05.09.2023 World-Tour, News, Race news

MAIKE LEADS THE BEST YOUNG RIDER CLASSIFICATION

Maike van der Duin leads the youth classification after the opening prologue at the Simac Ladies Tour today in Ede, Netherlands. The CANYON//SRAM Racing rider put in a blistering time for the 2.4km course, finishing in seventh place. Teammate Zoe Bäckstedt crossed the line in ninth place, just one second behind Maike.

The short, fast course created a tight battle for the first leaders of the six-day stage race. Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka held one of the fastest times for the early part of the race. Later, Zoe crossed the line with the fifth-fastest time, soon to be overtaken by Maike, who was the final CANYON//SRAM Racing rider to leave the start ramp. The pair are now first and second in the youth classification. The prologue was won by Charlotte Kool (DSM) with a speed of just under 47km/hour for the 2.4km course.

RIDER REACTIONS

Maike van der Duin: “I went earlier this week to see the course, so I already knew it and immediately liked the technical parts. I had a good feeling, and I was motivated that I could do a good race today. I gave everything from the start to the finish, and I am happy with the performance.”

“I’m looking forward to fighting with the team this week in Holland and Belgium. It’s nice to start tomorrow’s stage in the white jersey for the youth classification, but we’ll go for stage results and see what happens with this jersey along the way.”

Zoe Bäckstedt: “It was savage. It was three minutes full gas! I really liked the course. It was basically a drag for the first kilometre, and then if you could corner fast, you knew you were in for a good race. It was the first proper effort on my new TT bike, and I’m really pleased with how it felt and how I raced. It was a fun start to the tour!”