There were podiums aplenty in Spain as Ruth Edwards scored third place at the Navarra Women’s Elite Classic with Human Powered winning the team classification.
Edwards secured the final podium place on a bike-throw in stormy conditions at the end of the 134.4km race from Pamplona to Pamplona. Giada Borghesi’s fifth-place finish, backed by Barbara Malcotti in 17th, sealed the overall team victory.
“I was unsure of how I’d race today after the crash at Strade took me out for a while,” Edwards said afterwards. “Barbara could see me struggling on a climb, and she told me I could do this, and that helped motivate me in that moment to get me over the climb. From there, I felt a lot better and was able to play the game, and it was fun to have the team really represented.”
Frenetic attacks were popping off in the rolling final third of the course, with no move quite sticking. A large group entered the final in Pamplona with Edwards and Borghesi well-positioned around the final corner.
“It was a wet finish,” she says. “The last two kilometers were kind of a blur. I was just trying to get in a good position, and I ended up right there on good wheels.”
Edwards was backed up by Borghesi, Malcotti and Carlotta Cipressa throughout the final half of the race after Katia Ragusa and Yurani Blanco’s early work. Sadly, Blanco went down in a crash early on and could not continue.
“I’m happy with the team’s performance,” added Giada Borghesi. “Third place for Ruth and fifth for me. It was very nice to be on the podium together and to take the prize for the first team today in Navarra, even more satisfying because it was a hard race and we were there.”
Edwards concurred with the sense of team satisfaction.
“Every race is a new day, and it’s great to get a result for the team,” she said. “We rode well together and communicated well, so the team result shows that.”
Edwards and the team now head to two Spanish WorldTour stage races with confidence bolstered. Itzulia Women from May 16 to 18, before the one-day Durango Durango Emakumeen Saria comes on May 20. Then, at the Vuelta a Burgos from May 22 to 25, the Pan American time-trial champion will be able to show off her new threads in a final day test against the clock.
Navarra Women’s Elite Classic results
1 FERGUSON Cat – Movistar Team 3:39:43
2 PALADIN Soraya – CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto ”
3 EDWARDS Ruth – Human Powered Health ”
4 ANDERSSON Caroline – Liv AlUla Jayco ”
5 BORGHESI Giada – Human Powered Health ”
6 TRINA COLONEL Monica – Liv AlUla Jayco ”
7 SANTESTEBAN Ane – Laboral Kutxa – Fundación Euskadi ”
8 GRANGIER India – Team Coop – Repsol ”
9 JØRGENSEN Tiril – Team Coop – Repsol ”
10 HOLMGREN Ava – Lidl – Trek ”
Team Classification
1 Human Powered Health 10:59:15
2 CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto ”
3 Lidl – Trek ”
4 Movistar Team 0:06
5 Liv AlUla Jayco 0:12
Photos: GettySport
