The 115 kilometer second stage, between Unley and Willunga Hill, was finished in sweltering temperatures of around 35 degrees, and as expected proved too tough for the Dutch Daniek Hengeveld, the winner of the opening stage. Hengeveld lost more than six minutes and therefore also her ocher leader’s jersey.
Willunga Hill is a more than three kilometer long slope that regularly returns on the Tour Down Under route. The 23-year-old Rüegg showed himself to be the best this time on that final climb. She made it with a ten second lead ahead of the Dutch Silke Smulders.
In a group that followed 26 seconds from Rüegg, Norwegian champion Mie Bjorndal Ottestad finished third and Justine Ghekiere sixth. Julie Van De Velde, Ghekiere’s teammate, finished tenth at 39 seconds after an attacking race.
The Tour Down Under for women, a three-day race for the WorldTour, ends on Sunday with a hilly stage of 105 kilometers in Stirling. If Ghekiere or Van De Velde want to make a shot at overall victory, they will have to make up 37 and 50 seconds respectively on Rüegg in the rankings.