Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Giorgia Bronzini won the bunch sprint for second place in the Tour of Chongming Island World Cup race after the peloton was sent the wrong way in the closing kilometres and so was unable to catch a lone breakaway rider. Ukrainian Tetyana Riabchenko (Chirio Forno d’Asolo) had escaped with just over 15km to go, and was being hunted down by a strong chase from Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling when the entire peloton was forced to stop.
By the time the bunch got started again Riabchenko had built up an unassailable lead and, despite another hard chase from Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling, was able win by 12 seconds. Bronzini easily took second place, ahead of Amy Pieters (Argos-Shimano), but the two-time road World champion was forced to reflect on what might have been, as she was denied the chance to sprint for her second career victory in the World Cup.
“I’m very happy with the team’s performance today and to be the fastest at the finish, however, we’re obviously very disappointed with the result,” said Bronzini afterwards. “It’s very difficult to accept defeat when I and the team did everything right. We worked very hard to prepare for this World Cup.
“The solo rider who was not stopped won by 12 seconds, the chasing bunch was stopped with two kilometres to go,” the Italian sprinter added. “If you think about the math, a stop from 50kph probably costs more than 12 seconds right?”
“The team worked really hard today and did everything right,” said Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling team manager Rochelle Gilmore. “Every rider was fit and healthy and at their best, and Giorgia was put in the right position and proved again that she’s the fastest in the World.
“Obviously the team’s really disappointed because we did everything right,” Gilmore added.
“It’s frustrating, but what can you do, it’s one of those things,” echoed Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling directeur sportif Simon Cope. “Giorgia definitely had the legs to win, but this isn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened in a race. I remember it happened to Robert Millar at the Tour de France, but yes, it is frustrating.”
Bronzini scored 50 World Cup points for second place, which lifts her to seventh place in the overall standings, while Gilmore also finished in the points, scoring nine for 12th place having led Bronzini into position.
