Image 1 of 34 Letizia Paternoster can't believe she's done it as she crosses the line as the winner of stage 1 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 2 of 34 Mitchelton-Scott are an imposing sight at the start of stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under in Hahndorf, South Australia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 3 of 34 Mitchelton-Scott line up at the start of stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under in Hahndorf, South Australia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 4 of 34 Grace Brown is interviewed ahead of stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 5 of 34 Nadia Quagliotto (Ale Cipollini) in the 'queen of the mountains' jersey after stage 1 of the 2019 Women'e Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 6 of 34 Sarah Roy (Mitchelton-Scott) is in the blue points jersey after stage 1 of the 2019 Women'e Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 7 of 34 Letizia Paternoster (Trek-Segafredo) wears the white best young rider's jersey after stage 1 of the 2019 Women'e Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 8 of 34 Letizia Paternoster (Trek-Segafredo) is all smiles on the podium after winning stage 1 of the 2019 Women'e Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 9 of 34 Letizia Paternoster (Trek-Segafredo) has the ochre leader's jersey after winning the opening stage of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 10 of 34 Flowers for Letizia Paternoster (Trek-Segafredo) as the leader of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 11 of 34 Grace Brown (Mitchelton-Scott) on stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 12 of 34 The Astana Women's Team discuss what they need to do to improve on Arlenis Sierra's third place on stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 13 of 34 The riders enjoy the scenery on stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 14 of 34 The bunch – all together – enjoys the scenery on stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 15 of 34 Defending champion Amanda Spratt and Sarah Roy (Mitchelton-Scott) talk tactics ahead of stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 16 of 34 Grace Brown is interviewed ahead of stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 17 of 34 Mitchelton-Scott line up at the start of stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under in Hahndorf, South Australia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 18 of 34 The riders start stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under in Hahndorf, South Australia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 19 of 34 The riders ready for the start of stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under in Hahndorf, South Australia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 20 of 34 The bunch raced under beautiful, cloudy skies (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 21 of 34 Letizia Paternoster is congratulated by her Trek-Segafredo teammate Lauretta Hanson (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 22 of 34 Letizia Paternoster wins stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 23 of 34 Letizia Paternoster (Trek-Segafredo) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 24 of 34 Anna Booth (Sydney University) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 25 of 34 Trek-Segafredo celebrate Letizia Paternoster's stage 1 win (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 26 of 34 Letizia Paternoster heads to the line to become winner of stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 27 of 34 Trek-Segafredo's Elisa Longo-Borghini and Letizia Paternoster celebrate their win on stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 28 of 34 Did I win? Letizia Paternoster can't believe it on stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 29 of 34 Sarah Roy (Mitchelton-Scott) finished second on stage 1 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 30 of 34 Letizia Paternoster (Trek-Segafredo) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 31 of 34 Lucy Kennedy (Mitchelton-Scott) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 32 of 34 The press pounce on Letizia Paternoster (Trek-Segafredo) after she wins the opening stage of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 33 of 34 Letizia Paternoster (Trek-Segafredo) celebrates having won stage 1 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Image 34 of 34 The bunch stayed together during stage 1 of the 2019 Women's Tour Down Under (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

Italian Letizia Paternoster gave the new Trek-Segafredo women's team their first victory in the first UCI race of 2019 when she won the opening stage of the Santos Women's Tour Down Under in Birdwood, South Australia, on Thursday.

The riders taking part in the 112.9km stage between Hahndorf and Birdwood remained together throughout what was a mostly flat day before it culminated in the expected bunch sprint, in which 19-year-old Paternoster got the better of Mitchelton-Scott's Sarah Roy, with Arlenis Sierra (Astana) finishing third.

"It's great for me and for the whole team to win here and to show the jersey because this is a new team. It was the new team's first race and we won, so this is an amazing feeling," said a delighted Paternoster, who is half Australian through her father, who lives in Sydney.

"The team stayed together pretty much all day and protected me in the bunch, and at the end they did a perfect lead-out to bring me to the finish line.

"When I went, I thought I was closer to the finish line, and when I saw it was still 250m to go, I wanted to die a little," she said. "I'm so happy to have pulled it off.

Trek-Segafredo General Manager Luca Guercilena is in Adelaide to watch the team's opening race, and for many that would have felt like added pressure, although Paternoster feels it only benefited her and the team.

"It didn't give me more pressure," she said. "On the contrary – it made it easy and relaxed, and we all had the confidence to work together, and I was confident at the end, so I think he's really happy."

Following a comfortable pace in the peloton over the first hour, the first action came as Chloe Hosking (Ale Cipollini) took the points and the time bonus at the first intermediate sprint in Gumeracha after 34.7km, ahead of Mitchelton-Scott pair Gracie Elvin and Sarah Roy.

Less than five kilometres later, the hunt for 'Queen of the Mountain' points began, with Alice Cobb (Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank) snaring top points ahead of Jennifer Pettenon and Justine Barrow of Australian National Road Series team Gusto StepFWD KOM.

The second 'QOM' at the Ngangkiparinga Climb saw Nadia Quagliotto (Ale Cipollini) announce her intentions for the jersey by taking the points ahead of Pettenon and Elena Pirrone (Astana Women's Team). Quagliotto later added the third QOM of the day to take the first Subaru Queen of the Mountains jersey.

It was the same three riders as earlier in the stage sharing the points at the second intermediate sprint, although this time it was Elvin taking top points ahead of Hosking and Roy.

Coming in to the final kilometres, a number teams jostled for position at the head of the peloton, with Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport, Rally UnitedHealthcare, UniSA Australia and the Astana Women's Team all active, although it was Trek-Segafredo in their first race who delivered Paternoster to the front before she unleashed her potent sprint, beating Roy and Sierra to the first ochre leader's jersey.

Paternoster leads the race overall by two seconds from Roy, with Hosking a further three seconds back after they both picked up bonus seconds at the intermediate sprints.

The race returns to Mengler Hill on Friday for the second year in a row with the near 10-per-cent-gradient climb to the finish the first opportunity for the climbers to shine, with temperatures expected to reach nearly 40 degrees.

"I'll talk with my trainer and directeur sportif to see how we'll manage the stage tomorrow," the race's leader, Paternoster, said of her chances for Mengler Hill.

With the race's overall contenders expected to show themselves on the climb, Paternoster and her Trek-Segafredo teammates are likely to have their work cut out trying to keep hold of the race lead.

Results

# Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Trek-Segafredo Women 3:10:28 2 Sarah Roy (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 3 Arlenis Sierra (Cub) Astana Women's Team 4 Alison Jackson (Can) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 5 Rachele Barbieri (Ita) BePink 6 Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) CCC-Liv 7 Matilda Raynolds (Aus) Specialized Women's Racing 8 Rebecca Wiasak (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia 9 Naimh Fisher-Black (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team 10 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Ale Cipollini 11 Sara Bergen (Can) Rally UHC Cycling 12 Georgia Whitehouse (Aus) Sydney University 13 Jessica Pratt (Aus) Sydney University 14 Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 15 Paolo Munoz (Chi) Swapit/Agolico 16 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 17 Valerie Demey (Bel) CCC-Liv 18 Amanda Jaimeson (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team 19 Anischa Vekemans (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport 20 Bryony Van Velzen (Ned) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport 21 Andrea Ramirez (Mex) Swapit/Agolico 22 Jaime Gunning (Aus) Specialized Women's Racing 23 Nadia Quagliotto (Ita) Ale Cipollini 24 Grace Anderson (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team 25 Deborah Paine (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team 26 Marie-Soleil Blais (Can) Astana Women's Team 27 Abigail Mickey (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 28 Josie Talbot (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia 29 Evy Kuijpers (Ned) CCC-Liv 30 Kirsty McCallum (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team 31 Katia Ragusa (Ita) BePink 32 Gina Ricardo (Aus) Sydney University 33 Jesse Vandenbulcke (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport 34 Tetyana Riabchenko (Ukr) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport 35 Taryn Heather (Aus) Specialized Women's Racing 36 Riejanne Markus (Ned) CCC-Liv 37 Jennifer Pettenon (Aus) Gusto StepFWD KOM 38 Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia 39 Shannon Malseed (Aus) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 40 Gracie Elvin (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 41 Emily Watts (Aus) Sydney University 42 Alice Cobb (GBr) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 43 Kristabel Doebel-Hickok (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 44 Nicole Steigenga (Ned) BePink 45 Agnieszka Skalniak (Pol) CCC-Liv 46 Victoire Berteau (Fra) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport 47 Elena Pirrone (Ita) Astana Women's Team 48 Rachel Neylan (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia 49 Summer Moak (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 50 Georgia Williams (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott 51 Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) CCC-Liv 52 Tereza Medvedova (Slo) BePink 53 Heidi Franz (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 54 Elizabeth Stannard (Aus) Gusto StepFWD KOM 55 Lucy Kennedy (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 56 Maria Jose Vargas (CRc) Swapit/Agolico 57 Grace Brown (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 58 Anet Barrera (Mex) Swapit/Agolico 59 Jess Mundy (Aus) Gusto StepFWD KOM 60 Amy Cure (Aus) Specialized Women's Racing 61 Anya Louw (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia 62 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) BePink 63 Daniela Reis (Por) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport 64 Eri Yonamine (Jap) Ale Cipollini 65 Nicola MacDonald (Aus) Gusto StepFWD KOM 66 Francesca Pattaro (Ita) BePink 67 Emily Roper (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia 68 Elyse Fraser (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team 69 Romy Kasper (Ger) Ale Cipollini 70 Maria Van 'T Geloof (Ned) Ale Cipollini 71 Yareli Salazar (Mex) Astana Women's Team 72 Brenda Andrea Santoyo (Mex) Swapit/Agolico 73 Lauretta Hanson (USA) Trek-Segafredo Women 74 Gillian Ellsay (Can) Rally UHC Cycling 75 Ashlee Ankudinoff (Aus) Specialized Women's Racing 76 Ruth Winder (USA) Trek-Segafredo Women 77 Carolina Rodriguez (Mex) Astana Women's Team 78 Tayler Wiles (USA) Trek-Segafredo Women 79 Jeidy Pradera (Cub) Astana Women's Team 80 Ella Bloor (Aus) Specialized Women's Racing 81 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo Women 82 Veronica Lebedev (Aus) Gusto StepFWD KOM 83 Sharlotte Lucas (NZl) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:00:11 84 Jessica Raimondi (Ita) Ale Cipollini 0:00:19 85 Anna Booth (Aus) Sydney University 86 Jannie Milena Salcedo (Col) Swapit/Agolico 0:09:06 DNF Justine Barrow (Aus) Gusto StepFWD KOM DNF Jade Colligan (Aus) Sydney University DNS Lotta Pauliina Lepistö (Fin) Trek-Segafredo Women

General classification after stage 1