Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling tasted success on both sides of the English Channel this weekend, as Laura Trott dominated the Surf ’n’ Turf Two-Day, in Preston, Lancashire, while Beatrice Bartelloni finished second in the Flanders Diamond Tour, just outside Antwerp, Belgium. Trott, supported by teammates Dani King and Elinor Barker, won both the 1.6km prologue, and the bunch sprint to take the 45 minute circuit race on Saturday. The double Olympic champion then took a breakaway victory in Sunday’s 81km road race.
Trott took the prologue by a two-second margin over Katie Archibald (Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International), with King third and Barker sixth. The three black and orange riders then took control of the afternoon circuit race, with King leading out Trott to perfection. Dressed in the blue jersey of race leader, Trott managed to beat Archibald by almost a bike length, with Grace Garner (RST Racing Team) – the younger sister of former junior World champion Lucy Garner – taking third.
With the race under control, the three Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling riders went on the offensive on day two, and forced themselves clear on the 6.24km circuit’s only climb.
“It was annoying me that the group wouldn’t split, so I decided we had to make it happen,” Trott explained to British Cycling afterwards. “We attacked hard on the uphill drag thinking we’d bring a few away but I looked behind and it was just me, Elinor and Dani, and that was it.”
Archibald managed to chase up to the black and orange trio, but with the Scottish rider still a danger overall, Barker and King put in a series of attacks to force her to chase. The final attack from King was just brought back by Archibald as they approached the finish line, but only served as a perfect lead out for Trott.
Trott’s overall victory – with King third and Barker fourth – was Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s second straight win in the two day race, after teammate Amy Roberts, who took the 2013 event.
While Trott, King and Barker were in action in the UK, five of their Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling teammates – Bartelloni, Roberts, Emily Collins, Mayuko Hagiwara and Peta Mullens – were racing the Flanders Diamond Tour, a new one-day race in Nijlen, Belgium, on the outskirts of Antwerp.
Despite several attempted breakaways, the black and orange team was one of those keen to see the race finish in a bunch sprint. Italian Bartelloni took her first ever podium in a UCI-ranked road race, as she was narrowly beaten by Jolien D’Hoore (Lotto-Belisol) in the dash for the line.
“I’m so very happy for today,” said Bartelloni.
“I started my sprint a little too late and I’m sorry I did not win for the team,” the Italian admitted. “Although it is not a victory would like to dedicate this race to the team that I consider the best in the world, as a team and as individuals.”
Collins and Roberts finished just off the podium, in fourth and sixth place respectively.
Surf ’n’ Turf Photo Credit: Huw Williams/British Cycling
Results
Surf ’n’ Turf Two-Day
Prologue
1. Laura Trott (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
2. Katie Archibald (Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International)
3. Dani King (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
Stage 1
1. Laura Trott (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
2. Katie Archibald (Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International)
3. Grace Garner (RST Racing Team)
Stage 2
1. Laura Trott (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
2. Katie Archibald (Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International)
3. Dani King (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
Final general classification
1. Laura Trott (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
2. Katie Archibald (Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International)
3. Dani King (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
4. Elinor Barker (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
Diamond Tour
1. Jolien D’Hoore (Lotto-Belisol)
2. Beatrice Bartelloni (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
3. Kelly Druyts (Topsport Vlaanderen-Pro Duo)
