COURAGEOUS RIDE NETS NIEDERMAIER BEST YOUNG RIDER AT ITZULIA

In a display of courage, confidence and exceptional strength that belied her three years of professional cycling, Antonia Niedermaier rode with the very best in today’s 113km decisive final stage of Itzulia Women. Although the rewards she’d hoped for slipped away in the closing kilometres, it was another head-turning ride from the young German powerhouse.

After strong surges from Vollering (TFS) and Garcia (LIV) on the lower slopes of the 6.4km Mendizorrotz climb, Antonia powered her way into the action as the peloton crumbled behind the trio. Vollering soon turned the dial once more, dropping Garcia while Antonia initially held firm. With 4.4km remaining, the intensity began to crack the usually composed exterior of the 21-year-old – around a sharp hairpin, one metre became two, then ten.

As the gradient began to soften approaching the summit, Antonia had limited her losses well, trailing Vollering by just 20 seconds with 12km remaining. Behind, a motivated chase group led by Bredewold (SDW) was gathering momentum, with the race leader pouring everything into protecting her yellow jersey. The final 10km were set to be rapid: 7km of fast descending, followed by 3km along the iconic La Concha Promenade into central San Sebastián.

Trapped in no-woman’s land, Antonia was stranded – 45 seconds behind Vollering while her advantage over the chase group shrinking fast. Despite burying her head and entering into an all-familiar time trial mode, she was caught near the waterfront with just under 4km remaining.

Antonia crossed the line eighth on the stage – a bittersweet result after going all in for something far greater. She was, however, the first young rider to finish – leap-frogging from fourth to first in the youth classification, and from 29th to eighth overall on GC. Pulling on the blue young rider’s jersey was a well-deserved consolation.

Here’s Antonia’s front-row perspective on the final 17km of racing.

“I feel like the race really started before the second climb [Mendizorrotz]. You could really feel the pace was on there. It was really hectic. From the bottom of the climb, it was full gas. It cracked me a little bit because I need a steady and hard pace  – but not like this really, really hard pace before it then gets easier. I was in a group with Mavi [Garcia] and Demi [Vollering], and Demi attacked us. That really hurt me. So on the top, I was there alone and Demi was off the front. After the descent, a big group of riders caught me, and then we came to the sprint. I was not last in the sprint, so maybe that’s something positive. I really tried to fight until the end.”

Despite falling short of her hopes, Antonia remains pragmatic, with an underlying hunger and unwavering drive for the big summer of stage racing ahead.

“I think the plan was good, but I feel like I missed a little part. I started to have a little bit of a sore throat already yesterday, so I feel like I missed maybe that one or two percent that could have kept me with Demi. But I mean, in the end there’s nothing to regret. We tried everything, and I raced with my heart. Even after I dropped from Demi’s wheel, I really tried to fight and give it my all. I think the team also did a great job to keep me in position, and I think really we should be proud.”

“I’m not really happy [with 8th GC], but it is what it is. I think it was a good preparation for the Giro, so we can also be positive about that.”

Antonia will be back in the mix already at Vuelta a Burgos Feminas, beginning on Thursday. It’s a different kind of tour, but the opportunities to show her stellar form are plentiful.