What a distinction a yr makes. Twelve months in the past, Marlen Reusser was enduring a difficult season. A crash on the Tour of Flanders left her with a fractured jaw, and sickness quickly adopted, sidelining her for the remainder of the season
Fighting what she described as “a so-called post-infectious syndrome attributable to a viral an infection,” the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist within the particular person time trial was finally pressured to withdraw from the Olympic Video games and miss the World Championships held in her dwelling nation of Switzerland.
Now again to full well being, Reusser has returned to the highest stage of the game together with her new staff, Movistar. The Swiss rider made an instantaneous affect. She opened her season with a victory on the Trofeo Palma in January, adopted by second general at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, tenth on the Tour of Flanders, and sixth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes.
Reusser then battled for stage wins and the general victory on the La Vuelta Femenina, the place she finally completed second general to winner Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez).
“It’s a really particular end result. One yr in the past, I used to be in such a foul state, and now I’m second within the Vuelta. Reaching this after this era is unimaginable and tremendous particular. I actually loved racing the entire week. It was very nice to race with the staff: good feeling, pleasure, cool ladies, cool employees.” Reusser mentioned.
The Movistar staff didn’t let the chaotic staff time trial in stage 1 affect their focus for the subsequent phases. On stage 5, Reusser was the one rider to initially stick with Vollering when the Dutch rider attacked on the ending climb, and held on for second on the stage, transferring as much as third general, only one second behind Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime).
The final classification was selected the ultimate mountain stage to the Alto de Cotobello, the place Reusser was a part of the elite group battling for the win. Though Reusser was not in a position to comply with Vollering’s blistering tempo within the ultimate kilometre, she was in a position to drop Van der Breggen to say second place and transfer up one spot within the GC.
“I’m tremendous joyful. What else can I say! I’m simply tremendous joyful. I believe we did a extremely good week of racing with the staff. I believe we performed a important half within the unfolding of the race. It’s unhappy that the staff could not win a stage, as a result of we had been actually dominating the race itself every day. However to be 2nd general is basically good and it makes us actually joyful and pleased with our entire efficiency. We had been tremendous sturdy, actually.”
For the second time in 2025, Reusser completed as runner-up to Vollering, first at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana and now at La Vuelta Femenina. However she stays motivated and optimistic.
“It was stunning. I believe I could be assured in view of the upcoming challenges, but additionally I nonetheless have some work to do. I believe there’s not lots lacking – however a little bit bit. I’m bettering and my numbers are getting higher and higher. I can’t say I’ll beat Demi, however I’ll preserve attempting to get there. Let’s see.”
