For both the WorldTeam and Generation team of CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto, riding on opposite sides of the English Channel, the race scenario and result were the same.

Sunday’s final stages of the Tour of Britain Women and Volta a Ciclista Catalunya Femenina culminated in large bunch kicks, with Chiara Consonni and Nastya Kolesava both sprinting close enough to smell the champagne, each finishing fourth.

Fourth is often considered bittersweet. Impressive, but frustratingly shy of top-three recognition. In saying this, Chiara is content with her chocolate medal, acknowledging the race was effectively won at the entrance to the final corner, where others simply beat her to the better position.

“It was super fast in the end, and we knew that we needed to start and stay in front. I think with Zoe [Bäckstedt] and the girls, we did a really good job of positioning today and also through the tour. We knew that the other teams would be fighting for the bonus sprints at the end, and I knew I needed to take the last corner in front. Then, it was a bit crazy and I went  to the right when maybe it was better to go on the left, but you know, in the sprint it’s an instant decision. I’m still really happy to have done this fourth place. I think everyone knew that the order you enter the final corner is where you would finish at the end.”

The fourth and final stage in Tour of Britain saw a wired peloton charge around ten laps of a quick but rough-surfaced 8.4 kilometre inner-city Glasgow circuit – mostly wide straights and sweeping bends. The crucial exception was two sharp corners in the final 500 metres on a narrow, leafy park lane. While general classification bonus seconds were fiercely contested throughout, the team stayed sharp and focused on setting up Chiara for the final sprint.

Zooming out, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig finished 16th on the stage and moved up one place in the overall standings, from seventh to sixth. She actually started the day on the same time as fifth place but missed out when one of her rivals successfully grabbed a bonus second in an intermediate sprint. It’s Cecilie’s first top ten in a WorldTour general classification since the 2024 Giro d’Italia – a welcome sight for many, and a timely affirmation of her own form and ability.

Meanwhile, at Volta a Catalunya, the ups, downs, and twists through the hills around Barcelona couldn’t shake the bunch apart – no attacks were able to stick. Nastya reflects on how stage three played out:

“The team plan was to keep Neve [Bradbury] in a good GC position and to go for the sprint with me. It was 115km with 1200m elevation and some technical descending, but 80% of the stage was like La Vuelta stage 2, so Neve and I knew this course. We didn’t have good luck on that La Vuelta stage with some crashes, so we were also just trying to keep it safe today.”

“The girls did a great job from the beginning to control the attacks, then at the end we had good lead-out coming into the last descent. During the last 5km, Neve and Jule [Märkl] positioned me really well in a high position up the group. I am so grateful to the girls and staff for giving me their trust.”

For Nastya, the close call with a top-three finish brought slightly more conflicted emotions.

“I am not really experienced with sprints, so it really was a bit stressful for me. I am happy but also a bit disappointed because it wasn’t a podium.”

Looking at the bigger picture of the race, Neve Bradbury cemented seventh place on GC with a strong ride on Saturday’s mammoth summit finish. It’s a solid benchmark after a tough first half of the season, as she works her way back onto a consistent plane of top form. As with Cecilie, it’s a result that quietly restores self-confidence.

Adam Szabó, CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto Head of Sport and Director for Volta a Catalunya, reflected on what the race meant for the Generation team – especially with the pairing of stage-hunter Nastya and GC contender Neve:

“I think the girls learned a lot. It wasn’t an easy race since quite a lot of WorldTour teams were present with strong squads, especially Visma–Lease a Bike and FDJ-Suez, so practically it was a battle between those bigger WorldTour teams. However, our strong squad was also mainly represented. It was really nice to have the WorldTour riders here with the Generation team because it gave them a purpose, to work for good results – that’s what they said. I personally think that all the Generation riders took a lot of learnings from this race, and they can put these learnings into practice already next week when they have their next race in the Pyrenees.

“I need to say thanks and praise to our WorldTour riders, Neve and Nastya, who were really, really helpful in the race – giving practical tips, directing and guiding the riders.”

Next up is another double-header weekend: Tour de Suisse runs from June 12 to 15, while the Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées starts the following day, June 13. We’re well and truly in the thick of stage racing season!