Noemi Rüegg excels on Willunga Hill and takes Tour Down Under lead with stage win
CyclingSaturday, 18 January 2025 at 09:38
Noemi Rüegg has won the queen stage of the women's 2025 Tour Down Under on Willunga Hill. The Swiss rider of EF Education-Oatly demonstrated on the toughest ramps of the Australian climb to finish 10 seconds ahead of Dutch rider Silke Smulders (Liv AlUla Jayco).
Behind the two strongest riders came a group of five riders 26 seconds behind the winner: Mie Bjorndal Ottestad, Neve Bradbury, Dominika Wlodarczyk, Justine Ghekiere and Elise Chabbey. Former race leader Daniek Hengeveld was dropped on the first ascent of the Australian climb, and the differences at the finale were huge which gives Rüegg a very high chance of sealing the ochre jersey tomorrow.
The overall before the third and final stage with a hard circuit in Stirling (105.9 km) is commanded by a Rüegg who is 15 seconds ahead of Smulders and 33 seconds ahead of Ottestad. It will be difficult for her to escape given her strength today, although the terrain gives rise to the possibility that someone may try to surprise her.
| 1 | Rüegg Noemi | EF Education-Oatly | 03:10:03 | |
| 2 | Smulders Silke | Liv AlUla Jayco | + 10 | |
| 3 | Ottestad Mie Bjørndal | Uno-X Mobility | + 26 | |
| 4 | Bradbury Neve | CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto | + 26 | |
| 5 | Wlodarczyk Dominika | UAE Team ADQ | + 26 | |
| 6 | Ghekiere Justine | AG Insurance-Soudal Team | + 26 | |
| 7 | Chabbey Elise | FDJ-SUEZ | + 26 | |
| 8 | Spratt Amanda | Lidl-Trek | + 29 | |
| 9 | Fisher-Black Niamh | Lidl-Trek | + 35 | |
| 10 | Van De Velde Julie | AG Insurance-Soudal Team | + 39 | |
| 11 | Towers Alice | CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto | + 40 | |
| 12 | Edwards Ruth | Human Powered Health | + 44 | |
| 13 | Haugset Sigrid Ytterhus | Team Coop-Repsol | + 48 | |
| 14 | Van Dam Sarah | Ceratizit Pro Cycling Team | + 48 | |
| 15 | Ciabocco Eleonora | Team Picnic PostNL | + 53 | |
| 16 | Magnaldi Erica | UAE Team ADQ | + 01:06 | |
| 17 | Grangier India | Team Coop-Repsol | + 01:11 | |
| 18 | Marturano Greta | UAE Team ADQ | + 01:11 | |
| 19 | Dixon Emily | Australia | + 01:18 | |
| 20 | Swinkels Karlijn | UAE Team ADQ | + 01:29 | |
| 21 | Malcotti Barbara | Human Powered Health | + 01:33 | |
| 22 | Simpson Ella | St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 | + 01:40 | |
| 23 | Wyllie Ella | Liv AlUla Jayco | + 01:52 | |
| 24 | Kraak Amber | FDJ-SUEZ | + 01:57 | |
| 25 | Pate Amber | Liv AlUla Jayco | + 02:02 | |
| 26 | Miermont Dilyxine | Ceratizit Pro Cycling Team | + 02:04 | |
| 27 | Storrie Becky | Team Picnic PostNL | + 03:05 | |
| 28 | Cadzow Kim | EF Education-Oatly | + 03:23 | |
| 29 | Dygert Chloé | CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto | + 03:23 | |
| 30 | Dale Stine | Team Coop-Repsol | + 05:12 | |
| 31 | Armitage Megan | EF Education-Oatly | + 05:12 | |
| 32 | Lind Magdalene | Team Coop-Repsol | + 05:12 | |
| 33 | Boilard Simone | Uno-X Mobility | + 05:19 | |
| 34 | Nelson Josie | Team Picnic PostNL | + 05:38 | |
| 35 | Frain Nicole | Australia | + 06:08 | |
| 36 | Le Net Marie | FDJ-SUEZ | + 06:08 | |
| 37 | Anderson Alli | Australia | + 06:08 | |
| 38 | Masetti Gaia | AG Insurance-Soudal Team | + 06:08 | |
| 39 | Ragusa Katia | Human Powered Health | + 06:08 | |
| 40 | Manly Alexandra | AG Insurance-Soudal Team | + 06:08 | |
| 41 | Cromwell Tiffany | CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto | + 06:08 | |
| 42 | Holden Elizabeth | UAE Team ADQ | + 06:08 | |
| 43 | Christie Henrietta | EF Education-Oatly | + 06:08 | |
| 44 | Hengeveld Daniek | Ceratizit Pro Cycling Team | + 06:08 | |
| 45 | Louw Anya | AG Insurance-Soudal Team | + 06:08 | |
| 46 | Roseman-Gannon Ruby | Liv AlUla Jayco | + 06:08 | |
| 47 | Roy Sarah | EF Education-Oatly | + 06:08 | |
| 48 | Polites Alyssa | Australia | + 06:08 | |
| 49 | Watts Emily | St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 | + 06:08 | |
| 50 | Wollaston Ally | FDJ-SUEZ | + 06:59 | |
| 51 | van der Duin Maike | CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto | + 06:59 | |
| 52 | Bertizzolo Sofia | UAE Team ADQ | + 07:25 | |
| 53 | Greve Alberte | Uno-X Mobility | + 08:11 | |
| 54 | Duval Eugénie | FDJ-SUEZ | + 08:13 | |
| 55 | Mohr Mari Hole | Team Coop-Repsol | + 08:37 | |
| 56 | Fityus Lucie | St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 | + 09:46 | |
| 57 | Barbieri Rachele | Team Picnic PostNL | + 09:51 | |
| 58 | van der Wolf Babette | EF Education-Oatly | + 09:51 | |
| 59 | Normand Adèle | St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 | + 09:51 | |
| 60 | Burlova Kristyna | Ceratizit Pro Cycling Team | + 09:51 | |
| 61 | Schweinberger Kathrin | Human Powered Health | + 09:51 | |
| 62 | Bates Lauren | Australia | + 10:09 | |
| 63 | Talbot Josie | Liv AlUla Jayco | + 10:40 | |
| 64 | Hanson Lauretta | Lidl-Trek | + 10:40 | |
| 65 | Baker Georgia | Liv AlUla Jayco | + 10:40 | |
| 66 | Avoine Alison | St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 | + 10:58 | |
| 67 | Steigenga Nicole | AG Insurance-Soudal Team | + 10:58 | |
| 68 | Copponi Clara | Lidl-Trek | + 11:39 | |
| 69 | Wilson-Haffenden Felicity | Lidl-Trek | + 11:39 | |
| 70 | Zanardi Silvia | Human Powered Health | + 11:39 | |
| 71 | Alonso Sandra | Ceratizit Pro Cycling Team | + 12:37 | |
| 72 | Fiorin Sara | Ceratizit Pro Cycling Team | + 12:37 | |
| 73 | Raby Coline | St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 | + 13:59 | |
| 74 | Plouffe Maeve | Australia | + 18:34 | |
| 75 | Bader Silje | Team Picnic PostNL | + 21:10 | |
| 76 | Martins Maria | CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto | + 22:59 | |
| 77 | Sharp Isabel | Lidl-Trek | + 26:01 | |
| DNS | Rayer Eglantine | FDJ-SUEZ | ||
| DNS | Roldan Mara | Team Picnic PostNL | ||
| DNS | Beekhuis Teuntje | Uno-X Mobility | ||
| DNF | Greenwood Monica | Team Coop-Repsol | ||
| DNF | Koerner Rebecca | Uno-X Mobility |
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- see above, I did, not sure why it didn't come as a reply.mij07-02-2025
- she was only riding mountain, a little gravel, a little cross. she didn't do any road riding, so she didn't need a team. it seems they didn't want to build a road team around her.mij07-02-2025
- yeah, there are some sports that do a season long WORLD CUP WINNER, or some version of it, but even most of THOSE also have a World Championships EVENT. cyclocross is in that category (though the value of the world cup is watered down there due to there being THREE separately scored championship series).OCexile07-02-2025
- There are so many different sports, and equally many where this is not the case. Football has all sorts of differing championships. Swimming and Athletics are more like cycling, cyclocross is different again. Track cycling is often like tennis. BMX is more like rowing but in the end it’s hard to name more than a couple of sports that have exactly the same championship qualifying and set-up. Yes, in motorsport you usually have to participate in a long line of yearly events to win a championship but when is the last time you saw a driver do any 2 of F1, Rallye, Nascar etc in a season? Practically impossible so don’t forget, if you want to see the likes of WVA and MVDP or even Pidcock and others in several disciplines, it may not be wise to bog them down into choosing one.Mistermaumau07-02-2025
- Perhaps, or perhaps the UCI should be obliged to provide a minimum number of volunteers for each of the higher categories of races, showing they take the problem of safety a bit seriously when it comes to practical issues?Mistermaumau06-02-2025
- If she was the only rider signed at Ineos, did they even have a team or was she always riding alone? Can someone explain what the situation there please? actually wasMistermaumau06-02-2025
- I was watching the race this morning, and that was an incredibly sketchy moment. Hopefully Maxim van Gils wasn't too seriously injured, and will be able to return to the peloton soon. Perhaps the UCI needs to be handing out yellow cards to race organizers as well.
santiagobenites06-02-2025 - In most sports they have a season long series, so the best over a year is the World champion; not a 'one off' event were the best can have an off day and not win I wish cycling had this model, as you can't fluke a season long series... .wipperman9506-02-2025
- What had an impact, taking one straight line instead of another? You can see 2 riders, each takes a different option and you see no difference, in fact at one point it even looks as if the bike lane is the harder path to keep up speed, which as anyone who uses them knows, is not impossible. Also, if you consider it had enough effect concerning the 2s then why are you ignoring the actions Skjelmose took and admitted to which then must also have impacted back in the opposite way. I think you are looking at the reversal from the wrong point of view, the ds was the wrong decision so there is no need to explain the reversal, had the judge interpreted the rule properly in the first place there’d never have been a dq. Hope he doesn’t get to work at Paris-Roubaix with his way of seeing things, there’ll be no winner.Mistermaumau06-02-2025
- I agree they need to explain the reversal. With only a 2 second difference in time, they can’t argue that it had no impact on the results.JoeyB06-02-2025