Marta Cavalli wins women's Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge

Marta Cavalli has won the Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge. The 24-year-old FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope rider was unquestionably the strongest on the Mont Ventoux's . Clara Koppenburg finished in second place, followed by Évita Muzic and Pauliena Rooijakkers.

The women faced four climbs over a distance of precisely 100 kilometers in the maiden edition of the Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenges. The top was at slightly about 1,900 meters height after a 23.3-kilometer, 5% ascent with several peaks. In the first hours of the race, attention was mainly focused on two breakaway groups. Rachel Neylan and Neve Bradbury stayed in front for the longest time but were caught up on the flanks of the Mont Ventoux by the group.

Cavalli ultimately demonstrated the strongest climbing legs and launched an attack. The Italian took off and rode farther and further away from her nearest challengers. Clara Koppenburg was the sole rider to respond to Cavalli's attack, but she was forced to slow down and admit her dominance to the Italian.

Cavalli crossed the finish line first, taking her third victory of the season after winning the Amstel Gold Race and the Flèche Wallonne in the spring. It was also Cavalli's first race after a crash three weeks ago at the Tour of Burgos.