June 4th, 2023
Norwegian from Movistar Team claims first pro stage race success as she leaves Dronova (CGS) behind more than 60km from Castellar’s stage five finish. González wins Intermediate Sprints prize; Martín confirms 6th in GC after Saturday’s win.
The good atmosphere, cooperation and bond between all pieces of the Movistar Team over the 2nd Vuelta a Andalucía Elite Women led to a decisive change in the overall standings at Sunday’s intense 90km stage five, Estepona to Castellar de la Frontera, unthinkable three hours before.
Katrine Aalerud took the last yellow jersey against the (until today) almighty Tamara Dronova (CGS), who craked on the slopes of the Alto Hacho de Gaucín (Cat-1) as the Blues excelled -with yesterday’s winner Sara Martín, 4th today and 6th overall, as ‘stopper’ into the Russian’s G2-, with the Norwegian ammassing a decisive, one-minute gap through the finish.
This was the women’s Movistar Team’s fourth success in 2023 and the Abarca Sports organisation’s 16th win this season, also making it back-to-back GC victories after Arlenis Sierra’s 2022 triumph. A spectacular impression, few weeks before the season’s big goals, with a group where all members -Alicia González also confirmed today her Intermediate Sprints classification win- worked to their best.
REACTION / Katrine Aalerud:
“I’m so happy with this, my first GC victory. I wanted to give it a fight and see if we could get closer to Dronova, but I was also afraid that an attack over the Cat-1 ascent would not stick because it was so far away from the finish. However, it was better to try than leaving without having at least made an attempt. And we achieved it – which I’m so, so happy about.
“Dronova is an explosive rider who does way better at shorter ascents like the previous days’, but at the flatter section, with the three of us taking turns -Ed: Ottestad (NOR), the day’s winner; Lotte Claes (SRC, 3rd); and Katrine-, and the good cooperation until the end, gave us a decisive margin to win. I think we managed ourselves well as a team over the week, and this is a huge reward for the excellent job everyone did here in Andalucía, both riders and staff.”
