Karlijn Swinkels (UAE ADQ) out-sprinted Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) for victory at the 2025 Trofeo Oro in Euro, netting her first win of the season in Cinquale.
In a great day for UAE ADQ, Dominika Włodarczyk bookended the podium in third, getting away in a lead trio alongside Pieterse and her teammate before doing the lion's share of the work and allowing her leader to sprint for victory.
Pieterse tried to explode away solo on the second and final rep up the Fortezza climb in Montignoso with under 20km to go, however, she couldn't drop the UAE pair and had to settle for second in the sprint.
The multi-discipline star was nonetheless still pleased with her performance, given that it came off the back of a seventh place in yesterday's Strade Bianche. She did admit, however, that "I was in a sandwich, unfortunately, and I knew Karlijn would be really fast in the sprint. I think I misjudged still a bit how far it was to the finish line because I still had good legs, but she's just super fast, and I'm happy to take second."
UAE ADQ were due to start the day without defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini, however, after falling ill and struggling during Strade Bianche yesterday, the two-time Trofeo Oro in Euro winner was not present.
Swinkels took up the mantle as leader and managed to better her second-place finish from last season, behind her now-teammate Longo Borghini. This is UAE Team ADQ's fifth victory of the season.
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