Noemi Rüegg didn’t wait long to celebrate her first victory of the season. The 23-year-old from Zurich – reigning Swiss road champion – won the 2nd stage of the Tour Down Under, a race held in Australia which marks the start of the 2025 World Tour.
Under the colors of the EF Education-Oatly team, Noemi Rüegg was the first to complete the 115 km course between Unley and the famous climb of Willunga Hill, a 3.4 kilometer climb at an average gradient of over 7%. which had to be climbed twice. She beat Dutchwoman Silke Smulders by 10 seconds. The Norwegian Mie Bjørndal Ottestad completes the podium at 26 seconds, in the same time as the Genevan Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez), 7th at the finish.
This is the first time that Noemi Rüegg has won at the highest level. Her success also has historic significance: she is the first Swiss to achieve this feat in the Australian event, where she takes overall command, the day after her 6th place during the first stage. Smulders (+15”) and Ottestad (+33”) follow. Elise Chabbey is in 7th place (+37”).
“It’s a great source of pride. In Switzerland, road Cycling is not yet very developed. It’s nice to take this step and prove that we are capable of it,” reacted Rüegg, in comments reported by the “Today Cycling” website.
-6th in the first stage, Noemi Rüegg takes first place in the general classification. Smulders (+15”) and Ottestad (+33”) follow. Elise Chabbey is in 7th place (+37”).
The women’s Tour Down Under ends overnight from Saturday to Sunday with the 3rd and final stage, a 105.9 km loop around Stirling.
