Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime) won the opening stage of the Itzulia Women, continuing the team's incredible dominance of the Basque race.
SD Worx-Protime have now won consecutive stages since Itzulia Women was created in 2022. However, it was a day of contrasting emotions, as team leader Anna van der Breggen crashed with eight kilometres to go and lost 43 seconds.
21-year-old British rider Millie Couzens (Fenix-Deceuninck) was second in the sprint ahead of Margaux Vigié (Visma-Lease a Bike).
Bredewold has now won three races in 2025, including the recent Amstel Gold Race.
"It was a hard day, and that suits me really well," she said. "The team had a lot of confidence in me, which made me feel really good but also really nervous.
"They were pulling full gas for me for the last hour. I just tried to stay as calm as possible," Bredewold said after celebrating with her teammates.
"We had to adjust in the final 500m because Msrta Lach, who was doing my lead out, got boxed in. Our little climber Steffi did a perfect lead out. This one is definitely for the team."
Bredewold was not aware of van der Breggen's crash, saying, "I only heard about it after the finish, that's not nice, and I hope she's okay."
How it unfolded
The opening 148.5km stage from Zumarraga to Agurain was a hilly first day in the Basque hills.
After a steady roll out, Gaia Segato (BePink-Imatra-Bongioanni), Katia Ragusa (Human Powered Health) and Morgane Coston (Roland) attacked, with Coston first to the QOM sprint in Arlaban after 42.8km.
Sadly, Britain's Claire Steels (Movistar) crashed after 50km and was forced to abandon the race.
After the Opakua climb, with 50km to go, the race came back together, but soon Julie Van de Velde (AG Insurance-Soudal) and Eva van Agt (Visma-Lease a Bike) went on the attack. However, SD Worx-Protime continued to control the gap at the head of the peloton.
Following the Azázeta climb, the gap was just 27 seconds, as Marie Schreiber did the work for SD Worx-Protime. The duo of Van de Velde and van Agt were eventually caught with 17km to go, with a reduced sprint expected.
The crash with 8km to go split the peloton for a while, with van der Breggen staying on the ground for a while until doctors and team staff arrived to help her. She slowly got up and got going, with Schreiber helping with the chase.
Van der Breggen appeared to hurt her right wrist, but would lose just 43 seconds.
Sara Martin (Movistar) and Évita Muzic (FDJ-Suez) made a late attack, but the road to the finish was wide and exposed, with a few roundabouts the only obstacles.
Steffi Häberlin led out the sprint for Bredewold and into the final right turn. The Amstel Gold Race winner then opened her sprint and was unbeatable.
Results
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