Top talent Ferguson triumphs after echelon race in Trofeo Llucmajor

We had arrived at the second event of the Challenge Mallorca — a three-day collection of one-day races on the Spanish island, held on consecutive days rather than as a traditional stage race. On Saturday, Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) won the opening race by defeating Marlen Reusser (Movistar).

Reusser had been the 2025 Trofeo Llucmajor winner but skipped this edition. The course was also different from last year’s — slightly more hilly overall, though with a less demanding finale. Would it suit sprinters or attackers? For a long time, those questions went unanswered.

The opening phase saw little action, with no breakaways or significant attacks emerging. With half the race gone, it still looked like a relatively tame contest as riders seemed to aim their efforts at the finale.

About 50 km from the finish, wind finally split the peloton. A lead group of sixteen riders formed, featuring top talent Ferguson (Movistar), Megan Jastrab (UAE Team ADQ), and Anna Henderson (Lidl–Trek). Both UAE and Movistar had strong numbers in the front group — six and five riders respectively — and the Dutch duo of Karlijn Swinkels and Van Rooijen were also present for UAE.

The leaders built up a gap of around 40 seconds over the second group of roughly 40 riders. The chasers kept the pressure on, and despite the hard work from UAE and Movistar to protect the advantage, the gap decreased to about 20 seconds.

On the final climb, the leading group gained the upper hand. The chasers began to struggle, with their deficit rising to 35 seconds. A few riders were dropped at the high pace, leaving eleven riders at the head of the race.

The front group cooperated well and extended their lead to over 40 seconds, setting up a sprint for victory among themselves. Riders from UAE led out the sprint, but Movistar ultimately took control and Ferguson sprinted to the win, with Van Rooijen placing third behind Copponi.