Mikayla Harvey proved her return to form after finishing a courageous sixth place at today’s Emakumen Nafarroako Klasikoa in Spain. The final two hours of racing were action packed with several changes in the race dynamics. The first of two Navarra Women’s Elite Classics was won by Annemiek van Vleuten (MOV).

The peloton battled through wet conditions for most of the 128km race, with Mikayla and teammate Elise Chabbey both in the lead group in the final kilometres.

“My plan with the team was to be active on the final two climbs! The conditions were super tough with a lot of rain, which I actually love. I prefer races that are a real battle from hard terrain, weather conditions and aggressive racing!” said Mikayla.

“Usually I am a slow descender, however I have been working a lot on this and yesterday I got into a breakaway on a descent which was really exciting for me. It was so nice have Elise there as well in the break. She rode very strong and was in many breakaways during the race.”

“On the final climb I was told to set the pace to catch (Mavi) García. Elise attacked, then I countered, and rode my pace for the rest of the climb. There was so much action over the top of the climb. It was so painful following all the attacks but I loved being involved in the action!” explained Mikayla.

“The final fifteen kilometres were very hard. I was with the top guns and this made me excited to be racing for a win. I still have much to learn about how and when to attack, as my move with seven kilometres to go wasn’t very smart. After that point it was continuous attacks and I basically just put my head down and pushed as hard as I could. It was so motivated having Lars (Teutenberg) encouraging me on the radio.”

“I am really pleased with my performance! It has giving me a lot more confidence for the future racing. I can’t wait to do more races in the next days with the team.”

Tomorrow’s Clásica Feminas De Navarra

Tomorrow, the same roster for CANYON//SRAM Racing will start at Clásica Feminas De Navarra in Spain. Hannah Barnes, Elise Chabbey, Tiffany Cromwell, Ella Harris, Mikayla Harvey and Omer Shapira will start the 125km race at 15:15CEST. A live broadcast will be shown on Eurosport, GCN, Discovery, EITB, and Navarra Televisión from 17:00CEST.

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