Team Visma | Lease a Bike off to a strong start in Tour de l’Ardèche opener

# Team Visma | Lease a Bike Kicks Off Tour de l’Ardèche with Promising Performance

In a strong opening display at the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche, Team Visma | Lease a Bike showcased their tactical prowess on a predominantly flat course that concluded with a challenging climb. As the riders approached the finish line in Laudun-l’Ardoise, they faced a grueling one-kilometer ascent with an average gradient of ten percent. The team’s support was evident as Maud Oudeman and Mijntje Geurts effectively positioned their teammates for the crucial final kilometers.

After crossing the line in fifth place, Dutch cyclist Femke de Vries shared her reflections on the race. “I felt really good today. It was a bit like calm before the storm all day. I barely had to waste any energy before the finale. The wind did play a role, but as a team we managed it very well,” she noted.

De Vries elaborated on the team’s strategy, stating, “So it was all about waiting for the last stretch. Mijntje and Maud kept us out of trouble and put us in a great position at the front. That allowed us to go all-out in the closing kilometers. In the end, I launched an attack, but I pushed a little too deep. I still finished fifth, which was also the position I started the climb in. The credit really goes to the team. The upcoming days may suit us even better, so we stay hungry for strong results.”

The race concluded with Lotte Kopecky from Team SD Worx – Protime clinching first place with a time of 3:19:41, followed closely by Eleonora Ciabocco of Team Picnic PostNL and Mischa Bredewold, also of Team SD Worx.

### Rankings from Stage 1:
1. Lotte Kopecky – Team SD Worx – Protime – 03:19:41
2. Eleonora Ciabocco – Team Picnic PostNL (+00:00:01)
3. Mischa Bredewold – Team SD Worx – Protime (+00:00:04)
5. Femke de Vries – Team Visma | Lease a Bike (+00:00:10)
9. Viktória Chladoňová – Team Visma | Lease a Bike (+00:00:17)
10. Rosita Reijnhout – Team Visma | Lease a Bike (+00:00:17)
12. Marion Bunel – Team Visma | Lease a Bike (+00:00:24)
42. Maud Oudeman – Team Visma | Lease a Bike (+00:01:15)
48. Mijntje Geurts – Team Visma | Lease a Bike (+00:01:22)

With strong placements and an encouraging team dynamic, Team Visma | Lease a Bike is optimistic about the stages ahead in the competition.