by Anna Magrath | May 11, 2014
Marianne Vos takes Friends Life Women’s Tour overall victory
Marianne Vos cemented victory in the inaugural Friends Life Women’s Tour by taking her third consecutive stage victory in Bury St Edmunds, out sprinting Giorgia Bronzini and Amy Pieters on Angel Hill.
The ensuing time bonuses ensured Vos finished 30 seconds clear of stage winners Emma Johansson and Rossella Ratto in second and third places, with the latter also claiming the Matrix Fitness Best Young Rider jersey for the highest placed Under-23 rider.
Italian duo Bronzini and Susanna Zorzi, who claimed the week’s overall combativity award, were fourth and fifth overall, with Pieters just edging Lucy Garner and Hannah Barnes in sixth, seventh and eighth places.
Garner also took the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Best British Rider jersey, inheriting it on Sunday morning in Harwich after Lizzie Armitstead withdrew through illness and then defending it from Barnes in the final sprint, despite clipping the barriers in the final corners.
For the second day running Lotto Belisol Ladies’ Emma Pooley was in the thick of the action, winning the Combativity Award for her constant attacking on the 108.3 kilometre stage through Tendring and Suffolk.
Loes Gunnewijk, Lauren Hall and Lisa Brennauer joined Pooley, but with no Rabo Liv rider in the font group they were brought back, setting up the final sprint finish of the week into Bury St Edmunds’ Angel Hill, where packed crowds awaited.
For the third day running it was Vos who powered clear, our sprinting Bronzini, with Pieters and Barnes in close attendance behind.
Vos’ consistent run of top three finishes and bonus points saw her claim the YodelDirect Points jersey, while Sharon Laws and Jolanda Neff’s week long battle for the Strava Queen of the Mountains jersey ended in favour of the British rider, three points ahead of her Swiss counterpart.
Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies claimed the overall Team Classification, with American rider Hall their highest finisher in ninth overall.
Highlights of Stage Five are on ITV4 at 9pm on Sunday evening, with a repeat at 8.10am on Monday morning.
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:
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 |
by Anna Magrath | May 9, 2014
Stage win and Friends Life Yellow Jersey for Vos in Clacton
Marianne Vos took her long threatened stage victory in the Friends Life Women’s Tour, sprinting to the win in Clacton to move into the race leader’s yellow jersey after three days of action.
Vos headed home Emma Johansson and Giorgia Bronzini on the gently rising finish straight on Clacton’s seafront at the end of an action packed stage, run off in a little over two-hours in blustery conditions on the Suffolk and Essex coasts.
Despite a flat tyre Britain’s Lizzie Armitstead took fourth in the sprint to stay in the hunt for overall victory.
As a result of victory, Vos trades the YodelDirect Points jersey for the Friends Life Yellow Jersey of race leader, taking a eight second lead over Stage One winner Johansson, with overnight leader Rossella Ratto a further second back in third.
Vos continues to also lead the YodelDirect Points classification after her consistent run of second-third-first finishes, with Armitstead retaining the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Best British Rider jersey and staying fifth overall.
Ratto’s consolation for losing the race lead is retaining the Matrix Fitness Best Young Rider jersey, while Sharon Laws retains the Strava Queen of the Mountains jersey, with a three point lead over Switzerland’s Jolanda Neff.
Numerous attacks throughout the stage, including one by Armitstead and Boels Dolmans straight from 0-kilometre and one that featured Armitstead, Johansson and Vos, were kept on a tight leash, resulting in frantic action.
Combined with strong winds this left several groups distanced from the rear of the race, but plenty of action at the front. Specialized Lululemon’s Trixi Worrack earned the day’s combativity award for her persistent attacking, with teammate Tiffany Cromwell’s last ditch attempt caught at the flame rouge as the peloton prepared for the bunch gallop.
Saturday sees Hertfordshire host the Friends Life Women’s Tour for Stage Four from Cheshunt to Welwyn Garden City.
Highlights of Stage Three are on ITV4 in the UK at 9pm this evening, with a repeat on Saturday morning at 8.25am.
Stage 3 Results:
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 : |
– |
|
|
by Anna Magrath | May 9, 2014
Friends Life Women’s Tour 2014 | Stage Two ©Cycling Shorts / www.chrismaher.co.uk
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:
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 |
