Marion Bunel showcased her climbing prowess at the Tour de l’Avenir Femmes, dominating the gruelling Colle delle Finestre stage. At just 19, she stands out as one of the top U23 climbers and might make a significant impact in the WorldTour races next season.
Before Pablo Torres shattered the Colle delle Finestre record in the men’s race, it was the women who first conquered the infamous climb. While it typically takes the fastest men 60-70 minutes to ascend, for the women, it was an 80+ minute all-out effort—likely a new experience for almost every rider. Such a prolonged sub-threshold effort is rarely encountered, even in the longest time trials or training intervals. Austrian rider Elisa Winter spent 1,397 kilojoules over 2 hours and 47 minutes at a rate of 8.78 kj/kg/h before reaching the climb. The tempo was easy, knowing that the longest climb in women’s cycling awaited them.
Marion Bunel proved to be the best climber in this race. She had prior experience on long climbs, having won at Chamrousse in the Alpes Gresivaudan Classic against Julie Bego, Evita Muzic, and Valentina Cavallar, where she sustained 4.62 ᵉW/kg for 54 minutes and 15 seconds. Bego assisted her teammate Bunel with pacing during the climb. With 12 km remaining, Bunel launched an attack, followed by Isabella Holmgren, Paula Blasi, Eneritz Vadillo, and Eline Jansen for 5 kilometers. However, on a steeper gravel section around 7 km to go, Bunel dropped everyone and soloed to victory.
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This was an unusually long climb, requiring us to extend the trend lines to 90 minutes. Bunel averaged 4.43 ᵉW/kg over 80 minutes and 48 seconds on Finestre. Despite pushing only 0.11 ᵉW/kg less, Isabella Holmgren lost almost two minutes, highlighting how every watt matters on such a long climb. Pacing was crucial, as Jansen cracked in the final kilometers, losing 4 minutes and 47 seconds to Bunel, despite being with her 7 km from the finish. Jansen averaged 4.16 ᵉW/kg. Bunel performed exceptionally well earlier in the Tour de l’Avenir on Les Karellis, sustaining 4.97 ᵉW/kg for 38:45 min. At just 19 years old, she is already one of the best U23 climbers in the peloton. With a move to a WorldTour team likely next year, she has the potential to make significant improvements and possibly challenge for the win in the Tour de France in the coming years.