Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Emily Collins took fifth place in the sixth stage of the Thüringen-Rundfahrt, in Schmölln, as the peloton sprinted to the line behind breakaway winner Valentina Scandolara (MCipollini-Giordana). Linda Villumsen also finished in eighth place, just behind Collins, meaning that both of Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s New Zealanders made the top ten in one of the race’s toughest stage finishes.
The riders of Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling were active in the early kilometres of the 86km stage, but nobody was able to make a proper getaway until Tayler Wiles (Specialized-lululemon) escaped the peloton. The American led the race for around 40km, until she was pulled back, only for Scandolara to escape late on.
“Everyone was having a dig, but nothing really went,” explained Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling directeur sportif Simon Cope. “But then they let Scandolara go in the end and we took the best we could out of it. Emily was fifth and Linda was eighth, which was pretty good.”
Unfortunately, Villumsen slipped down to fifth place overall, after her podium rivals Lisa Brennauer (Specialized-lululemon) and Anna van der Breggen (Sengers Ladies) both picked up bonus seconds at the stage’s intermediate sprints. Regardless of this, however, the New Zealander remains just five seconds away from the podium as she heads into the final stage.
“Linda has slipped back a little bit because we didn’t go for any time bonuses,” Cope explained. “The finish was crazy. With a K to go it was 8-10% downhill, then it flipped left then right and then left again. Annemiek van Vleuten [Rabobank-Liv/Giant] came down, and I think [Orica-AIS’ race leader] Johansson got stuck behind it, but I don’t think she came down.
“It was an okay day,” Cope added. “So it’s all or nothing tomorrow. We’re hoping for a bit of luck, something’s got to go our way.”
