CHIARA CLAIMS HER FIRST 2025 WIN AT TOUR DE POLOGNE WOMEN

It may have taken longer than she’d hoped, but Chiara Consonni’s first victory of 2025 was by no means less convincing – bursting clear from the sprinters’ melee in the final 50 metres to claim stage one honours at Tour de Pologne Women.

For a rider as experienced and classy as Chiara, with 19 career victories at still only 26 years old, this win has a curious footnote; her previous triumph came exactly 400 days ago on stage two of the 2024 Giro d’Italia Women.

It was not just an important, long-awaited success for Chiara, but also a significant victory for team title sponsor zondacrypto, whose deep Polish ties extend to supporting both the men’s and women’s editions of Tour de Pologne. To win on day one and now lead both the overall and intermediate sprints classifications marks a fantastic start for the team and wider supporters.

Here’s what a delighted Chiara had to say about her stellar victory in Poland, not to mention her first in CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto colours!

“After the finish line, I felt like I was carrying less kilos! This year I have missed winning and today I won! I’m really happy because I tried in the last few months to achieve this goal, this victory, but it never arrived. I’m also really happy because the girls did super good, super amazing. Everybody was in front to try to put me in the right position. I think we still have to work on it but yeah, the first win with the colours of this team, so it’s something really, really special.”

The 105 kilometre stage itself was as straightforward and predictable as the often-fickle sport of cycling can be. Early on, the Down Under duo of seasoned Tiffany Cromwell and WorldTeam debutant Emily Dixon kept the squad well positioned at the head of the peloton. There was a flurry of attacks over the climbs that defined the opening 30km, but soon the race settled into a steadier rhythm, and a sense of relative calm washed over the peloton.

With just 610 metres of elevation gain, the day was heavily favoured for the sprinters. Despite a few solo attackers gaining brief windows of freedom, the outcome was written in the stars. At just over 30km remaining, aided by Zoe Bäckstedt, Chiara took the day’s intermediate sprint, securing three prized bonus seconds.

Fast forward to the final frenetic kilometres, where powerful pulls from Tiffany, Maria Martins, and especially Zoe, combined with Agnieszka as Chiara’s final lead-out wheel, allowed Chiara to conserve her firepower well. It wasn’t all trouble-free as the last corner at 1km to go proved tricky – wide, straight arterial roads intensified the jostle for position in and around it.

“I think that in the last 2km, especially in the last 1km, I was a bit far back because we lost some positions in the final corner, but then I felt really good and I could jump back to the first group super easy.”

With her supreme raw power and sharp racecraft, Chiara rectified the situation and could then unleash when it mattered most.

The effervescent Italian began her season in January with a close second at the Trofeo Marratxí–Felanitx, followed by six more podiums, including a WorldTour third at the Copenhagen Sprint in June and a narrow second at July’s Baloise Ladies Tour. After repeatedly knocking on the door of a victory, she finally broke through.

Racing continues for two more days in Poland. Tomorrow’s 99km stage, featuring a similar amount of climbing, looks set for another bunch finish. The biggest curveball is a final 500m at a 5% gradient on cobbles into the old town of Chełm. Nevertheless, the team is spoilt with strong options and will be rallying to repeat today’s success, especially with Chiara resplendent in the race leader’s jersey.

“Of course we try to keep this jersey maybe for me, but we know that we can play some other cards with Aga or Zoe. I think that if we arrive in another sprint, then I will try to do my best and of course try to gain some seconds for the GC in the bonus sprints too. We will just have to see what will happen tomorrow and the day after.”

HOW TO FOLLOW

Stage 2 | Wednesday, August 13 | Chełm – Chełm | 99.5km | 674m elevation | Start 13:00 – Fastest finish 15:22 CEST. Live from 13:30.

Stage 3 | Thursday, August 14 | Nalęczów – Kraśnik, Powiat Kraśnicki | 128.1km | 998m elevation | Start 12:15 – Fastest finish 15:10 CEST. Live from 14:00.

Live coverage is available on TVP Sport, Eurosport, and Discovery Plus. Stay updated on X with #TourdePologneWomen, and follow CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto’s social channels for the latest team news.