Clara Copponi Triumphs in Inaugural Schwalbe Women’s One-Day Classic

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France’s Clara Copponi made a bold statement in the UCI Women’s WorldTour holding off the peloton’s top sprinters to claim victory in the debut Schwalbe Women’s One-Day Classic on Sunday.

The 26-year-old Lidl-Trek rider outpaced Australia’s Georgia Baker (LIV-AlUla-Jayco) and Italy’s Rachele Barbieri in a thrilling sprint to the King William Road finish line under scorching 30+ degree conditions.

“I felt strong leading into the race and just needed to adapt to the heat—job done,” Copponi said. “My plan was to stay in the wheels and let my teammates cover the attacks. We executed perfectly, and it was an incredible race.”

Clara Copponi makes it look easy as she crosses the line to win the Schwalbe Classic in Adelaide on Sunday. Photo: Nat Bromhead

Aggressive Final Day Racing

South Australia’s Amber Pate set the tone early, earning the most competitive rider jersey with an aggressive display for LIV-AlUla-Jayco. The reigning national criterium champ added another accolade after securing the best South Australian rider award at the Women’s Tour Down Under last week.

Italy’s Greta Maturano (UAE Team ADQ) took home the Ziptrak Sprint jersey and efex Queen of the Mountain honours, while EF-Education-Oatly’s Babette Van Der Wolf claimed the Zwift Young Rider jersey.

Schwalbe Classic Highlights

Lap 4: Ziptrak Preme Sprint #1 (King William Road)
Former Santos Tour Down Under champion Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) surged ahead to claim maximum points. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (LIV-Jayco-AlUla) finished second, followed by EF Education-Oatly’s Henrietta Christie.

Lap 8: efex Queen of the Mountain #1 (Montefiore Hill)
As the peloton neared Montefiore Hill, Butterfields Ziptrak’s Victoria Barry surprised the field, crossing first in the category four climb. UAE Team ADQ’s Karlijn Swinkels and Dominika Wlodarczyk followed closely behind.

Lap 12: Ziptrak Preme Sprint #2 (King William Road)
Three-time Santos Tour Down Under winner Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) led the charge alongside Uno-X Mobility’s Rebecca Koerner and LIV-AlUla-Jayco’s Silke Smulders. Pate launched an attack before the final lap, linking up with Maturano at the front. The Italian capitalized, taking the sprint ahead of Pate, with Picnic PostNL’s Becky Storrie securing third.

Lap 16: efex Queen of the Mountain #2 (Montefiore Hill)
Maturano and Pate continued their dominant breakaway, recording speeds of 46km/h as they approached the final climb. With a gap fluctuating between 20-22 seconds, they pushed toward the finish on King William Road, capping off a dramatic and exciting race on the final day of the 2025 Tour Down Under.

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