Star Metro - Dutch rider Hengeveld wins opening stage in women's Tour Down Under

Hengeveld, 22, in her first year with the German-based team, caught the peloton on the hop, surging to the front with 50km left in the 101.9km Brighton to Snapper Point first stage to win by 36 seconds.

New Zealand's Olympic silver medallist Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez) was second ahead of Austria's Kathrin Schweinberger (Human Powered Health) in third place.

With the time bonus, Hengeveld holds a 43-second lead on Wollaston and 45 seconds on Schweinberger heading into Saturday's second stage over 115km from Unley finishing up the Willunga Hill.

"It was super unexpected. I really didn't expect that after quite a hard year last year with a really big crash in the Tour of Britain and not racing for seven months," sprinter Hengeveld said.

"It's a good start for a small team like ours, maybe it was a little bit of luck but we start on the right note."

In hot weather, Hengeveld's bold solo attack built a lead of more than three minutes at one stage and turned the expected bunch sprint finish into a solo celebration, also taking the overall lead.

Hengeveld's only other pro win was the prologue time trial in the 2021 Belgrade GP Tour.

"I was racing like I was 19 again," she said.

American star Chloe Dygert (Canyon Sram), the 12-time world champion, attacked inside the last 10km.

But she was soon reeled in as the peloton was unable to bridge the gap to the Dutch rider and finished 14th.

Reigning Tour de France and Giro d'Italia Queen of the Mountain Justine Ghekiere, on her Australian debut for AG Insurance-Soudal, finished 16th but said she will be better placed to challenge over the remaining two climbing stages.

"I'm really looking forward to Willunga Hill. We will see what happens, especially because of the heat," Ghekiere said.

Alyssa Polites (ARA Australia National Team) claimed the Queen of the Mountains points and jersey in the stage.

F.Leblanc--SMC