The British rider gets the race off to a solid start
Anna Henderson opened the Faun Tour Femmes with an impressive third place on the opening stage, capping a strong day of racing for Lidl-Trek that saw the team represented prominently in the breakaway and place two riders inside the top five.
Henderson was one of the first riders to make the decisive move of the day, joining teammate Gaia Realini in the initial breakaway. The duo put Lidl-Trek on the front foot from the early stages, working together to put pressure on their rivals and force the other teams to respond.
Photo by Billy Ceusters/Getty Images
Their presence in the break gave Lidl-Trek valuable options as the race developed. In the fast and hard-fought finish, Henderson was able to capitalise on the team’s efforts, timing her sprint well to secure third place and open her Faun Tour campaign with a podium.
Behind her, Niamh Fisher-Black also delivered a strong performance, finishing fifth to give Lidl-Trek two riders in the top five.
The result reflected a committed team performance, with Henderson and Realini’s early aggression followed by a strong collective effort to position Henderson and Fisher-Black for the finale.
With Henderson on the podium, Fisher-Black in fifth and Realini playing a key role in the breakaway, Lidl-Trek leaves the opening stage with confidence and momentum as the race continues.
In Anna's words
I had the intention to see what I could do in the sprint but in the end me and Gaia were in a big breakaway. The bunch gave us a lot of time which meant the girls could sit behind and save energy for the next days, especially our climbers.
The final was really nice, especially considering the year I have had with sickness, I feel like I have been pushing uphill all year so it’s great to be back on the podium. I really wanted to win of course but it’s the first step on the podium then hopefully I can make another step.
I felt really good all day and Gaia was also so strong helping me in the breakaway, so I have to say a big thank you to her. I think the next days will be good, the last two stages will be the GC days. We hope Niamh will do super well there and we’re confident in a really strong team.
