Movistars squad’s perfect job, including a stellar Leah Thomas, leads out young Danish champion towards back-to-back wins in Garnich, final yellow jersey. Movistar Team up to 9 victories in 2021 -five for the women’s team.
The Movistar Team had never completed a women’s stagerace in the incredibly successful way they did this weekend at the Festival Elsy Jacobs (UCI ProSeries) in Luxembourg. Emma Norsgaard capped off at Garnich, venue for a hilly, difficult stage two (105km), a fantastic hat-trick of victories by claiming the final sprint of the race and adding the GC, conquered in style.
The squad directed by Jorge Sanz at the Great Duchy showed themselves solid and fully commited to the day’s task. Alba Teruel, Barbara Guarischi, Aude Biannic and Lourdes Oyarbide took care of Norsgaard into the first half of the race, while Leah Thomas guided her through to the last kilometer, covering her from the wind and following every single attack, without ever showing any cracks. At the sprint, Emma found the right moment to jump and take the better from Italians Maria Giulia Confalonieri (WNT, 2nd) and Sofia Bertizzolo (LIV, 3rd).
Norsgaard’s fantastic tally this weekend takes Abarca Sports’ account in 2021 up to nine victories. The score currently shows the women ahead of the men (5-4) after an unforgettable weekend, for all kinds of different reasons, for the Movistar Team led by Eusebio Unzué.
REACTION / Emma Norsgaard:
“I’m so happy for this overall victory! I’m so happy to have chosen to join this team last year, and they are working so good for me since the very start of the season, it’s so impressive. I’m so, so proud, both of myself and the whole team.
“I was together with Leah the whole day, and when we went in the break together, she really supported me the whole way, especially in the climbs – wherever was a gap, she closed it down and made things easier for me. Leah is a big part of today’s victory.
“I felt super-great today, even better than yesterday, so I just felt like I was on top of the race – and then, I had the best team-mates ever! So I had no doubt I would make it into the climbs and going into the break.”
