Tessa Neefjes Wins the Gravel Fondo Limburg in Valkenburg!

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Tessa Neefjes secures victory at the Gravel Fondo Limburg in Valkenburg, dominating the Elite Women's race with a solo finish!

Liv Racing Collective athlete Tessa Neefjes won the Elite Women's title at the Gravel Fondo Limburg - a gravel race within the UCI Gravel World Series. The race, which starts and finishes in Valkenburg, consists of 123km (76 miles) with 1,300m of elevation and includes the infamous Cauberg climb. Neefjes finished in 3 hours, 21 minutes, and 48 seconds, crossing the finish line solo, with an impressive two-minute lead over second place.

After finishing third in this event last season, Neefjes made a dream goal come true of winning in her new hometown of Limburg. Reflecting on her race strategy, she remarked, ''This race was a bit of a home race because I live so close. It was tough, we drove full speed up the Cauberg, and then the men passed by, it was a matter of hanging on for as long as possible. There were three of us left, but after that tough initial phase, I had a hard time. Then I decided to ride at my own pace and let the others go. Doing that was a gamble, but it turned out well because I could connect again and leave them behind me later. It's great that I could win here."

The course had to be changed due to heavy rain causing areas to become unsafe, living close by added to Neefjes's advantage as she was able to adapt to the new route. "My first time seeing the course it was almost like a Cyclo-cross race, due to the heavy rain, the course was too wet and they did change it. I was lucky to be able to do some new recons before the race."

Another highlight for Neefjes was bringing her puppy named Liv on the podium with her, "I was dreaming about winning in my hometown and having my puppy Liv with her matching Liv Racing kit on the podium. The pictures will be forever good memories, my weekend couldn't be better!"

Neefjes heads to the UCI Gravel World Series in Aachen, Germany next. Stay tuned for more Liv Racing action.

Source:

https://www.liv-cycling.com/global/news/tessa-neefjes-wins-the-gravel-fondo-limburg-in-valkenburg/28779