Marta Bastianelli wins La Périgord Ladies in France. Garcia and Reusser in the top 5 in Norway

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​Saturday, August 14^th, a day in the spotlight on two fronts for the Alé BTC Ljubljana team, which achieved a victory in France and important placings in Norway.

Marta Bastianelli got a great success in France at La Périgord Ladies, race from Sarliac-sur-l’Isle to Boulazac-Isle-Manoire on the distance of 111,3 km. All-Italian podium with Bastianelli who left behind Erica Magnaldi (Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling), second, and third Nadia Quagliotto (BePink).

The same Marta Bastianelli, at the third success of the season, tells about her race: “It was a hard race especially because at the end I was alone. Due to crashes and physical problems, there were only three of us left in the race, with a breakaway to close. I was in charge of closing in the final. In the final circuit, which we repeated four times with a 2km climb, there were always attacks because my opponents obviously didn’t want to take me to the finish line and so I gritted my teeth and tried to keep up with the leaders. On the last lap, there was another very strong attack by Magnaldi and I stayed on her wheel and the two of us went away. She made the climb at full speed, but then she didn’t cooperate between the descent and the flat that characterised the last three kilometres because she had the fastest teammate in the group behind us. I made the final sprint in progression because they were coming back from behind and I made the last two kilometres ‘full gas’. It was hard, but I’m happy with this victory and it went well overall and now we’ll think about tomorrow and see how it goes because we’ll be re-staffed”.

And to say that the day had not started under the best auspices. Dutchwoman Maaike Boogaard suffered sunstroke and was ill during the race. Anna Trevisi, involved in a fall, was taken to hospital where, fortunately, fractures were excluded, but only a facial trauma.

A success, that of Marta Bastianelli, which straightens the day and repays all the sacrifices of the team and all the staff. The team, although reduced in numbers, tomorrow will take part in La Picto - Charentaise, starting from Poitiers and arriving in Bignoux after 129.5 km.

Good news arrive also from Norway where, in the third and demanding stage of 145 km of the Ladies Tour of Norway, starting from Drammen and arriving in Norefjell, won by the European road and Olympic time trial champion Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar Team), the Spanish champion Mavi Garcia finished third and the Swiss champion and Olympic silver medallist Marlen Reusser finished fourth, respectively 41 and 44 seconds behind the winner. Two important placings in a UCI Women’s WorldTour race. Tomorrow the Norwegian race will continue with the fourth and final stage of 141,6 km from Drøbak to Halden, always with the final visible live on Eurosport and GCN.