Ally Wollaston beats Rüegg on Stage 2 for back-to-back Women's Tour Down Under wins

Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-Suez) claimed her second consecutive stage victory at the Santos Women's Tour Down Under, outsprinting returning champion Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) on the uphill drag to Paracombe to extend her overall lead to 14 seconds.

The 130.7 km stage from Magill featured 1,900 metres of climbing in near 40°C heat, conditions that forced several abandons including Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ). FDJ United-Suez set the pace to keep the race together for a reduced bunch sprint.

Stage 2 Results

Magill - Paracombe • Jan 18 • 130.7km

Stage ResultsGeneral Classification

Pos	Rider	Team	Time
🥇	Ally Marée WOLLASTON	FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ	3:35:20
🥈	Noemi RÜEGG	EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY	+00
🥉	Josie NELSON	TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL	+00
4	Paula BLASI CAIROL	UADUAE TEAM ADQ	+00
5	Dominika WLODARCZYK	UADUAE TEAM ADQ	+00
6	Ruby ROSEMAN-GANNON	LIVLIV-ALULA-JAYCO	+00
7	Alexandra Grace MANLY	AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM	+00
8	Nina BUIJSMAN	HPHHUMAN POWERED HEALTH	+00
9	Fien VAN EYNDE	APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH	+00
10	Margarita Victoria GARCIA CAÑELLAS	UADUAE TEAM ADQ	+00
11	Amanda SPRATT	LTKLIDL - TREK	+00
12	Olivia BARIL	MOVMOVISTAR TEAM	+00
13	Teuntje BEEKHUIS	UXMUNO-X MOBILITY	+00
14	Sophie EDWARDS	UNKUnknown	+00
15	Marta LACH	SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME	+00
16	Neve Summer BRADBURY	CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO	+00
17	Lucia RUIZ PEREZ	MOVMOVISTAR TEAM	+00
18	Ella WYLLIE	LIVLIV-ALULA-JAYCO	+00
19	Justyna CZAPLA	CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO	+00
20	Sarah VAN DAM	TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE	+00
21	Lotte CLAES	APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH	+00
22	Mireia BENITO PELLICER	AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM	+00
23	Maud OUDEMAN	TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE	+00
24	Rosita REIJNHOUT	TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE	+00
25	Julie VAN DE VELDE	AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM	+00
26	Alessia VIGILIA	UXMUNO-X MOBILITY	+00
27	Ricarda BAUERNFEIND	LTKLIDL - TREK	+00
28	Paula OSTIZ TACO	MOVMOVISTAR TEAM	+00
29	Marie LE NET	FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ	+00
30	Gaia REALINI	LTKLIDL - TREK	+00
31	Erica MAGNALDI	UADUAE TEAM ADQ	+10
32	Magdeleine VALLIERES MILL	EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY	+10
33	Margaux VIGIE	TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE	+14
34	Léa CURINIER	FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ	+20
35	Marion BUNEL	TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE	+20
36	Nicole STEIGENGA	AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM	+22
37	Claire STEELS	MOVMOVISTAR TEAM	+22
38	Floortje MACKAIJ	MOVMOVISTAR TEAM	+22
39	Lauren DICKSON	FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ	+22
40	Tully SCHWEITZER	UNKUnknown	+26
41	Mikayla HARVEY	SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME	+26
42	Lucie FITYUS	TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL	+44
43	Marit RAAIJMAKERS	HPHHUMAN POWERED HEALTH	+44
44	Amber KRAAK	FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ	+51
45	Gaia MASETTI	TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL	+53
46	Barbara GUARISCHI	SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME	+53
47	Carina SCHREMPF	APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH	+53
48	Alena IVANCHENKO	UADUAE TEAM ADQ	+53
49	Lauretta HANSON	LTKLIDL - TREK	+59
50	Loes ADEGEEST	LTKLIDL - TREK	+1:02
51	Henrietta CHRISTIE	EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY	+1:02
52	Chloe DYGERT	CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO	+1:03
53	Julia KOPECKÝ	SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME	+1:08
54	Mackenzie COUPLAND	LIVLIV-ALULA-JAYCO	+1:08
55	Flora PERKINS	APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH	+1:11
56	Stina KAGEVI	EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY	+1:22
57	Alice TOWERS	EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY	+1:22
58	Juliana LONDOÑO DAVID	TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL	+1:22
59	Femke GERRITSE	SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME	+1:39
60	Emma Cecilie Norsgaard BJERG	LTKLIDL - TREK	+1:39
61	Tiffany CROMWELL	CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO	+3:15
62	Carlotta CIPRESSI	HPHHUMAN POWERED HEALTH	+4:33
63	Anouska KOSTER	UXMUNO-X MOBILITY	+4:33
64	Josie TALBOT	LIVLIV-ALULA-JAYCO	+6:38
65	Wilma AINTILA	CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO	+9:40
66	Ella HEREMANS	TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL	+9:40
67	Anya LOUW	AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM	+9:40
68	Alyssa POLITES	UNKUnknown	+10:35
69	Sofia BERTIZZOLO	FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ	+10:36
70	Francesca PELLEGRINI	UXMUNO-X MOBILITY	+10:57
71	Xaydee VAN SINAEY	APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH	+10:57
72	Carys LLOYD	MOVMOVISTAR TEAM	+13:17
73	Julie DE WILDE	APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH	+15:19
74	Fauve BASTIAENSSEN	AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM	+15:19

How the finale unfolded

With 10 km remaining, a five-rider group containing Chloé Dygert (Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto), Sarah Van Dam (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), and Mireia Benito (AG Insurance-Soudal) held 15 seconds over the peloton. Dygert attacked solo on the lower slopes of the final climb, but the combined chase from FDJ and SD Worx-Protime brought the leaders back inside the final kilometre.

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Images by Zac Williams/SWpix.com

World Champion Magdeleine Vallières led out her EF Education-Oatly teammate Rüegg for the sprint, but Wollaston launched from several wheels back, overhauling the Swiss rider in the final 50 metres.

"I was really not feeling good," Wollaston said following the race finish. "In the last 10km, something just happens in the brain, and then I'm here on the front, so I am just so happy."

Classification picture

Wollaston's GC advantage sits at 14 seconds over Josie Nelson (Team Picnic PostNL) and 17 over Rüegg. The time gaps in the top 20 are small, with positions 7–20 separated by just 10 seconds.

Paula Blasi Cairol (UAE Team ADQ) leads the Queen of the Mountains classification after taking maximum points on the opening Ashton climb, while Justyna Czapla (Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto) holds the young rider's jersey.

What comes next

The Santos Tour Down Under concludes with the 126.5 km stage from Norwood to Campbelltown, featuring two ascents of the Corkscrew climb at 9.7% average gradient. The steep ramps are steeper than the earlier finishes and suit pure climbers more than punchier finishers.

Cover image by Zac Williams/SWpix.com