On Sunday 23 February, Ally Wollaston won the Clasica de Almeria for Women in a sprint, giving the team another victory at the start of the season. Already victorious in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Race, the New Zealander confirmed her excellent form by winning with authority in Roquetas de Mar.
On a 133-kilometre course between Almeria and Roquetas de Mar, the first part of the race was dominated by attacks. After an initial grouped ascent of the Alto de Rio Chico, Dominika Wlodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ) tried to energise the race by breaking away. She was joined by Nikola Noskova (Cofidis), but the duo were never able to open up a significant gap, the fault of a perfectly organised FDJ-Suez team determined to control the race.
As the final 40 kilometres approached, Stina Kagevi (Team Coop-Repsol) and Stine Dale (Team Coop-Repsol) took turns at the front of the race, multiplying their attacks. Dale even managed to build up a lead of up to 40 seconds, but once again the team never doubted, maintaining a high pace to catch the Norwegian with less than 10 kilometres to go.
With the peloton reduced to around fifty units after these multiple accelerations, everything came down to the final kilometres leading to Roquetas de Mar. In a fast and technical finish, the team prepared the ground perfectly for Ally Wollaston. Launched into the final hectometres by her team-mates, the New Zealander gave her rivals no chance, winning ahead of Linda Zanetti (Uno-X Mobility) and Dominika Wlodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ).
Ally Wollaston’s victory was her third win of the season and confirmed her status as the sprinter in form at the start of the year. The team continues to assert its dominance at the start of the season, which bodes well for the forthcoming events in Belgium and Italy.