Rossella Ratto wins in Bedford to take Women’s Tour lead

Italian Rossella Ratto out sprinted compatriot Susanna Zorzi on Bedford’s Embankment to win the second stage of the Friends Life Women’s Tour, jumping into the lead of the race following her victory.

The Italian duo out foxed the sprinters into Bedford, holding off the Marianne Vos led bunch by six seconds to remain clear after Ratto had broken clear after 65-kilometres of racing.

Having instigated the move heading towards the second Strava Queen of the Mountains at Brixworth, Ratto was later joined by Zorzi, building a gap of two minutes approaching 20-kilometres to go.

With Lizzie Armitstead’s Boels Dolmans taking up the chase the deficit was halved, but Ratto and Zorzi remained clear, although only just with the peloton in sight behind the duo on the 400-metre long finishing straight.

Having outsprinted Zorzi, Estado de Mexico Faren rider Ratto said afterwards;

“I originally attacked to get the points for the Queen of the Mountains but I continued because I felt good – I am training for the time-trial at present – so I thought why not? I was on the point of giving up when Susanna came across to me from the peloton. Two is always better than one so we started to ride hard again. The gap started going up and we thought maybe we could do it.

“I was still afraid the peloton would get back to us in the final 4km but Suzanna, who is a good friend, helped me a lot and we were able to ride all the way to the finish it was a dream.”

Behind the Italians Vos led home compatriot Amy Pieters and Lucy Garner, followed by Giorgia Bronzini and Lizzie Armitstead.

“We almost caught Rossella but not quite,” said Armitstead afterwards. “From our point of view it was really our team’s responsibility to lead the chase, we didn’t have the yellow jersey to defend and possibly GreenEdge made a slight mistake.

“In terms of the GC we are still in the hunt if the stages are challenging enough but realistically we need some wins to make it more interesting. I’ve been going for all the intermediate sprints so far, I have been in stage races before when it comes down to second so if it does get close on Sunday I don’t want to look back on any lost opportunity.”

Armitstead moves up to fifth overall and pulls on the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Best British Rider jersey, while Ratto added the Matrix Fitness Best Young Rider jersey to her Bedfordshire haul.

In the Friends Life Overall Classification Ratto now leads Zorzi by five seconds, with Vos, who leads the YodelDirect Points Classification a further second in arrears. Day One winner Emma Johansson drops to fourth overall, having come home eleventh, with Hannah Barnes and Lucy Garner joining Armitstead as Brits in the top ten.

UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling’s Sharon Laws retains the Strava Queen of the Mountains jersey after enjoying a competitive battle with Switzerland’s mountain bike champion Jolanda Neff, that saw the two competing for the points available at each of the day’s two Strava climbs.

Friday sees the Friends Life Women’s Tour head to Suffolk and Tendring, for Stage Three from Felixstowe to Clacton. Highlights of Stage Two are on ITV4 in the UK at 9pm this evening, with a repeat on Friday morning at 8am.

 

Stage Results:

Rk		Bb		Name First Name		Nat		Team		Time
1		34		RATTO Rossella*				EMF		03:02:02
2		14		ZORZI Susanna*				BPK		ST
3		1		VOS Marianne				RBW		06
4		91		PIETERS Amy*				NED		ST
5		41		GARNER Lucy*				GBR		ST
6		154		BRONZINI Giorgia				WHT		ST
7		21		ARMITSTEAD Lizzie				DLT		ST
8		66		VERHOEVEN Aurore				LKT		ST
9		61		BIANNIC Aude*				LKT		ST
10		55		HOSKING Chloe				HPU		ST
11		111		JOHANSSON Emma				GEW		ST
12		36		CECCHINI Elena*				EMF		ST
13		126		WORRACK Trixi				SLU		ST
14		53		LONGO BORGHINI Elisa*				HPU		ST
15		131		NEFF Jolanda*				SUI		ST
16		45		ARCHIBALD Katie*				GBR		ST
17		52		MOOLMAN PASIO Ashleigh				HPU		ST
18		22		VAN DIJK Ellen				DLT		ST
19		122		BRENNAUER Lisa				SLU		ST
20		134		FORCHINI Ramona*				SUI		ST
21		156		VILLUMSEN Linda				WHT		ST
22		141		BARNES Hannah*				UHC		ST
23		92		KOSTER Anouska*				NED		ST
24		155		MULLENS Peta				WHT		ST
25		103		KIRCHMANN Leah				OPW		ST
26		125		DELZENNE Elise				SLU		ST
27		74		DE VOCHT Liesbet				LBL		ST
28		2		VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek				RBW		ST
29		63		GONZALEZ Lucia				LKT		ST
30		95		PIJNENBORG Mascha				NED		ST
31		116		ELVIN Gracie				GEW		ST
32		152		KING Dani				WHT		ST
33		16		ARZUFFI Alice*				BPK		ST
34		105		RAMSDEN Denise				OPW		ST
35		82		LOWTHER Melissa*				MFV		ST
36		132		INDERGAND Linda*				SUI		ST
37		101		HALL Lauren				OPW		ST
38		23		KASPER Romy				DLT		ST
39		112		GUNNEWIJK Loes				GEW		ST
40		6		BRAND Lucinda				RBW		ST
41		26		PAWLOWSKA Melon				DLT		ST
42		151		TROTT Laura*				WHT		ST
43		144		LAWS Sharon				UHC		ST
44		124		CROMWELL Tiffany				SLU		ST
45		62		LOPEZ Belen				LKT		ST
46		13		VALSECCHI Silvia				BPK		ST
47		4		KNETEMANN Roxane				RBW		ST
48		24		DAAMS Jessie				DLT		ST
49		102		HOLCOMB Janel				OPW		ST
50		113		GILLOW Shara				GEW		ST
51		12		MUCCIOLI Dalia*				BPK		ST
52		5		SLAPPENDEL Iris				RBW		ST
53		136		STIENEN Jutta				SUI		ST
54		106		WILCOXSON Jade				OPW		ST
55		43		HORNE Ciara				GBR		ST
56		142		HALL Katharine				UHC		21
57		153		BECKER Charlotte				WHT		31
58		81		WYMAN Helen				MFV		36
59		121		BLAAK Chantal				SLU		39
60		32		MARTIN Lucy				EMF		ST
61		146		WINDER Ruth*				UHC		ST
62		42		JONES Hayley*				GBR		ST
63		33		LUPERINI Fabiana				EMF		41
64		115		SCANDOLARA Valentina				GEW		ST
65		133		LEUMANN Katrin				SUI		42
66		85		TINDLEY Jo				MFV		46
67		76		HOFFMANN Chantal				LBL		48
68		84		WALKER Jessie*				MFV		01:01
69		46		HILL Amy*				GBR		01:11
70		93		WOERING Henriette*				NED		ST
71		11		SCHWEIZER Doris				BPK		01:13
72		71		POOLEY Emma				LBL		ST
73		86		ROWSON Penny*				MFV		01:33
74		135		BAUR Caroline*				SUI		ST
75		31		SOUZA Uenia Fernandes				EMF		ST
76		65		RIBEROT Fanny				LKT		ST
77		3		KNAUER Anna*				RBW		ST
78		64		GUTIERREZ Sheyla*				LKT		ST
79		114		EDMONDSON Annette*				GEW		01:36
80		25		TROTT Emma				DLT		ST
81		51		THORSEN Thea*				HPU		ST
82		96		VAN DE MEER Janine*				NED		06
83		143		HIGGINS Cari				UHC		02:52
84		35		YEPEZ FERNANDEZ Erika Leticia				EMF		ST
85		145		TAMAYO Lauren				UHC		03:33
86		44		KAY Emily*				GBR		10:37
87		83		OWEN Harriet*				MFV		13:21
88		73		BECKERS Isabelle				LBL		14:43
Did not finish
		123		CANUEL Karol Ann				SLU
		72		CURE Amy*				LBL

 

 

 

Overall:

Jerseys :
Leader Jersey :	34 –	RATTO Rossella		EMF
Points Jersey :	1 –	VOS Marianne		RBW
Mountain Jersey :	144 –	LAWS Sharon		UHC
Young Riders Jersey :	14 –	ZORZI Susanna		BPK
Best British Jersey :	21 –	ARMITSTEAD Lizzie		DLT