Dutchwomen Daniek Hengeveld delivered a stunning solo performance to claim her first UCI Women’s WorldTour victory in the Ziptrak Women’s Stage 1 of the Women’s TDU from Brighton to Aldinga Beach on Friday.
The 22-year-old ambitiously made her break around 50km from the finish. The chase was strong – particularly between 10 and 5km to go – but Hengeveld showed strength and determination to hold off the bunch and secure the major win.
Hengeveld’s triumph marked a remarkable comeback following a devastating crash at the Tour of Britain last June, which left her with a broken jaw, collarbone, and fractured ribs. Riding an Orbea Orca Aero with her new team, Ceratizit-WNT, Hengeveld admitted that doubts about her future in the sport had weighed heavily on her mind during recovery.
“This is so different because it’s my first race after my crash last year on a new team, and I lost confidence,” Hengeveld said. “I was finally racing like I was 18 and thought, this is why I race.”
She expressed gratitude for her team’s support and reflected on the mental and physical struggles she’d overcome to return to competition. Hengeveld finished the stage 43 seconds ahead of last year’s Ziptrak Stage 1 winner, Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez), and 45 seconds ahead of Human Powered Health’s Kathrin Schweinberger.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s Health Partners Stage 2, which includes two climbs of the legendary Willunga Hill, Hengeveld remained pragmatic.
“I’m not a typical climber, but we’ll see if I can stay in the lead. If not, I’ll support one of my teammates,” she said. “We just want to race aggressively and have fun as a team.”
Hengeveld now holds both the Santos Ochre Leader’s Jersey and the Ziptrak Sprint Jersey.
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