Thalita de Jong put in a solid performance in her first stage race for Human Powered Health. She showed consistency throughout the four-day Setmana Ciclista Valencia and finished 10th overall.
The 31-year-old placed ninth, twelfth, and eighth before finishing the final 132.5km stage from Elx to Alicante, Spain in fourth. It was the third day in a row that de Jong battled for the win in a bunch sprint.
“Every day I had a better and better feeling,” she said afterward. “In the end, only the first stage was a hard day racing as the others all became sprints.”
In truth, the GC battle was over on stage 1. On the only day not to finish in a reduced bunch sprint, race winner Demi Vollering (FDJ – SUEZ) romped to a solo win over former teammates Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team) and Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worz – Protime).
The parcours of the remaining days weren’t quite tough enough to make a thinner selection due to their front-loaded nature and coastal finishes, meaning sprint consistency was key. The final stage had threatened to shake up the race with 2,000m of climbing and a breakaway did emerge, but was pulled back. This set up a sprint where de Jong maneuvered herself into a good position, crossing the line just off the podium, but on the wheel of winner Elisa Balsamo (Lidl – Trek).
“I felt strong today,” she said after stage four. “But again, not too much happened. Especially when there was the breakaway, we stopped pushing and like every day a lot of dropped riders came back, which is not my favorite.”
De Jong’s climbing strength was once again evident throughout the race and is a strong platform for the upcoming Classics season which kicks off on ‘opening weekend’ at Omloop Nieuwsblad on March 1 – she placed fifth in 2024.
“I’m happy that the Classics are starting,” she says. “Strade and of course, Sanremo will be new for me. Binda I did in the past, but a very long time ago. Opening weekend with my “home race” Nieuwsblad is a nice one. I had a good result last year, so hopefully this year again.”
With tough conditions, changeable surfaces, and electric racing, the pace of the Classics is far different from that of the early season.
“It will be totally different than racing in Spain,” she explains. “It’s more hectic so hopefully everything will go smoothly and safely. Strade will be a hard one, but my shape is good for it. Together with Ruth, it’s a special race where everything can happen. I’m looking forward to it but you always need some luck on your side in the Classics.”
De Jong was backed up on the road this week by Mona Mitterwallner, who was competin only her second recorded road race, Marit Raaijmakers, Yurani Blanco, Carlotta Cipressi, Daria, and Wiktoria Pikulik.
Human Powered Health has one more race before opening weekend. The team will compete in the one-day Clasica de Almeria on February 23.
Setmana Ciclista Valenciana stage 4 result
1 BALSAMO Elisa – Lidl – Trek 3:33:55
2 SKALNIAK-SÓJKA Agnieszka – CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto ”
3 LIPPERT Liane – Movistar Team ”
4 DE JONG Thalita – Human Powered Health ”
5 BREDEWOLD Mischa – Team SD Worx – Protime ”
6 REUSSER Marlen – Movistar Team ”
7 GÅSKJENN Ingvild – Uno-X Mobility ”
8 TRINCA COLONEL Monica – Liv AlUla Jayco ”
9 CHABBEY Elise – FDJ – SUEZ ”
10 VAN DER BREGGEN Anna – Team SD Worz – Protime ”
Setmana Ciclista final general classification
1 VOLLERING Demi – FDJ – SUEZ 12:52:26
2 REUSSER Marlen – Movistar Team 0:34
3 VAN DER BREGGEN Anna – Team SD Worx – Protime 0:37
4 BALSAMO Elisa – Lidl – Trek 1:15
5 LIPPERT Lianne – Movistar Team 1:28
6 SKALNIAK-SÓJKA Agnieszka – CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto 1:30
7 DE VRIES Femke – Team Visma | Lease a Bike 1:38
8 CHAPMAN Brodie – UAE Team ADQ ”
9 AALERUD Katrine – Uno-X Mobility 1:39
10 DE JONG Thalita – Human Powered Health 1:41
Photos: GettySport
