Race Report – Stage 4 in the Friends Life Women’s Tour

by Anna Magrath | May 10, 2014

Second successive victory for Marianne Vos in Friends Life Women’s Tour

Reigning World & Olympic Champion Marianne Vos sprinted to victory for the second successive day, winning Stage Four of the Friends Life Women’s Tour in Welwyn Garden City.

The Rabo Liv rider out sprinted Giorgia Bronzini and Britain’s Lucy Garner along Welwyn Garden City’s Parkgate to extend her lead of the Friends Life Women’s Tour to 19-seconds over Emma Johansson, who finished fourth.

Armitstead’s chances of victory were spoilt by a puncture for the second successive day, this time a puncture in the final four kilometres that necessitated a swift change of bikes, leaving her tenth at the finish, but up to fourth overall after Susanna Zorzi lost time.

Vos now enjoys a lead in excess of the time bonus available on Sunday’s fifth and final stage, from Harwich to Bury St Edmunds, meaning her rivals now have to drop her if they are to win the Friends Life Yellow Jersey.

Vos also enjoys an unsurmountable lead in the YodelDirect Points classification, 22 points ahead of Johansson.

Much of the stage was defined by a breakaway move, led by Emma Pooley, but also containing riders from Rabo Liv, Orica AIS and Boels Dolmans, the teams of Vos, Johansson and Armitstead.

The group gained a maximum of 50 seconds advantage, and were gradually being reeled in to set up a thrilling finish when a road traffic accident ahead on the course caused a brief neutralisation to the race.  With the break’s lead less than 30 seconds, when racing resumed their lead was annulled, setting up a 15-kilometre dash to the line.
Clad in the Friends Life Yellow Jersey it was Vos who finished clear of Bronzini, herself clear of Garner and the pursuing pack, including Armistead.

“This is a new race but a very important one it gets a lot of attention all the big teams are here trying to win a stage, so for me this is an important race,” said stage winner Marianne Vos afterwards.

“The organisation is really good and with the crowds as well, I definitely think it can be one of the biggest stage races in the world and the women’s calendar.  So far I think this is the biggest one if you look to the attention it gets”

Local sisters Laura and Emma enjoyed differing days, double Olympic Champion Laura made the start despite injury and illness, finishing inside the top 30, while Emma, who was the first to attack on the stage, crossed the line further back, alongside Combativity Award winner Pooley, and then announced her retirement from the sport after Sunday’s final stage in Bury St Edmunds.

Emma’s Boels Dolmans teammate Lizzie Armitstead keeps the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Best British Rider jersey, while Sharon Laws keeps the Strava Queen of the Mountains jersey with a three point advantage and Rossella Ratto maintains her lead in the Under-23 Matrix Fitness Best Young Rider classification.

The Friends Life Women’s Tour’s final stage takes place on Sunday, from Harwich to Bury St Edmunds over 108.3 kilometres.

Highlights of Stage Four in Herfordshire will be on ITV4 at 9pm on Saturday evening, with a repeat on Sunday morning at 9.55am.

Stage 4 Results:

Rk		Bb		Name First Name		Nat		Team		Time
1		1		VOS Marianne				RBW		02:13:09
2		154		BRONZINI Giorgia				WHT		ST
3		41		GARNER Lucy*				GBR		ST
4		111		JOHANSSON Emma				GEW		ST
5		36		CECCHINI Elena*				EMF		ST
6		101		HALL Lauren				OPW		ST
7		103		KIRCHMANN Leah				OPW		ST
8		61		BIANNIC Aude*				LKT		ST
9		126		WORRACK Trixi				SLU		ST
10		21		ARMITSTEAD Lizzie				DLT		ST
11		91		PIETERS Amy*				NED		ST
12		141		BARNES Hannah*				UHC		ST
13		34		RATTO Rossella*				EMF		ST
14		124		CROMWELL Tiffany				SLU		04
15		155		MULLENS Peta				WHT		ST
16		52		MOOLMAN PASIO Ashleigh				HPU		ST
17		55		HOSKING Chloe				HPU		ST
18		14		ZORZI Susanna*				BPK		ST
19		131		NEFF Jolanda*				SUI		ST
20		6		BRAND Lucinda				RBW		ST
21		2		VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek				RBW		ST
22		22		VAN DIJK Ellen				DLT		ST
23		116		ELVIN Gracie				GEW		ST
24		105		RAMSDEN Denise				OPW		ST
25		156		VILLUMSEN Linda				WHT		ST
26		53		LONGO BORGHINI Elisa*				HPU		ST
27		74		DE VOCHT Liesbet				LBL		ST
28		95		PIJNENBORG Mascha				NED		ST
29		151		TROTT Laura*				WHT		ST
30		122		BRENNAUER Lisa				SLU		ST
31		63		GONZALEZ Lucia				LKT		ST
32		152		KING Dani				WHT		ST
33		92		KOSTER Anouska*				NED		ST
34		106		WILCOXSON Jade				OPW		ST
35		12		MUCCIOLI Dalia*				BPK		ST
36		102		HOLCOMB Janel				OPW		ST
37		153		BECKER Charlotte				WHT		ST
38		112		GUNNEWIJK Loes				GEW		ST
39		43		HORNE Ciara				GBR		ST
40		113		GILLOW Shara				GEW		ST
41		144		LAWS Sharon				UHC		13
42		33		LUPERINI Fabiana				EMF		ST
43		4		KNETEMANN Roxane				RBW		ST
44		16		ARZUFFI Alice*				BPK		29
45		13		VALSECCHI Silvia				BPK		ST
46		121		BLAAK Chantal				SLU		38
47		115		SCANDOLARA Valentina				GEW		ST
48		125		DELZENNE Elise				SLU		ST
49		45		ARCHIBALD Katie*				GBR		ST
50		26		PAWLOWSKA Melon				DLT		ST
51		142		HALL Katharine				UHC		43
52		24		DAAMS Jessie				DLT		45
53		62		LOPEZ Belen				LKT		ST
54		23		KASPER Romy				DLT		57
55		81		WYMAN Helen				MFV		59
56		32		MARTIN Lucy				EMF		01:07
57		5		SLAPPENDEL Iris				RBW		01:51
58		25		TROTT Emma				DLT		02:12
59		71		POOLEY Emma				LBL		ST
60		76		HOFFMANN Chantal				LBL		ST
61		114		EDMONDSON Annette*				GEW		ST
62		133		LEUMANN Katrin				SUI		11:29
63		85		TINDLEY Jo				MFV		ST
64		84		WALKER Jessie*				MFV		ST
65		42		JONES Hayley*				GBR		ST
66		65		RIBEROT Fanny				LKT		ST
67		66		VERHOEVEN Aurore				LKT		ST
68		3		KNAUER Anna*				RBW		11:33
69		96		VAN DE MEER Janine*				NED		ST
70		11		SCHWEIZER Doris				BPK		ST
71		31		SOUZA Uenia Fernandes				EMF		11:35
72		146		WINDER Ruth*				UHC		17:01
73		46		HILL Amy*				GBR		ST
74		136		STIENEN Jutta				SUI		ST
75		143		HIGGINS Cari				UHC		ST
76		83		OWEN Harriet*				MFV		ST
77		93		WOERING Henriette*				NED		17:04
78		86		ROWSON Penny*				MFV		17:05
79		134		FORCHINI Ramona*				SUI		18:05
80		82		LOWTHER Melissa*				MFV		19:03
81		35		YEPEZ FERNANDEZ Erika Leticia				EMF		ST
Did not finish
		73		BECKERS Isabelle				LBL
		132		INDERGAND Linda*				SUI
		135		BAUR Caroline*				SUI
Did not start
		44		KAY Emily*				GBR

Overall Standings:

Jerseys :
Leader Jersey :	1 –	VOS Marianne		RBW
Points Jersey :	111 –	JOHANSSON Emma		GEW
Mountain Jersey :	144 –	LAWS Sharon		UHC
Young Riders Jersey :	34 –	RATTO Rossella		EMF
Best British Jersey :	21 –	ARMITSTEAD Lizzie		DLT

Rk		Bb		Name First Name		Nat		Team		Time
1		1		VOS Marianne				RBW		09:54:10
2		111		JOHANSSON Emma				GEW		19
3		34		RATTO Rossella*				EMF		22
4		21		ARMITSTEAD Lizzie				DLT		30
5		154		BRONZINI Giorgia				WHT		31
6		14		ZORZI Susanna*				BPK		ST
7		41		GARNER Lucy*				GBR		37
8		141		BARNES Hannah*				UHC		ST
9		36		CECCHINI Elena*				EMF		41
10		91		PIETERS Amy*				NED		ST
11		61		BIANNIC Aude*				LKT		ST
12		103		KIRCHMANN Leah				OPW		ST
13		126		WORRACK Trixi				SLU		ST
14		101		HALL Lauren				OPW		ST
15		22		VAN DIJK Ellen				DLT		42
16		2		VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek				RBW		ST
17		116		ELVIN Gracie				GEW		43
18		55		HOSKING Chloe				HPU		45
19		74		DE VOCHT Liesbet				LBL		ST
20		155		MULLENS Peta				WHT		ST
21		53		LONGO BORGHINI Elisa*				HPU		ST
22		124		CROMWELL Tiffany				SLU		ST
23		95		PIJNENBORG Mascha				NED		ST
24		52		MOOLMAN PASIO Ashleigh				HPU		ST
25		156		VILLUMSEN Linda				WHT		ST
26		122		BRENNAUER Lisa				SLU		ST
27		105		RAMSDEN Denise				OPW		ST
28		152		KING Dani				WHT		ST
29		112		GUNNEWIJK Loes				GEW		ST
30		12		MUCCIOLI Dalia*				BPK		ST
31		63		GONZALEZ Lucia				LKT		ST
32		102		HOLCOMB Janel				OPW		ST
33		113		GILLOW Shara				GEW		ST
34		144		LAWS Sharon				UHC		54
35		131		NEFF Jolanda*				SUI		01:05
36		4		KNETEMANN Roxane				RBW		01:07
37		6		BRAND Lucinda				RBW		01:09
38		153		BECKER Charlotte				WHT		01:10
39		125		DELZENNE Elise				SLU		01:16
40		26		PAWLOWSKA Melon				DLT		01:18
41		13		VALSECCHI Silvia				BPK		ST
42		45		ARCHIBALD Katie*				GBR		01:19
43		16		ARZUFFI Alice*				BPK		01:21
44		24		DAAMS Jessie				DLT		01:26
45		23		KASPER Romy				DLT		01:38
46		121		BLAAK Chantal				SLU		01:52
47		115		SCANDOLARA Valentina				GEW		01:54
48		81		WYMAN Helen				MFV		02:10
49		5		SLAPPENDEL Iris				RBW		02:43
50		76		HOFFMANN Chantal				LBL		03:48
51		66		VERHOEVEN Aurore				LKT		12:10
52		92		KOSTER Anouska*				NED		12:48
53		151		TROTT Laura*				WHT		ST
54		43		HORNE Ciara				GBR		ST
55		106		WILCOXSON Jade				OPW		ST
56		84		WALKER Jessie*				MFV		13:05
57		62		LOPEZ Belen				LKT		13:29
58		133		LEUMANN Katrin				SUI		13:38
59		32		MARTIN Lucy				EMF		14:24
60		71		POOLEY Emma				LBL		16:03
61		33		LUPERINI Fabiana				EMF		16:24
62		114		EDMONDSON Annette*				GEW		16:26
63		25		TROTT Emma				DLT		ST
64		146		WINDER Ruth*				UHC		18:15
65		93		WOERING Henriette*				NED		19:05
66		136		STIENEN Jutta				SUI		20:28
67		65		RIBEROT Fanny				LKT		21:56
68		96		VAN DE MEER Janine*				NED		24:17
69		3		KNAUER Anna*				RBW		25:44
70		142		HALL Katharine				UHC		26:30
71		31		SOUZA Uenia Fernandes				EMF		27:37
72		143		HIGGINS Cari				UHC		32:31
73		42		JONES Hayley*				GBR		37:34
74		11		SCHWEIZER Doris				BPK		38:12
75		46		HILL Amy*				GBR		39:34
76		85		TINDLEY Jo				MFV		40:50
77		134		FORCHINI Ramona*				SUI		41:25
78		35		YEPEZ FERNANDEZ Erika Leticia				EMF		47:41
79		86		ROWSON Penny*				MFV		52:48
80		82		LOWTHER Melissa*				MFV		53:19
81		83		OWEN Harriet*				MFV		01:13:43