Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s riders are looking forward to the fourth stage of the Aviva Women’s Tour, after poor luck prevented a good result on stage three between the towns of Oundle and Kettering, in Northamptonshire. Former two-time road World Champion Giorgia Bronzini crashed with around 25km to go and, while the Italian was able to rejoin the peloton, she was unable to realise her full potential on a finish that would normally have suited her.
Belgian Champion Jolien D’hoore was the best-placed rider from the black and orange team at the end of 139km stage, taking seventh place. The stage two winner crossed the line in a group, just two seconds behind winner Christine Majerus (Boels-Dolmans). Time bonuses meant that Luxembourg Champion also took the race leader’s yellow jersey; D’hoore sits just three seconds back in second place thanks to bonuses picked up at the stage’s two intermediate sprints.
“Today it was pretty hectic with the roundabout in the last kilometre,” D’hoore said. “It was not one of my best days today, so I told the team and we decided to go for the sprint with Giorgia. But then she crashed, and we hand’t calculated for that, so that was an issue in the final.”
Although she missed out at the finish today, D’hoore is optimistic about the team’s chances – both for stage wins and the general classification – in the remaining two days of the race.
“The whole GC is really close. It’s all within a few seconds, so anything can happen now,” she added. “The most important day is Sunday, but we’ll try to do something tomorrow, and try to shake up the GC!”
The breakaway of the day came from Heather Fischer (USA) and Chloe McConville (Orica-AIS), who broke away midway through the stage. They were joined by Sharon Laws (Bigla), and managed to get more than three minutes clear, before Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling set to work with some other teams to bring them back. The hilly parcours meant that the trio’s lead was to fall steadily, until they were finally caught with four kilometres to go.
D’hoore took third place in the first intermediate sprint, in Fotheringhay after 19km – behind Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS) and Hannah Barnes (UnitedHealthcare) – and the one-second bonus saw her draw level with Brennauer overall. Another third place in Desborough after 77.2km – behind Fischer and McConville, but before Laws escaped – meant that the Belgian Champion had taken the overall lead.
Unfortunately for the Belgian Champion, however, Majerus’ victory meant that the Luxembourg Champion leapfrogged both D’hoore and Brennauer to take the yellow jersey.
Having been a big part of the chase, with D’hoore herself contributing a lot of energy – along with teammates Dani King, Nettie Edmondson, Audrey Cordon-Ragot and Elisa Longo Borghini – Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s plans had to change as the finish approached.
“We were in the feedzone, and I had a bottle in my hand – so I was only holding the bike with one – and somebody hit my front wheel, and I lost control of the bike,” Bronzini explained. “Somebody else crashed on me, and they came down a little bit hard on my legs.
“I came back, and Elisa [Longo Borghini] was there to help me, but that effort – when the bunch was so stretched because Velocio was working hard to close the gap – was really hard, and I suffered a lot. I said to Jolien to be focused for the final because I couldn’t guarantee 100% to be in the front in the end.
“Probably tomorrow I’m going to be sore on my left side, but it was just a normal crash; no worries!” the former two-time road World Champion laughed.
Result
1. Christine Majerus (Boels-Dolmans)
2. Barbara Guarischi (Velocio-SRAM)
3. Lucy Garner (Liv-Plantur)
…
7. Jolien D’hoore (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
