A massive sprint marked the first stage of the Tour de l’Avenir for women. It was an opportunity for France’s Célia Géry to score a remarkable victory, kicking off the second half of her season, which will culminate in the European Championships, held in her native Ardèche region in early October.
The French team rider emerged from far behind to hold on until the finish line and demonstrate her resilience, despite having to abandon the Giro d’Italia, her first Grand Tour at the age of 19. “Of course, it was a disappointment, but a stage victory in the Tour de l’Avenir, where I wanted to enjoy myself, is already a success, and now I’m going to try to help the French team (especially its leader Marion Bunel, winner of the event in 2024) to get a good place in the general classification.”
Célia Gery crossed the line ahead of Italy’s Eleonora Ciabocco, who had already finished second in the prologue on the Tignes climb behind Canada’s Isabella Holmgren, who comfortably retained the CIC Yellow Jersey.
The second stage is similar to the men’s stage between Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise (Rhône) and Vitry-en-Charolais (Saône-et-Loire) over 136 km.
