Jackson in Action

And of course, it's International Dance Day, too.

With only one classified climb on Stage 2 of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es, taking place about two thirds of the way through the day, it would be a finish for the sprinters – and Alison Jackson was ready.

In the final five kilometers to the stage's conclusion in Moncofa, chaos reigned, thanks to the rain. Damp pavement from the morning's showers, in conjunction with the frenetic pace around multiple turns and roundabouts leading to the finish, caused several crashes. It never quite looked safe, and felt impossible to predict who would make it to the line.

But Jackson and the rest of the EF Education First-Cannondale squad chose their lines and their timing carefully aboard their LAB71 SuperSix EVOs. Two hundred meters from the finish and all gaps created in the mayhem had all but vanished, as a group of about 40 riders kicked up the pace yet again.

Jackson then quickly came to a stop, jumped from her bike, and threw her arms around her teammate, then another, then another, and even hugged her competitors, as she jumped around excitedly. Her trademark dance moves followed, and carried her all the way to the winner's ceremony.

"My teammates took care of me right from the beginning to the finish," said Jackson in her post-race interview. "I had a bit of a disappointing spring, but you can only control what you can control. The team has really been coming together more and more, and coming into the Vuelta I was going to do anything it took to get this win. The team believed in me, from staff to riders, and I totally took that to heart. To have a win in the Vuelta is just another great thing to put on the resumé."