Dutch rider Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) triumphed this Monday in the Trofeu Binissalem–Port d’Andratx, the third and final race of the Garden Hotels & Resorts Challenge Mallorca women’s series, after a spectacular finish on the tough final ramps of Mon Port.
Swinkels crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 1 minute, and 56 seconds, ahead of Germany’s Liane Lippert (Movistar Team) and Norway’s Mie Bjørndal Ottestad, who finished with the same time as the winner after a thrilling sprint in the final meters.
The stage was decided in the final three kilometers of the climb to Mon Port, where a select group of eight riders battled for the victory. This group had formed 26 kilometers from the finish, following an intense selection process caused by the high pace set from the start of the race. At the crucial moment, Swinkels proved to be the strongest, securing the second victory for UAE Team ADQ in this edition of the Challenge, following the triumph in Felanitx by France’s Maeva Squiban.
The stage was affected by adverse weather conditions, which forced a 30-kilometer reduction in the route and a one-hour delay to the start, while waiting for the strong winds to subside. Once underway, the race proceeded smoothly and at a very high pace from the outset.
The riders put on a spectacular show on this final day, bringing to a close a demanding and high-level edition of the III Garden Hotels & Resorts Challenge Mallorca Women’s, which has once again positioned Mallorca as a leading venue for international women’s cycling.
The III Garden Hotels & Resorts Challenge Mallorca Women’s is sponsored by the Balearic Islands Tourism Strategy Agency (AETIB), through the Next Generation Funds.