Tour of the Pyrenees. Second overall, Nadia Gontova continues her rapid ascent
- jonathanrusssel5
- Jun 15
- 3 min read
Jun 15, 2025, 10:11 PM
Eighth in Pau, Nadia Gontova maintained her second place overall in the Tour of the Pyrenees after yesterday's breathtaking finish. It was the Canadian's first podium finish in a stage race since joining Winspace Orange Seal. In the team ranking WOS came third.
"She's very solid." WOS manager Jean-Christophe Barbotin couldn't miss this final stage of the Tour of the Pyrenees. Between climbs and descents, the final 127.8 kilometres proved the Canadian climber right. In between the group of favorites, Nadia Gontova finished eighth in Pau, with no effect on the overall classification: "She didn't get caught out. She ran well. She was with the best. When it came to pedalling, she was there. She arrived in the group just behind the only breakaway of the day. She had her sights set on a podium finish. She was in control today."
Nadia Gontova : “This result reflects the strength of the whole team”
"I'm really happy to finish second in this race. Today was a very punchy, twisty day where I hit the gas right from the start. I'm strong on this kind of terrain. I'm feeling more and more at ease with each race. This result gives me confidence for the rest of the season. The whole team rode really hard over the three days. This result really reflects the strength of the whole team", she confides.
Damien Pommereau : “Beyond coming second, I'm pleased with the attitudes of Kiara, Constance and Aurela over the last two days”
"It's a very good collective performance. It was difficult to attack today. I had told Karolina to do it as she was 11th overall in the last climber if she could. She barely gained a metre and it was already back on her. She even caught the boomerang. She was in the second counter, which almost came back on Nadia's group in the last 500 metres. There were a few attempts, but it never came off, especially when you're second overall. Objectively, the Spaniard was stronger. The girls are to be congratulated. Kiara, Aurela and Constance did their jobs superbly, as they did yesterday. And that's a good thing. Apart from coming second, I'm pleased with their attitudes over the last two days, unlike the first day when they didn't run together. They've got used to each other. Little by little, they're making progress. It's encouraging. When there's a positive result in the rankings as well, that's satisfying. Now we're looking ahead to the national championships", says sports director Damien Pommereau.
Aurela Nerlo : “I'm proud of Nadia and Karolina”
"We rode as a team and helped each other out. We're still learning, but we're making progress. I'm proud of Nadia and Karolina. Personally, I'm happy with my legs on the second stage. Today, I felt really bad. I couldn't sleep all night. I helped the other girls as much as I could and I'm happy that our hard work paid off", says Aurela Nerlo, luxury team-mate for the two Winspace Orange Seal climbers.
Stage ranking :
8th - Nadia Gontova
14th - Karolina Perekitko
31st - Kiara Lylyk
34th - Constance Valentin
38th - Aurela Nerlo
Overall ranking :
2nd - Nadia Gontova
11th - Karolina Perekitko
26th - Constance Valentin
28th - Aurela Nerlo
41st - Kiara Lylyk
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