it was the Dutch rider herself who made the crucial move, jumping across when she saw hesitation behind.
“I already knew beforehand that I could opt to win this stage and the whole team has supported me,” Bredewold said after the finish. “It’s been a perfect day with the team.”
Before the stage, Gontova was already looking ahead to some tough riding. “It’s a bit of a challenge, with the weather, but it’s the same for most of the peloton, so we are all suffering a bit.”
The final day of racing goes from Gumiel de Mercado to Lagunas de Neila, 120km, with a super-tough hors catégorie climb to finish. Gontova currently sits 16th overall. Kiara Lylyk (Mayenne Monbana My Pie) has shown some great form after a tough spring. In the first two stages she was right there in the bunch sprints.
She dropped a bit on the GC after the tough Stage 3, but great to see her right there again. Alison Jackson (St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93) was also active on the flatter stages, and is most likely looking ahead to the Giro d’Italia Women, which starts next week.
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