by Anna Magrath | Jun 19, 2015
All images ©www.chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc
Luxembourg national champion Christine Majerus sprinted to victory in Kettering on Friday afternoon to take the lead of the Aviva Women’s Tour heading into the weekend’s final two stages.
“I was so well protected by my team-mated that I couldn’t not win! We had a close look at the finish in advance and that last chicane suited me because I am pretty good at cornering. When I got through the corner and saw the gap I realised this might be my day so I just went for it.”
Post Stage 3 of the Aviva Women’s Tour 2015 Christine Majerus of Boels Dolmans talks to the press about her stage win and taking the yellow jersey.
The Boels Dolmans rider rounded the final corner atop a stiff drag up to the finish line at the head of a peloton, heading home Barbara Guarischi and young British duo Lucy Garner and Hannah Barnes.
Majerus’ two second advantage on the Northamptonshire finish line moved her into the Aviva Yellow Jersey, four seconds ahead of overnight leader Lisa Brennauer.
Garner’s strong ride also saw her head up the SweetSpot Best Young Riders competition and take the Premier Inn jersey for the top placed British rider thanks to her sixth place overall.
Lisa Brennauer held on to the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey, having finished in the top six on every stage, while Melissa Hoskins keeps the lead, by four points over Elise Delzenne, in the Strava Queen of the Mountains classification.
Bigla Pro Cycling’s Sharon Laws won the YodelDirect Combativity Award for an attacking display that saw her only caught by the peloton on the outskirts of Kettering. Last year’s Strava Queen of the Mountains had bridged across to a two-rider break of Heather Fischer and Chloe McConville, but the trio’s lead was finally snuffed out with three kilometres to go.
Highlights of Stage Three are on ITV4 at 8pm on Friday 19 June, with a repeat at 11.10am on Saturday morning and also available via the the ITV Player for 30 days.
Stage 3 Results
GC after Stage 3
U23: Lucy Garner
Best British: Lucy Garner
Points: Lisa Brennauer
Queen of the Mountains: Melissa Hoskins
Team: Velocio SRAM
For full Stage Three Results click here.
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Aviva Women’s Tour Women’s Tour
The Aviva Women’s Tour resumes with Stage Four from Waltham Cross to Stevenage in Hertfordshire at just over 103-kilometres, getting underway from Waltham Cross at 10am.
Saturday’s Stage Four, a 103.4km run between Waltham Cross and Stevenage has the look of another sprint but with the overall general classification race for the Aviva Yellow Jersey so close and bonus second up for grabs every second counts. Majerus is just three second ahead of Jolien D’hoore with Lisa Brennauer just one second further back in third place. Indeed the 20th place rider on GC, Majerus’ Boels Dolmans teammate Amelie Dideriksen, is still only 20 seconds behind the leader.
by Anna Magrath | Jun 18, 2015
All images ©www.chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc
Jolien d’Hoore sprinted to victory in Clacton to move within one second of the race leader, Lisa Brennauer, as the fancied general classification riders began to flex their muscles.
“I feel good, I’m getting stronger but I also have a good team around me and that makes a difference. You can never win a race alone. I don’t know about GC but I did want to win a stage. I have that now and I can stay relaxed. Let’s see how I go.”
The reigning Belgian national road race champion of Wiggle Honda showing her liking for tough uphill sprints with a fine win on Marine Parade in Clacton.
Aviva Yellow jersey Brennauer also looked in ominously good form sprinting to second place while Christine Majerus of the Boels Dolmans team was in third place with another big overall contender Emma Johansson in close attendance in fourth place.
With the peloton catching the break four kilometres from the finish in Clacton, the multi-talented d’Hoore, a former World Junior Champion on the road, positioned herself perfectly coming up the long drag into the Essex seaside resort to win by a wheel to record her latest win in an increasingly impressive season.
Jolien D,Hoore (Wiggle Honda) & Elinor Barker (Matrix Fitness) talk to the press after stage 2 of the Women’s Tour 2015.
“It was pretty close in the end,”admitted d’Hoore.“I went form the last corner but it was uphill and into the wind so I didn’t know if I could make it. I was hoping GIorgia Bronzini was in my wheel, in fact the original plan was for me to lead her out but she wasn’t there. She told me to go from the corner and she would try and stay in the wheel so I just gave everything until the finish.
“I feel good, I’m getting stronger but I also have a good team around me and that makes a difference. You can never win a race alone. I don’t know about GC but I did want to win a stage. I have that now and I can stay relaxed. Let’s see how I go.
“I had two weeks complete off the bike and then I had a five week training period which was pretty tough. It’s a little bit of a risk when you rest like that but I was confident that my form was good. I am happy.”
D’Hoore has all sort of options ahead of her and objectively she must be a contender for the World Road Race Championship in Richmond, Virginia which she has seen and describes as a very up and down “Belgian style” course with a few comforting cobbles for good measure.
But Rio 2016 is possibly and even bigger focus and in particular the Omnium on the track where she could yet prove the strongest rival to the triumvirate of Laura Trott, Annette Edmondson and Sarah Hammer who have dominated the event in recent years. D’Hoore finished fifth at London 2012 but was an outstanding winner at the World Cup at the Lee Valley Velodrome last year.
“For Rio I am going 100% for the track and my road season next year will be short to plan for that,” insists d’Hoore. My goal is the Omnium for sure”
Meanwhile Brennauer, the World Time Trial champion, is revealing an unexpected talent for sprint finishes with her second runners up spot in two days confirming her in the Aviva Yellow Jersey that she wore today in place of the absent Armitstead, who, as she had announced the previous night, decided not to continue after her nasty crash after her stage win in Aldeburgh.
Lisa Brennauer of team Velcro SRAM talks post Stage 2 of the Aviva Womens Tour 2015 as she tops the GC podium.
“It felt quite weird for me to be wearing the yellow jersey today. I feel really sorry for what happened to Lizzie yesterday, it’s never nice when somebody gets hurt in a crash
“I’m not really concentrating on my sprinting despite the two second places. I think perhaps I am just getting a better athlete. I’m not a pure sprinter and probably never will be but I can be fast especially when I get a nice lead out and the finishes on the last two days have suited me.
“It was pretty hectic today with a lot of teams trying to set their sprinters up, my team did a really great job setting me up around the last left hand corner when we hit the coast. The sprint opened up and I just did my best. I want to fight or this yellow jersey but the GC is close, so much can happen.”
Brennauer also retains her lead in the Chain Reactions Cycles Points competition, with second overall d’Hoore wearing that jersey for Friday’s stage in Nothamptonshire, while Melissa Hoskins of Orica AIS leads the Strava Queen of the Mountains competition having picked up points on both classified climbs.
UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling kept hold of the SweetSpot Best Young Rider jersey with Coryn Rivera while Elinor Barker of Matrix Fitness, currently in ninth position overall, wears the Premier Inn Best British Rider Jersey.
After her starring role in the day’s breakaway, and repeated attempts to escape, Bigla Pro Cycling’s Vera Koedooder took the day’s YodelDirect Combativity Award while the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling team also lead the Aviva Team Classification.
Stage 2 Results
GC after Stage 2
U23: Coryn Rivera
Best British: Elinor Barker
Points: Lisa Brennauer
Queen of the Mountains: Melissa Hoskins
Team: UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling
Highlights of Stage Two are on ITV4 at 8pm on Thursday 18 June, with a repeat at 11.05am on Friday morning.
Stage Three sees the race return to Oundle, the Grand Depart town for last year’s inaugural Women’s Tour, which this year acts as the start for a demanding 139.2km run to Kettering through the Northamptonshire countryside. With the most demanding terrain so far and a stage length just 800m short of the maximum allowed by the UCI, this should be where the Aviva General Classification race kicks off in earnest, especially off the back of a long and hard ridden Stage Two in Suffolk and Essex.
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Aviva Women’s Tour Women’s Tour
by Anna Magrath | Jun 17, 2015
All Image ©www.chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc
The start of the Aviva Womens Tour 2015 got off to a ‘smashing’ start for Lizzie Armitstead and members of the media, not quite the finish everyone was anticipating.
With the profile of the 110km stage it looked like it would end in a bunch sprint but with QoM’s points to contest just before the finish there could be an upset.
Some of the big name riders in the hunt for a win were Bronzini and Armitstead, with their teams Wiggle Honda and Boels Dolman respectively keeping the pace high.
Katie Archibald, Pearl Izumi, “I think this race has been designed with the TV in mind with possible bunch sprint finishes. Stage 4 has a really technical finish but we hope to have everyone fighting it out to the end. My role in the team will be to sprint with the other Katie [Curtis], we will be looking for that kick at the end, Sarah Storey and Ciara Horne will be our main climbers.”
Archibald hit the deck approaching the first QoM (Queen of the Mountains) but Joanna Rowsell hung back to help her Pearl Izumi sprinter back into the pack, once she’d been seen by the race doctor. Armitstead looked to control the pace heading towards the QoM with Sharon Laws (last years QoM winner). Susanna Zorzi of Lotto Soudal unfortunately got a flat at the bottom of the climb.
6 pojnts went to Melissa Hoskins of Orica with Anouska Koster hot on her heels for the 5 points.
Lizzie Armitstead, “My form is good, I had a mini season break in May came back with two wins, I won the Tour of Qatar, I’ll take that confidence into the sprints but a much more lumpy race would really suit me.”
Orica AIS rider Emma Johansson, “ I’ve just come out of a tour in Spain that was really successful for me, I came away with 3 wins, I don’t feel like there is any pressure on me, I’m just gonna enjoy every day.”
The first sprint points were contested by a group of four riders but Coryn Rivera (UHC) won the sprint gaining the first 3 points of the tour followed by Marta Tagliaferro (2 points) and Elinor Barker (1 point).
Hannah Barnes UHC, “ I’m mostly looking at stage wins this Tour, last year was good with two top fours, Coryn and I are on form so the team is hoping to have a really good week.”
USA’s Heather Fischer took a nasty fall in the race for the second sprint, Tagliaferro took maximum points followed by Barker and Rivera.
Laura Trott, Matrix Fitness, “It went well at the Tour Series and the Milk Race for me, these stages are a bit longer than an hour race, two of the stages are 140km which isn’t what we train for, as long as I can get to the finish I think I can do ok.”
A five rider breakaway was established as the second QoM loomed ahead, the group consisted of the previous sprint contest riders, they were joined by Katie Archibald, and Coryn Rivera’s UHC team mate Katie Hall who was sitting on the back wheel waiting to pounce. The peloton chase was being led by Wiggle Honda with a 3 minute gap to the leaders at one point. Another gap developed as Katie Archibald struggled with the climb and was distanced from her breakaway companions. The UHC riders took the top two points available as the QoM summit (Katie Hall 6pts and Coryn Rivera 5pts). Archibald was last over the line for the breakaway taking 2 points as she started to slip slowly backwards, eventually when the peloton arrived at the QoM’s Sharon Laws mopped up the remaining point uncontested.
Giorgia Bronzini, Wiggle Honda, “For me and my team this race is a big goal, we are here with good riders and we are prepared for every solution that can be in the race.”
The leading group was down to four riders with 10km’s to go. Orica snd Wiggle had raised the pace on the front of the peloton and the lead groups advantage of 2 minutes 45 was eroded to 55 seconds.
Lisa Brennauer of Velcro SRAM, “I think there are more possibilities for a sprinter than just the bunch sprint this tour, I hope it’s going to be exciting and not predictable as to who’s going to win.”
With 5km’s to go the lead group were dangling like a carrot in front of the hungry peloton.
With 2km to go the race became exposed to the crosswinds of the coast with those hiding in the peloton at an advantage.
Under the Flame rouge and the breakaway was hanging in by a thread. They were quickly absorbed into the peloton. The sprinters came to the front and immediately Armitstead, Frapporti, Brennauer and Johansson showed their form. Crossing the line first was Lizzie Armitstead with Lisa Brennauer 2nd, and Emma Johansson 3rd.
The days spills didn’t end there, moments after the win Lizzie appeared to swerve to her left and in doing so hit a number of the press photographers, CyclingShorts.cc Chris Maher was one of them, they fell like a pack of cards. The photographers were in their correct position along with race organisers. Currently nothing is known about why Lizzie lost control of her bike but she went down very hard. She was rushed to hospital with a suspected broken femur, she was released later luckily with nothing more serious than bruises. Lizzie thanked everyone for their concern and also thanked the NHS staff who treated her.
Armitstead has a 4 second lead after stage one with a time of 2h39’43”. We wish Lizzie well and hope she’s able to defend her jersey tomorrow.
Stage One | Bury St Edmonds to Alderburgh
U23 – Coryn Rivera
Best British – Lizzie Armitstead
Points – Lizzie Armitstead
Queen of the Mountains – Katie Hall
Team – UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling
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Aviva Women’s Tour Women’s Tour
Thursday 18th June 2015 | Stage Two | Braintree to Clacton
Words by Anna, Images by Chris Maher
by Chris Maher | Jun 16, 2015
All Images ©www.chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc
Aviva Womens Tour 2015 – Final Start List
It was more than the warm sunshine that welcomed the ninety four riders on to the stage in Bury St Edmonds, for the Aviva Women’s Tour 2015.
A large crowd had gathered to watch and listen to each and every team member, as they were presented to the public. Among then, Olympic, World and National Champions from both Road and Track.
Soprano Laura Wright entertained the crowd with a couple of beautifully renditions from her latest album “Sound of Strength”. One was the theme tune from last years Invictus Games.
As each Team arrived to go on stage. They were escorted on by the local school children, whom had designed a banner to present them.
Lisa Brennauer, “The race looks harder than last year, and should make for an exciting race.”
Dame Sarah Storey, “We are always looking for a break to go.” This is her maiden Women’s Tour, and the girls are performing really well both here at home in the UK, and at their recent trip to the Tour Of California.
Lizzie Armitstead, When asked if they (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) would target a stage win or overall victory. “Yeh! We are going for everything” She laughed. Lizzie went on to say that she wasn’t well last year, but is in good form, and has a super strong team around her.
Most of the girls agree that the longer distances in this years “Women’s Tour” are more favourable to them, and should suit the race leaning towards breaks going away most days. The girls that rode last year also mentioned that the enthusiasm of the crowds and schools that lined the route, were a big bonus to the overall feel-good factor of the Tour, and are hoping for more of the same. They want to hear you all scream and shout as they pass through the towns and villages.
The race starts in Bury St Edmonds at 11:00am June 17th on Angel Hill, after a neutralised start, the race officially gets underway on Airfield Road.
Stage One | Bury St Edmonds to Alderburgh
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Event Hashtag #AvivaWT2015
Aviva Women’s Tour Women’s Tour
Cycling Shorts
by Chris Maher | Jun 12, 2015
Canary Wharf
The Championship took a twist in Canary Wharf, when Tom Stewart (Madison Genesis) crashed early-on in round eight.
Dropping back by around half a lap, Stewart had put Series Leaders Madison Genesis under pressure, as close rivals ONE Pro Cycling, took advantage of the situation.
Being a five man team event this year, meant that all the riders finishing positions, accounted for the final tally on the day.
Madison Genesis took a gamble and sent the rest of their team back to help pace Stewart and themselves back into contention for the overall title.
ONE Pro Cycling turned up the heat, and all five team-members turbo-charged their way to victory for Round Eight. NFTO Pro Cycling’s Steele Von Hoff took the individual win.
This seemed like a great opportunity at the time, but had detrimental effect on the points tally for the evening. Because Madison Genesis has chased hard as a team to get back into the race, the other teams were less fortunate, as their men had been blown out of the race and ended the evening a lap behind.
Madison Genesis, hadn’t lost the leadership after-all. But ONE Pro Cycling had ebbed a little closer.
Peterborough
Going into the penultimate round in Peterborough, ONE Pro Cycling had closed the gap in the leadership battle to with-in one point.
The race got underway on a flat, fast 1.1Km circuit in Cathedral Square at 7.30pm.
ONE Pro Cycling’s Marcin Bialoblocki started the nights action after the two neutral laps and clipped off the front of the peloton, where he stayed, taking the first of the Chain Reaction Points that were on offer.
Pedal Heaven’s Alex Paton took-up the lead soon after, but didn’t get too far either.
The race settled down after that, where Team Raleigh GAC’s Morgan Kneisky took the next set of Chain Reaction Points with Jon Mould second, then former title holder Tom Stewart third.
Team Raleigh GAC then controlled the latter part of the race, with Steve Lampier gaining a hundred or so metres, as his team-mates defended Kneisky’s Points Jersey challenge sweeping up most of the points between them.
As the race approached the final five laps, a seven man group formed including Track Olympic Champion Ed Clancy, who’s team had won last seasons Tour Series.
Team Raleigh GAC’s Morgan Kneisky went for a long one, covering a couple of laps before been caught by Chris Lawless and Dave McGowan. The chasers then re-formed with a lap and a half to go.
Pedal Heaven’s Dave McGowen broke free once more, and looked like he would go all the way to the end. But JLT Condor presented by Mavic’s Ed Clancy had other ideas and sprinted past McGowan with only fifty metres to go. Clancy claimed his second win of this series, his third in Peterborough.
NFTO’s Steel Von Hoff took second, with Madison Genesis’s Tobyn Horton third.
ONE Pro Cycling’s Marcin Bialoblocki took the bunch sprint over half a minuet down.
A considerable amount of time went by before confirmation of the Championship lead was announced. It became evident that the top two positions were on equal points, so a count-back was in process to decide who would wear the Leaders Jerseys going in-to the final battle in round ten, in Bath.
ONE Pro Cycling were the new Championship Leaders.
Individual Classification
1 Ed Clancy JLT Condor presented by Mavic
2 Steele Von Hoff NFTO
3 Tobyn Horton Madison Genesis
4 Yanto Barker ONE Pro Cycling
5 David McGowan Pedal Heaven
6 Morgan Kneisky Team Raleigh GAC
7 Chris Lawless Team WIGGINS
8 Marcin Bialoblocki ONE Pro Cycling
9 Mark McNally Madison Genesis
10 Jon Mould ONE Pro Cycling
Team Classification Overall
1 ONE Pro Cycling 102
2 Madison Genesis 102
3 Pedal Heaven 84
4 Team Raleigh GAC 70
5 NFTO Pro Cycling 60
6 SportGrub Kuota 52
7 Velosure Starley Primal 48
8 JLT Condor presented by Mavic 45
9 Team WIGGINS 31
Costa Express Fastest Lap, Yanto Barker, ONE Pro Cycling in 1:20.990
Chain Reaction Cycles Points Classification Overall
1 Morgan Kneisky Team Raleigh GAC 71
2 Tom Stewart Madison Genesis 60
3 Jon Mould ONE Pro Cycling 46
4 Kristian House JLT Condor 46
Bath
The epic battle for the Championship Win was over before the race had really began in Bath.
ONE Pro Cycling’s Yanto Barker’s mechanical failure saw him retire from the race soon after, in effect, relinquishing the Title to Madison Genesis.
Marcin Bialoblocki went on to win the race on the night, giving ONE Pro Cycling something out of the days racing.
Bath has proven to be a difficult and hard circuit to race around, with a beautiful backdrop for the Series finale. Should the Series return for another round next year, then a different approach may be required.
Mike Bennett, the race director said that he was pleased with the overall Series and new format. Saying that the team managers would need to re-think their strategy’s for overall contention.
All-in-all, the points system has proven to add additional impetus to the race dynamics and I think it will be retained for the 2016 Championship Battle!
Individual Classification
1 Marcin Bialoblocki ONE Pro Cycling
2 Tobyn Horton Madison Genesis
3 Kristian House JLT Condor presented by Mavic
4 Steele Von Hoff NFTO Pro Cycling
5 Morgan Kneisky Team Raleigh GAC
Team Classification Overall & Pearl Izumi Tour Series Championship Title Holder 2015
1 Madison Genesis 112
2 ONE Pro Cycling 108
3 Pedal Heaven 93
4 Team Raleigh GAC 78
5 NFTO Pro Cycling 62
6 SportGrub Kuota 57
7 Velosure Starley Primal 55
8 JLT Condor presented by Mavic 49
9 Team WIGGINS 34
Costa Express Fastest Lap, ED Clancy, JLT Condor presented by Mavic, 1:53.864
Chain Reaction Cycles Points Classification Overall
1 Morgan Kneisky Team Raleigh GAC 84
2 Tom Stewart Madison Genesis 64
3 Kristian House JLT Condor 54
4 Jon Mould ONE Pro Cycling 48
5 Marcin Bialoblocki ONE Pro Cycling 40
Full Official Race Results http://www.tourseries.co.uk/home.php
by Chris Maher | May 28, 2015
Images ©www.chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc
JLT Condor presented by Mavic clinch the 1-2 on the cobbled streets of round 5 in Durham.
Arguably the toughest round of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series, the cobbled climb is every two minutes or so, and is a circuit you either love or loath!
Ed Clancy “I love the City, but I hate the circuit” he told the crowd after the finish.
Returning to the Cathedral City of Durham for the sixth consecutive year. It’s one of the most popular rounds for the spectators to watch.
The race got underway with two neutral laps, before starting the 30 or so expected ascends of South Street!
Several attempts were made by ONE Pro Cycling, Starley Primal & JLT Condor to make a break stick.
JLT Condor’s Richard Handley made that break, easing away every lap until he started picking up back markers.
Jon Mould, ONE Pro Cycling lead the peloton around, with Madison Genesis also helping to reel-in the escapee, whilst Round Four winner and team-mate Kristian House marshalled the moves.
Team WIGGINS strongest man Chris Lawless, helped chase down Handley, as the group dwindled down to ten.
With three laps left, the back markers were with-drawn, leaving only ten riders on the circuit.
Handley had almost caught the main group on the final lap, but House & Lawless were around half a lap behind.
An easy win for Handley in the end, with House sprinting into second, to make it a JLT Condor presented by Mavic 1-2. Lawless resigned his-self to third, whilst Scully beat Mould to the line for fourth.
Clancy, losing steam early on, in the race, gathered enough strength to blast around the course for the Quickest Lap contest. Whilst Handley had mopped up the Chain Reaction Points leading most of the nights race.
Madison Genesis retain the Pearl Izumi Leaders Jerseys once more going into tomorrows Round Six, in Barrow-in-Furness.
Durham Individual Top Ten Results
1: Richard Handley JLT Condor presented by Mavic
2: Kristian House JLT Condor presented by Mavic
3: Chris Lawless Team WIGGINS
4: Tom Scully Madison Genesis
5: Jon Mould ONE Pro Cycling
6: Marcin Bialoblocki ONE Pro Cycling
7: Tom Stewart Madison Genesis
8: Adria Moreno Sala Velosure Starley Primal
9: Steve Lampier Team Raleigh GAC
10: Stephen WilliamsPedal Heaven
Durham Team Classification
1: ONE Pro Cycling
2: Madison Genesis
3: Pedal Heaven
4: NFTO Pro Cycling
5: Velosure Starley Primal
6: JLT Condor presented by Mavic
7: Team Raleigh GAC
8: SportGrub Kuota
9: Team WIGGINS
Costa Express Fastest Lap: Ed Clancy – JLT Condor presented by Mavic 2:00.560
Chain Reaction Cycles Points: Richard Handley – JLT Condor presented by Mavic
Team Leader board after round 5
1: Madison Genesis
2: ONE Pro Cycling
3: Pedal Heaven
Full Official Race Results http://www.tourseries.co.uk/home.php
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