Weather shift alters strategy in the subsequent round
Montreal Champs Face Mixed Fortunes in Spain Tour
In the heart of the Tour of Spain, two Quebecers representing different teams, Magdeleine Vallières-Mill (EF Education-Oatly) and Olivia Baril (Movistar), faced starkly different experiences on Monday.
Magdeleine, teaming up with her compatriot Letizia Borghesi, saw an intense battle for stage victory that ended with Borghesi securing a commendable third place. Meanwhile, Olivia encountered rough terrain when she crashed during a descent on the 99-kilometer course between Molins de Rei and Sant Boi de Llobregat.
Finishing 77th in the lead group, Magdeleine completed the race simultaneously with the winner, Marianne Vos of Visma - Lease a Bike. Olivia crossed the finish line 137th, approximately three and a half minutes behind due to the crash, but thankfully, she suffered no serious physical injuries, as reported by her team on Twitter.
Despite not performing at her best, Magdeleine recognized the team's collective effort in letting Letizia shine, while the French teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prevent had a significant impact with her pacing support for Marianne Vos.
As for the team standings, Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) lost the red jersey to Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco). In the current rankings, Magdeleine is at 100th place, trailing by roughly 1 minute and 40 seconds, while Olivia stands at 132nd (+4 minutes 13 seconds).
Tuesday's third stage, a 134-kilometer flat course, will favor the sprinters and may see Magdeleine target stage performances or breakaways, while Olivia, with her potential GC focus, might seek leadership roles in mountainous stages such as Stage 7 to Cotobello.
A Frenchwoman, part of the EF Education-Oatly team, Magdeleine Vallières-Mill, had a modest performance in the Spanish Tour, currently ranked 100th, trailing by approximately 1 minute and 40 seconds. Despite this, she acknowledged her team's collective effort, which allowed her compatriot Letizia Borghesi to secure a third-place finish in a fierce battle for stage victory. Meanwhile, Olivia Baril (Movistar), who faced a crash during a descent, is ranked 132nd, about 4 minutes and 13 seconds behind, but fortunately, she only suffered minor injuries, as reported by her team on Twitter. The third stage, a flat course favoring sprinters, may offer an opportunity for Magdeleine to focus on stage performances or breakaways, while Olivia could take on leadership roles in the mountainous stages like Stage 7 to Cotobello.
