Five days of racing across the United Kingdom and it all came down to just 11 seconds. From the early stages of the 678 kilometre OVO Energy Women’s Tour it was clear the big crowds and TV viewers were going to witness a tight battle for the overall at the popular Women’s WorldTour event.
By stage 2 the scene was already set for an exciting contest between three-time world road race champion Marianne Vos (WaowDeals), and one of the most talented riders to come out of the U.S in recent times, Coryn Rivera (Team Sunweb). There were just centimetres in the win on that second stage. Rivera beat Vos with an impressive bike throw, to take her first Women’s WorldTour win for the year and step into the race leader’s green jersey.
Vos, the winner of the tour in 2014, mounted an impressive challenge in the following days and ended up on the podium in three of the five stages. However, the European champion couldn’t get quite enough time to whittle down the lead, particularly with Rivera grabbing bonus seconds in the intermediate sprints. So the battle ended just as it started, with a tight margin and Rivera coming out on top.
Stage 1: From broken to winning in three weeks
Given Jolien D’hoore (Mitchelton-Scott) broke her collarbone just three weeks before the tour, it’s not surprising the Belgian champion was a little uncertain of her form. With a scorching sprint win from a bunch finish right off the bat you’d have to say she quickly put those doubts to rest.
D’hoore stormed to the line ahead of Marta Bastianelli (Ale-Cipollini) and Coryn Rivera (Team Sunweb). Marianne Vos (WaowDeals) reminded us that she’s also got this injury recovery gig down pat too, coming in sixth as she returned to racing after breaking her collarbone at Liege-Bastogne-Liege. Last year she suffered the same fate at the Women’s Tour.
You can see the full results here and see how the stages unfolded in the photos from SWPix and Cor Vos below.
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- Defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) has a chuckle before the start.
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- Vos and D’hoore clearly both know a thing or two about recovery from broken collarbones.
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- Rolling out from Framlingham for the 130 kilometre stage.
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- All together for the uphill sprint at Sothwold.
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- “Even before today’s stage I wasn’t sure where I was at with my form,” said stage winner D’hoore. “But the team had 100% trust in me and they gave me a perfect lead out going into the finish. It’s really great to start with a win, the pressure is off now.”
Stage 2: Throwing it all on the line for victory
Stage 2 came down to a tight sprint between Vos and Rivera who were both giving it absolutely everything as they went toe-to-toe right up to the line. It was a masterclass in the bike throw that delivered victory for Rivera, and left Vos to take the second step of the podium. Christine Majerus (Boels Dolmans) came in third.
Thursday’s racing also set up the tight GC battle to come. Rivera took the green leader’s jersey, while Dani Rowe (WaowDeals) sat in second at 15 seconds back and her teammate Vos was poised in third, just one more second behind. Still, with 13 other riders also within 23 seconds of Rivera, after the second stage, the GC competition was still wide open.
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- Thursday’s 144 kilometre stage from Rushden to Daventry was set to throw some challenges at the sprinters, who would need to find their climbing legs if they wanted to give themselves the opportunity to vie for victory on the line.
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- The climbs, like Newnham Hill, provided some opportunity to split the field. Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle High5), pictured above, at one stage set off on a dangerous but ultimately unsuccessful break that included Vos, Rowe and last year’s winner Kasia Niewiadoma.
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- Team Sunweb worked hard to pull back the breaks and managed to set up the tightest of sprints for Rivera.
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- A shout and a throw that put Rivera into the green leader’s jersey.
Stage 3: A second win for Mitchelton-Scott
It was another win for Mitchelton-Scott on Friday as Sarah Roy positioned herself beautifully for the sprint in a reduced lead group, with the help of teammate D’hoore. Roy had the Belgian champion, who was caught back in the second group, in her ear over the radio telling her to grab third wheel before the last corner. However, when she hit the front in the run up to the finish line, it was all up to her.
The Australian rider leapt out from behind Vos, who took third and moved up a spot in the GC. Roy just held off a closing Giorgia Bronzini (Cylance) to take her second stage win in the Women’s Tour in as many years. What Roy didn’t feel the need to repeat, though, was that post salute tumble caught by dozens of perfectly focussed cameras. This time instead of good-naturedly laughing off an ill-timed spill, Roy welled with emotion as she got got to celebrate another team victory instead.
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- Lining up the new talent.
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- The current crop of professionals were out working hard to keep the breaks in check on the fast and undulating 150 kilometre stage from Atherstone to Royal Leamington Spa. Chantal Blaak (Boels-Dolmans) was out the front in the world champion stripes working hard for her team.
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- The kids were out in force to finish off the school week with a bit of sporty fun.
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- Nailed it, not just the sprint but also the victory salute.
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- An emotional Sarah Roy is congratulated by her team. “We rode like a well-oiled machine out there today and we just knew the right things to do at the right time, it came together really well. The last few climbs were steep and really tough and at 150kilometres it was a long day out and it’s pretty cool to get the win.”
Stage 4: This one is for Sharon
The 130 kilometre fourth stage from Evesham to Worcester was dedicated to much-missed racer Sharon Laws, who lost her battle with cancer late last year. She lived and trained in the area.
It was, suitably, a stage where a rider who spends much of her time playing the domestique – just as Laws did – had her day. In the star-packed team of Boels-Dolmans, the 22-year-old former world champion Amelie Dideriksen is often working for others. That’s why when she had the team behind her for stage 4 it was an opportunity for that first international individual victory of the year she was determined not to let pass.
Shooting out to the front at about 150 metres to go from behind a superb lead out from teammate Amy Pieters, she kept the power down as some of the world’s top sprinters tried to chase her down on her left and right. They just couldn’t make a big enough dent, and Dideriksen hurtled over the line clearly in front, with her arms in the air and a jubilant roar. Lotta Lepisto (Cervelo-Bigla) came second with Vos, third. With the bonus seconds from third, Vos whittled down the gap to Rivera on the general classification to a mere 14 seconds. However, in a blow for her WaowDeals team, Rowe, who was third on the GC, crashed on the run into the line.
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- Team Valcar PBM all getting into the frame before the 130 kilometre stage from Evesham to Worcester.
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- The cross winds were at play.
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- And so was the break. Charlotte Becker (Hitec-Products) went out early to later be joined by Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Cervelo-Bigla) and Audrey Cordon Ragot (Wiggle High5).
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- The break was caught in the last five kilometres to set up a fast and furious sprint.
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- “We knew everyone was going to be a little tired coming into the sprint but with about 30kms to go we decided that it’d be me we’d ride for,” said Dideriksen. “The girls did an amazing lead-out and, you have to be patient in the end but still go before everyone else comes from behind. So I’m really happy I could pull it off.”
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- Coryn Rivera was still sporting the leader’s green jersey at the end of the stage, but the key question was whether she could keep it.
Stage 5: When eleven seconds is all you need
It was a Welsh finale for the OVO Energy Women’s Tour and with things so tight at the top end of the general classification there were bound to be plenty of riders trying their hands at a break. Not only was Vos within 14 seconds of the lead, but there were another five riders within 30 seconds. Clearly Rivera’s Team Sunweb were going to have plenty of work to do to control the 122 kilometre damp and hilly stage.
Predictably the escape attempts came but there was nothing thrown at Sunweb that they couldn’t handle, particularly when they got a bit of help from WaowDeals to control one crucial break including fourth placed GC rider Amy Pieters.
That meant it all came down to a sprint at the line in Colwyn Bay, albeit with a reduced bunch. Lotta Lepisto (Cervelo-Bigla), jumped up one step from the previous day and took stage honours ahead of Giorgia Bronzini (Cylance) and Vos. The bonus seconds from third step on the podium weren’t enough to close the gap for Vos; there were still 11 seconds remaining and no stages left to win them back.
That 11 seconds meant Rivera could now celebrate her first overall win in a Women’s WorldTour stage race, and the second WWT stage race GC win for an American rider in as many months.
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- This fan was fitting right in at sign in.
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- An overcast day to add to the drama of the final stage.
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- “Today there was nothing to lose,” said stage winner Lepisto. “We gave everything on the road and ended up with the victory, so I’m even more happy than yesterday [when she finished second] . There was a strong wind; it was hectic final because no one really wanted to be in the front and use their best power.”
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- A squad celebration. Team Sunweb, coach Hans Timmermans said he couldn’t have been happier with the way it played out: “We can be super proud of the team. What they showed today and through the whole week is outstanding. They controlled the whole race and paced on the climbs; they were so strong that no one could attack. It’s really amazing and the win can only be for the whole team, they were super strong and executed the plan to perfection in the end.”
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- Rivera was surrounded by WaowDeals riders with Vos joined on the podium by Rowe, who managed to hold onto third overall despite battling through after a crash on Stage 4.
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- All the winners on the final podium.
Want more? You can find the full results and a fantastic assortment of information and footage on the OVO Energy Women’s Tour site.