On the final stage of the Vuelta a Burgos Féminas, Usoa Ostolaza (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) lost contact with the best on the steepest part of the climb to the Lagunas de Neila, but the Basque climber came back from behind to finish in third place behind Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Premier Tech) and Évita Muzic (FDJ United-Suez).
“We are absolutely thrilled to have secured the team’s first-ever podium finish in a WorldTour stage race. My teammates and the staff have done an incredible job every single day; I had great support, and they put a lot of confidence in me, I am very grateful for that,” the 28-year-old thanked her team.
Ostolaza was originally a triathlete but had to give up the sport due to injury. She switched to road cycling in 2020 and has been racing for Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi since 2021. This month, she finished fourth overall in the Vuelta Femenina and seventh in the Itzulia Women before coming to Burgos.
Although the Lagunas de Neila summit finish played to her strengths, Ostolaza was in trouble and got dropped from the group of favourites on the steepest part of the 6km climb, even before Muzic and Kastelijn rode away.
“I didn’t feel at my best today. On the final climb, I struggled to find my rhythm, settle into the race, and pace my effort,” she admitted.
But Ostolaza found a second wind and returned to the group that was now climbing behind the two frontrunners, almost a minute down. And close to the flamme rouge, the Basque climber went on the attack, shattering the group and going solo on the way to a podium finish.
“I dug deep and gave it absolutely everything I had left, without looking back, all the way to the finish line. Ultimately, we secured third place in both the stage and the general classification, a very important result for the team,” said Ostolaza.
With a great string of results in the block of Spanish WorldTour races (and a victory in 1.1 GP Ciudad de Eibar), Ostolaza is now looking ahead to a break from racing before preparing for the summer, where she hopes to defend her 2024 and 2025 overall wins in the Tour Pyrénées before the big goal of the Tour de France Femmes.
“We have built up great momentum, and the goal is to carry this forward into the upcoming races. Now it's time to celebrate a little, rest at home for two to three weeks, train, and prepare for the second half of the season,” Ostolaza finished.
