Big surprise in the last stage. There were 15 km. and the head of the race was for Demi Vollering (SD Worx) and Van Vleuten (Movistar). With 14 to go, they were joined from behind by Niewiadoma (Canyon-Sram Racing), Baril (UAE) and Reusser (SD Worx). With the permission of the yellow jersey, the Swiss launched a great attack 2 km. after, he made a book time trial and stood on the San Sebastian Boulevard with 2:39 over the chasing group that starred in a velodrome finish and saw how more troops joined him. Txapela for the Swiss, silver for Vollering and third level of the box for Niewiadoma.
Demi Vollering was being the queen of Itzulia 2023. She dominated all the classifications and was getting rid of the bad taste in her mouth that the Vuelta left her when Van Vleuten beat her by just 9 seconds. The two were the main protagonists again because the telephone company attacked in Murgil and the yellow jersey was the only one capable of holding out on that climb. Going down to Orio, Van Vleuten opened up a gap but Vollering regained the lead on the flat. Curiously, instead of finishing off, she allowed her partner to attack and Reusser ended up taking the honors.
The day dawned cloudy but there was a feeling that it would stop raining. In general, that did not happen. And also the wind made an appearance. After 3:35 p.m. all the cyclists faced the last 114 kms. Of the test. They circulated through Gipuzkoan roads, Jaizkibel (1st) and Gurutze climbed to face, in the end, the Murgil climb. Kata Blanka Vas (SD Worx) was the first in the top-notch port. With 35 km to go, 19 cyclists knew they were going to play the stage. The favorites were, in short, together at the decisive moments.
Murgil Tontorra is always a judge in the Clásica and, logically, would also be in the Itzulia Women. He is now also known as Mendizorrotz. Van Vleuten (Movistar Team) launched an attack on his ramps but Vollering held him back. The group was reduced and the first to crown above was the one in the yellow jersey. Instead of going directly down to the San Sebastián Boulevard, in this case, he got off at Orio, increasing the mileage between the height and the finish line. They are roads that have been paved thanks to the passage of the Tour of the Basque Country in the month of July and Itzulia took advantage of it.
Everything pointed to a clear victory for Vollering but things changed in Aginaga. Reusser, 31, explained that “Demi gave me permission to attack, she has been very generous and I have achieved a victory that I have to thank him for”. The Helvetian was gold in the individual time trial at the Minsk Europeans in 2019 and silver in the same discipline at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. This is how she won in San Sebastián, doing a virtual time trial. Vollering had it clear at the finish line. “We are a great group, we are always together, living together. This is being a team, I’m very, very happy for Marlen, really.” Surprising but admirable.
STAGE CLASSIFICATION. SAN SEBASTIAN-SAN SEBASTIAN (114 KMS)
1. Marlen Reusser (SD Worx)… 3:09:56.
2. Demi Vollering (SD Worx)… at 2:39.
3. Olivia Baril (UAE)… at 2:39.
FINAL GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Marlen Reusser (SD Worx)… 9:57:24.
2. Demi Vollering (SD Worx)… at 1:50.
3. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-Sram Racing)… at 2:59.