Photo: Barrage Media
Henrietta Christie put on a climbing masterclass in the Basque Country, Spain to score third at Gran Premio Ciudad de Eibar.
Her teammates guided Christie expertly into the final climb, a 4km ascent at an average of 10% but with eye-wateringly steep sections. The Kiwi climber then turned on the afterburners to attack her opposition, racing confidently on the steep pitches in the finale of the 116km race.
“It’s my first podium in Europe so I’m pretty ecstatic,” the 22-year-old said afterward. “It was really nice to be in a position where I was racing for the win.”
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Human Powered Health dominated the race from the off. Strong teamwork from Krista Doebel-Hickok created the platform for a long-range attack from Yuliia Biriukova that saw her also capture the combativity prize.
“We took control of the race,” said Christie. “Krista controlled on the first climb, a small attack went with Yuliia in it, she had the freshest legs and got away solo which put us in a great position because we could relax.”
Linda Zanetti then helped position Christie and Marit Raaijmakers, before Raaijmakers chased into a late breakaway.
“We nailed the team plan,” explains Christie. “It was a big team effort. Up the final climb, my teammates were cheering for me on the radio and it gave me so much motivation.”
Christie then infiltrated the race-winning breakaway along the rolling roads into the finishing climb up to Arrate. This gave the group a buffer for the final climb with Christie triggering attacking just inside two kilometers to go.
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- Embracing Marit Raaijmakers who went on to finish 12th.
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- Podium stars Biriukova and Christie.
“I stood up around a corner and rode over the climb and suddenly they were on the radio telling me that I’d dropped everybody. Before I knew it I was trying to TT to the finish.”
With a valiant effort, Christie battled hard up the steepest sections while being chased by race winner Iurani Blanco with the Laboral Kutxa – Fundación Euskadi pair passing her just before the line.
The New Zealander now heads south with the Spanish squad to the four-stage Vuelta Ciclista Andalucia Ruta Del Sol from May 29 to June 1.
“The result gives me a lot of confidence going into next week’s race,” she says/ It’s great to do a race where we can go into it with good luck and initiate the plan and get it done.”
Gran Premio Ciudad de Eibar results
1 BLANCO Iurani – Laboral Kutxa – Fundación Euskadi 3:08:07
2 OSTOLAZO Usoa – Laboral Kutxa – Fundación Euskadi 0:02
3 CHRISTIE Henrietta – Human Powered Health 0:06
4 BENITO Mireia – Spain 0:16
5 MEIJERING Mareille – Movistar Team 0:23
6 PEREKITKO Karolina – Winspace 0:50
7 ROBERTS Awen – Canyon//SRAM Generation 1:01
8 HARTMANN Elena – Roland ”
9 SANTESTEBAN Ane – Laboral Kutxa – Fundación Euskadi 1:14
10 PATIÑO Paula – Movistar Team 1:16
