Vuelta – Léa Rondel in the breakaway for her first Grand Tour

Stage 2 of La Vuelta Femenina on Monday gave the Mayenne Monbana My Pie team a chance to shine. Unlucky the day before, the French ProTeam managed to place a rider in the breakaway, with Léa Rondel. Meanwhile, already well-positioned yesterday, Natalie Quinn confirmed her strong form by finishing among the leaders.

The mood within the Mayenne Monbana My Pie squad was somewhat vengeful on Monday. After an unlucky opening day, the seven riders lining up for La Vuelta Femenina were eager to put things right. Léa Rondel was the first to step up. At just 19 years old, the youngest rider in the peloton initiated a five-rider breakaway that animated most of the stage. Struggling physically over the past few days, Léa — riding her first Grand Tour — was dropped from the front group around 30 kilometers from the finish. Nevertheless, she showcased the team’s colors for many kilometers in front of a global TV audience.

Her teammate Natalie Quinn, 28th the day before, improved by two places to finish 26th on another demanding stage. The American rider crossed the line in the favorites’ group and now sits 23rd overall.

Léa Rondel : “At the start of the race, my goal was to go in the breakaways. However, I’ve been sick for a few days, so I wasn’t feeling great. I was more focused on staying in the peloton as long as possible and saving energy for the coming days. But at one point, I saw an opportunity to attack, so I went for it. Four riders joined me and we worked together. I didn’t take many turns because I wasn’t in great shape, but in the end, the break lasted quite a long time. It was a great experience and really amazing to be part of.”

Franck Renimel, sports director : “The goal was to be present at the front. We perhaps didn’t expect it to be Léa, given she’s not at 100%. She really gave everything. She held on until about 30 kilometers to go before dropping from the break. The group was eventually caught, which we expected. In any case, we were represented at the front, which is a positive. Natalie’s strong performance is also worth highlighting—she was in the final selection of a reduced peloton, and the finish was far from easy. For her, this is a new level, so it’s very encouraging. The finishing position might seem anecdotal, but for us, it’s a good sign for what’s ahead. No crashes for us today. Karo was also in that final group, and Marine finished in good condition despite her crash yesterday. Overall, it was a better day than yesterday.”

Stage 2 results : 26 – Natalie Quinn 51 – Karolina Perekitko 79 – Justine Gegu 83 – Alice Coutinho 87 – Marine Allione 92 – Francesca Hall 114 – Léa Rondel

General classification after Stage 2 : 23 – Natalie Quinn 49 – Karolina Perekitko 68 – Alice Coutinho 77 – Marine Allione 98 – Justine Gegu 103 – Francesca Hall 107 – Léa Rondel

Photo credit : Eduardo Saiz