Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Well being) marked her return to highway racing in strong trend in Australia, and Saturday on the Cadel Evans Nice Ocean Street Race her fourth-place end was additionally a ‘win’ from a dash in a nine-rider chase group. She used her climbing abilities on the 2 ascents of Challambra Crescent to shed different contenders after teammate Audrey Cordon-Ragot was reeled again in from her solo assault however could not reply to race-winner Rosita Reijnhout’s assault on Melville Avenue.
The previous US highway champion formally retired from the professional peloton in 2021 after seven seasons, throughout which she received phases on the Tour de Feminin, a stage of the Giro Rosa in addition to De Brabantse Pijl. However ‘retirement’ didn’t imply giving up racing altogether, as she has taken on a agency dedication to off-road racing, profitable occasions from Previous Man Winter to the Chequamegon MTB Pageant, and including a second place eventually yr’s epic Leadville Path 100 MTB.
Her return to the Ladies’s WorldTour with Human Powered Well being in 2024, final seen racing with Trek-Segafredo, noticed her quickly replicate previous climbing kind harking back to her most up-to-date highway races in Australia. The final time she competed at Tour Down Underneath was 4 years in the past and he or she took the general title.
“It feels nice to get fourth,” Edwards stated in a workforce assertion. “We wish to win so in fact I’d have appreciated to do some higher however I’m happy with this and the way the workforce rode, I felt protected the entire time.”
The shape for the 30-year-old was in query heading to her first highway begin in a number of years, however she known as it “form of enjoyable” to see what she may do in opposition to the ever-stronger subject of professional girls.
“We don’t understand how I’m going to do and that’s form of enjoyable. There may be not essentially stress on me to win or get a podium however there may be stress to see how good I will be,” she instructed Cyclingnews simply earlier than her begin at Tour Down Underneath earlier in January. ”You’ll be able to’t actually fail if you don’t actually know, and for me that’s fairly thrilling.”
On the three-stage Ladies’s WorldTour opener, Edwards scored a high 10 on stage 2. It’s no shock she known as Tour Down Underneath “considered one of my favourite highway races”.
In 2020 Edwards was additionally eighth total at Cadel Evans Street Race, now rebranded because the Deakin College Elite Ladies’s Street Race. 4 years later she discovered herself on the entrance of the race with 15 riders over the primary go of Challambra Crescent (1.1km at 8.2%) with simply 26km to race. Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance coverage-Soudal) launched the primary acceleration on the climb to disperse riders. Throughout the highest Ella Wyllie (Liv AlUla Jayco) led the best way and the remaining mountain factors went to Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-SUEZ) and Edwards.
On the ultimate full circuit, the tempo slowed and lots of riders caught again on, spurring Cordon-Ragot to assault on a flat part main by a go of the end line for one final climb of Challambra. Whereas her effort was introduced again, it did enable Edwards to take a seat in ready for the ultimate climb.
“The wind was blowing so arduous. It was a headwind, so I knew that if I didn’t have 45 seconds it might be arduous to hold on,” the French champion stated. “However, I knew that if I used to be out the entrance the women within the chase [Edwards and Katia Ragusa] may simply sit on.”
With simply 5km to go, an opportunistic assault by Reijnhout (Visma-Lease a Bike) from a gaggle of three leaders resulted in a solo win for the 19-year-old, with Dominka Wlodarczyk (UAE Group ADQ) and Uttrup Ludwig trailing for second and third, respectively. Edwards simply ran out of actual property to make any catch however received the dash behind for fourth.
“I’m feeling tremendous assured being again within the peloton and I’m excited to have the ability to push and attempt to race arduous,” Edwards added. “I take lots of motivation going into European races.”
Edwards’ time in Australia concluded with three occasions, and a pair of high 10s to present her confidence for extra. For the early-season stage races and the Classics, Human Powered Well being heads to Europe to race UAE Tour Ladies and Setmana Valenciana in February.
