Lizzie Armitstead takes control of the AVIVA Women’s Tour 2016 on Stage 3, Lizzie chats to the media.
Lizzie Armitstead Yellow Stage 3 Winner Women’s Tour 2016 Interview by Cycling Shorts
Lizzie Armitstead takes control of the AVIVA Women’s Tour 2016 on Stage 3, Lizzies chats to the media.
Post Race media conference with Katie Hall Queen of the Mountains at the end of Stage 3 of the AVIVA Womens Tour 2016. #AVIVAWT2016
Interview – Katie Hall QoM Stage 3 AVIVA Womens Tour 2016 by Cycling Shorts
Post Race media conference with Katie Hall Queen of the Mountains at the end of Stage 3 of the AVIVA Womens Tour 2016. #AVIVA2016
Marianne Vos returned to the Aviva Yellow Jersey, 26-months after she won the race, pulling on the leader’s jersey in Stratford-upon-Avon after her third placed finish behind Amy Pieters moved her into the overall lead.
The Wiggle HIGH5 rider sprinted to victory in the centre of Stratford at the end of a 140-kilometre stage through Warwickshire, heading home a 27-rider group soaked by heavy rain showers throughout the stage.
“It was a hard day, a lot of rain and some quite steep hills. We did a really good job with the team, we have such a strong team here this week so we can play a lot of cards and I’m really glad that I could finish it today,” said Pieters following the stage.
“We want to win always it’s the most important thing, and we are so strong with our team …we stayed calm and raced well and we got it so I hope we can have more wins this week.”
Marianne Vos now holds a three-second lead over Majerus, with Pieters a further four seconds back after commissaires overnight annulled the time gaps from the Stage One finish on review of the final three kilometres, resetting the race going into the Warwickshire stage.
Looking ahead to the next two day’s stages, Vos said; “They look pretty tough, today was not as tough as the upcoming days but already we felt it in the legs a little bit, it was a long stage. I think tomorrow it’s going to be even more aggressive.
Interview – Marianne Vos Stage2 Aviva Womens Tour 2016 by Cycling Shorts
Marianne Vos talks to the press after taking control of the Yellow Jersey in Stage 2 of the AVIVA Women’s Tour 2016.
“From tomorrow onwards the longer climbs come in, so I definitely think it can split up the field.”
The reigning Olympic Road Race Champion won the inaugural Women’s Tour in 2014, but missed last year’s edition through injury. Questioned as to whether she can hold the Aviva Yellow Jersey, her reply was categoric.
“I have no idea! Of course it’s nice to be in the yellow jersey, it gives some confidence and motivation for the next days, so I’ll definitely try but there are some good competitors in contention.
“To be here in such a top class field and in the jersey is of course a good feeling, but we’re only on the second day so I will take it day by day.”
Despite often inclement weather conditions the stage was another fast paced affair, with lots of attacking riding, no rider more so than Ale Cipollini’s Emilia Fahlin, who was twice away in moves off the front of the race, the second time alone.
The Swede was caught on the first Strava Queen of the Mountains climb at Burton Dassett, with Amalie Dideriksen and Malgorzata Jasinska the next duo to stay away, building a gap of 50-seconds, which was steadily whittled down by the speeding bunch.
The pair were caught by the small lead group with less than 20-kilometres of racing remaining and despite a flurry of attacks on the run in, the leaders hit the final kilometre together, with Pieters pipping Brennauer by the narrowest of margins.
Marianne Vos also moves into the lead of the Chain Reaction Cycles Points classification, with a three-point lead over Majerus, who is then ten-points clear of Pieters.
Lizzie Armitstead finished safely in the front group in 18th to remain the highest placed British rider overall in the Adnams Best British Rider jersey
The Strava Queen of the Mountains jersey also changed hands, moving to UnitedHealthcare’s Katie Hall, two points ahead of Ilona Hoeksma.
Her compatriot Floortje Mackaij retains the Best Young Rider jersey presented by Stoke-on-Trent, European City of Sport 2016, but is equal on time with Danish champion Dideriksen and Brit Molly Weaver, the trio 1-minute 03-seconds up on the fourth placed young rider.
For full results and standings following Stage Two, please click here.
Highlights of Stage Two will be shown on ITV4 at 21:00 on Thursday 16 June, with a repeat on Friday afternoon at 12:35. The programme will also be available on demand via the ITV Hub catch-up service for 30-days.
Stage Three sees the Aviva Women’s Tour head to Derbyshire and into the Peak District National Park, heading from Ashbourne to Chesterfield and including the mid-stage climb of Bank Road in Matlock, which later this year will play host to the National Hill Climb Championships.
For more information on Stage Three, please click here.
All images copyright www.chrismaher.co.uk | CyclingShorts.cc
Christine Majerus sprinted to victory in Norwich to clinch the opening stage of the Aviva Women’s Tour and with it the Aviva Yellow Jersey of race leader.
The Boels Dolmans rider, and Luxembourg national champion, took her first UCI Women’s WorldTour victory, pipping Marianne Vos and Giorgia Bronzini as Cylance Pro Cycling’s Alison Tetrick was caught in the final 100-metres of the stage into Norwich city centre.
The 31-year-old American spent the final 21-kilometres in a solo break on the Norfolk roads, building a lead at one-point of almost two-minutes. But come the technical run through the centre of Norwich, and the uphill drag to the finish line in the Market Place the Cylance rider was pipped, holding on to finish eighth, just ahead of a six second time gap.
Alison Tetrick – Interview AVIVA Women’s Tour Stage 1 – 2016 by Cycling Shorts
We catch up with Alison Tetrick of Cylance Pro Cycling Team after her solo attempt to take Stage 1 of the AVIVA Women’s Tour 2016. A gutsy performance but the win eluded Alison, however it’s not dampened her desire to take another stage win. #AvivaWT2016
Tetrick did claim the day’s combativity prize for her fighting ride that so nearly paid fruit, especialy after she had been brought down in a crash earlier in the stage, until the final corner when first Majerus, and then Vos brushed her aside.
Majerus also claimed the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey, with her stage win giving her the advantage over Vos, with the two level on 15-points apiece.
Christine Majerus Interview – Yellow Jersey – Stage 1 – Women’s Tour 2016 by Cycling Shorts
Christine Majerus of Boels Dolmans Cycling Team take the Yellow Jersey after Stage 1 of the AVIVA Women’s Tour 2016. Chris Maher of CyclingShorts.cc catches up with her after the stage press conference.
Top Brit on the day was Lizzie Armitstead in 18th, pulling on the Adnams Best British Rider jersey with Dutch rider Ilona Hoeksma of the Parkhotel Valkenburg team holds a three point advantage in the Strava Queen of the Mountains competition over Orica AIS rider Taylor Wiles.
Team Liv Plantury’s Floortje Mackaij wears the Best Young Rider Jersey presented by Stoke-on-Trent European City of Sport, taking a three second advantage over Rossella Ratto into day two of the Aviva Women’s Tour.
For full results and standings following Stage One, please click here.
The Aviva Women’s Tour resumes in Warwickshire, with its first ever stage in the county, heading south from Atherstone to Stratford-upon-Avon, via the likes of Kenilworth and Warwick.
Along the way the race will pass the National Cydists’ Memorial in Meriden, where a wreath will be laid to remember the cyclists of the First World War commemorated, and pass through the campus of the University of Warwick, who are partners to the stage.
For more information on Stage Two, please click here.
Amateur cyclists can also ride part of the Aviva Women’s Tour route this year in the Tour Ride Northamptonshire, the official sportive of the Aviva Women’s Tour. Taking place one month after the final stage, on Sunday 17 July, 40 and 80-mile routes starting and finishing from Delapre Abbey in Northampton will take place using sections of the Stage Five route, while there is also a fun, off-road 10-mile route for families. To sign-up head to www.tourride.co.uk
Christine Majerus Interview – Yellow Jersey – Stage 1 – Women’s Tour 2016 by Cycling Shorts
Christine Majerus of Boels Dolmans Cycling Team take the Yellow Jersey after Stage 1 of the AVIVA Women’s Tour 2016. Chris Maher of CyclingShorts.cc catches up with her after the stage press conference.
Christine Majerus of Boels Dolmans Cycling Team takes the Yellow Jersey after Stage 1 of the AVIVA Women’s Tour 2016. Chris Maher of CyclingShorts.cc catches up with her after the stage press conference.
All images ©Copyright www.chrismaher.co.uk | CyclingShorts.cc
The Aviva Women’s Tour 2016 is a UCI Women’s World Tour event. Starting in Southwold on June 15th and finishing in Kettering on June 19th. Covering a total distance of six-hundred-and-twenty-one kilometers in total is the longest distance covered so far in this third edition of the Women’s Tour. With an increase to under seven-thousand-four-hundred meters of ascending, this is by-far the toughest Tour to date.
The five day stage race’s longest individual stage is stage two from Atherstone to Stratford-upon-Avon at a distance of one-hundred-and-forty kilometers. This years Tour will visit seven counties; five, new to the Tour.
Marianne Vos makes a welcome return to the Tour this time around after missing most of last seasons racing. Vos won the inaugural Women’s Tour back in 2014 riding with Rabo Liv and returns again with her Rabo Liv team-mates to reclaim her crown winning races already this year in Europe Vos will still be a force to recon with this Tour.
Defending champion Lisa Brennauer returns to the Women’s Tour in the re-jigged Canyon-SRAM team along with the winner of the final stage from last year in Hemel Hemstead, Hannah Barnes. Hannah was back in America last weekend riding the Philadelphia Classic, the last round of the UCI Women’s World Tour where American National Champion Megan Guarnier, Boels Dolmans took the victory.
The Aviva Women’s Tour is the second longest event in the UCI Women’s World Tour calendar in 2016. The longest being Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile starting on July 01st and ending on July 10th.
Listen to the Pre Tour Press Conference below with Marianne Vos, Lizzie Armitstead, Emma Johansson & Lisa Brennauer.
Aviva Women’s Tour 2016 Pre Race Press Conference by Cycling Shorts
With less than 24 hours to the start of the 2016 Aviva Women’s Tour CyclingShorts.cc brings you the pre race press launch with Marianne Vos, Lizzie Armitstead, Emma Johansson & Lisa Brennauer.
Pre Race Press
Mick Bennett: He can’t remember having such a line up! Defending Champion Lisa Brennauer, World’s number one Emma Johansson, Olympic Champion Marianne Vos and the World Champion Lizzie Armitstead.
Press: Aims for the week?
Lizzie: Finishing my first ever Women’s Tour, with a chuckle! I’ve managed to do that. Lizzie went on to say that she just wanted to enjoy being the (World) Champion and having a good race. She wants to come out of this weeks Tour feeling stronger than she has coming into it.
The girls are all eager to get a good GC contention for themselves or one of their team mates, Emma had said that should they get a good first result, they would fight all the way to Sunday.
Press: Women’s Cycling has grown significantly over the past few years. How important is the Tour in the Women’s Calendar?
Lizzie: Races like these are the blueprint of how they should be put on. In 2016, this is how it should be done. The Women’s Tour is leading the way. She went on to say that the UK has the most prestigious stage race in Women’s Cycling. In terms of professionalism and race organization the Tour leads the way.
They all agree that the Tour has a really good feel to it and that the crowds that line the roads are the best in Women’s Cycling too. They love the school children on the roadside and the enthusiasm.
Mick Bennett hinted that it’s Sweetspot’s intention to make it a seven day stage race next year, and the possibility of a time-trial or team-time-trial too! The Women’s Tour has a very, very good future with stars like this here year-on-year!
UCI Women’s World Tour Ranking after the Philadelphia Classic
Words by Chris Maher
Join our mailing list to receive the latest cycling news and updates from our team. Receive 10% off your first order placed in our online shop!
