Marianne Vos Takes Yellow – Stage 2 Womens Tour 2016 Report

Marianne Vos returned to the Aviva Yellow Jersey, 26-months after she won the race, pulling on the leader’s jersey in Stratford-upon-Avon after her third placed finish behind Amy Pieters moved her into the overall lead.

The Wiggle HIGH5 rider sprinted to victory in the centre of Stratford at the end of a 140-kilometre stage through Warwickshire, heading home a 27-rider group soaked by heavy rain showers throughout the stage.

“It was a hard day, a lot of rain and some quite steep hills. We did a really good job with the team, we have such a strong team here this week so we can play a lot of cards and I’m really glad that I could finish it today,” said Pieters following the stage.

“We want to win always it’s the most important thing, and we are so strong with our team …we stayed calm and raced well and we got it so I hope we can have more wins this week.”

Marianne Vos now holds a three-second lead over Majerus, with Pieters a further four seconds back after commissaires overnight annulled the time gaps from the Stage One finish on review of the final three kilometres, resetting the race going into the Warwickshire stage.

Looking ahead to the next two day’s stages, Vos said; “They look pretty tough, today was not as tough as the upcoming days but already we felt it in the legs a little bit, it was a long stage.  I think tomorrow it’s going to be even more aggressive.

Interview – Marianne Vos Stage2 Aviva Womens Tour 2016 by Cycling Shorts

Marianne Vos talks to the press after taking control of the Yellow Jersey in Stage 2 of the AVIVA Women’s Tour 2016.

“From tomorrow onwards the longer climbs come in, so I definitely think it can split up the field.”

The reigning Olympic Road Race Champion won the inaugural Women’s Tour in 2014, but missed last year’s edition through injury.  Questioned as to whether she can hold the Aviva Yellow Jersey, her reply was categoric.

“I have no idea!  Of course it’s nice to be in the yellow jersey, it gives some confidence and motivation for the next days, so I’ll definitely try but there are some good competitors in contention.

“To be here in such a top class field and in the jersey is of course a good feeling, but we’re only on the second day so I will take it day by day.”

Despite often inclement weather conditions the stage was another fast paced affair, with lots of attacking riding, no rider more so than Ale Cipollini’s Emilia Fahlin, who was twice away in moves off the front of the race, the second time alone.

The Swede was caught on the first Strava Queen of the Mountains climb at Burton Dassett, with Amalie Dideriksen and Malgorzata Jasinska the next duo to stay away, building a gap of 50-seconds, which was steadily whittled down by the speeding bunch.

The pair were caught by the small lead group with less than 20-kilometres of racing remaining and despite a flurry of attacks on the run in, the leaders hit the final kilometre together, with Pieters pipping Brennauer by the narrowest of margins.

Marianne Vos also moves into the lead of the Chain Reaction Cycles Points classification, with a three-point lead over Majerus, who is then ten-points clear of Pieters.

Lizzie Armitstead finished safely in the front group in 18th to remain the highest placed British rider overall in the Adnams Best British Rider jersey

The Strava Queen of the Mountains jersey also changed hands, moving to UnitedHealthcare’s Katie Hall, two points ahead of Ilona Hoeksma.

Her compatriot Floortje Mackaij retains the Best Young Rider jersey presented by Stoke-on-Trent, European City of Sport 2016, but is equal on time with Danish champion Dideriksen and Brit Molly Weaver, the trio 1-minute 03-seconds up on the fourth placed young rider.

For full results and standings following Stage Two, please click here.

Highlights of Stage Two will be shown on ITV4 at 21:00 on Thursday 16 June, with a repeat on Friday afternoon at 12:35.  The programme will also be available on demand via the ITV Hub catch-up service for 30-days.

Stage Three sees the Aviva Women’s Tour head to Derbyshire and into the Peak District National Park, heading from Ashbourne to Chesterfield and including the mid-stage climb of Bank Road in Matlock, which later this year will play host to the National Hill Climb Championships.

For more information on Stage Three, please click here.

All images copyright www.chrismaher.co.uk | CyclingShorts.cc

Tour de Yorkshire 2016 – Stage 2 – Van Poppel Triumphs

©CyclingShorts.cc / Craig Zadoroznyj

Words Anna Magrath – Images Chris Maher & Craig Zadoroznyj

With many technical gremlins blighting day two of racing, both the men and women’s events being without TV coverage we all took to race radio and Twitter for updates, the media were as much in the dark as the public.

After the womens race it was then back to Otley for the men’s race which took the same route, flowing up through crowd lined routes in Thorner and Aberford and then onto Sherburn in Elmet where thousands of locals filled the centre.
There was more excitement in South Milford, Monk Fryston and Hillam, through to Pontefract and past Wentbridge House Hotel where a bride and groom and wedding guests came out to cheer on the peloton as it raced past.
And the crowds continued for both races through Sprotbrough and Cote de Conisbrough Castle, then Tickhill and Bawtry before riders headed for the finish at a heaving Doncaster.

©CyclingShorts.cc / www.chrismaher.co.uk

Over the first two climbs Richard Handley of OnePro Cycling group managed to stay away and and he mopped up the mountain points protecting the lead of his team mate Pete William’s in the KoM jersey for OnePro Cycling.

 

The breakaway of 6 riders; Richard Handley – , Lewis – , Bradbury & Edmondson of , Steels of Topsport SV and Morkov if  held a lead of around 1-2 minutes, they group was joined by  Edet  but it wasn’t to last. The lead group fragmented and only 4 riders survived (Michael Markov, Josh Edmondson, Nico Edet, Stijn Steels) before being swollowed by a peloton sprint finish.

The winner of the stage was Danny van Poppel from Team Sky winning by a whisker.

PhotoFinishTdY2

 

Tour of the Reservoir Stage 2 Report, Gallery & Results

Barnes Stamps On Her Pedals To Victory In The 2016 Alexandra Tour Of The Reservoir Stage Two, Whilst Rowsell Revisits The Podium In Style In A Last Minute Effort For Glory.

 

Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir stage two.

Brilliant sunshine greeted the Ladies assembling in Blanchland for stage two of the Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir 2016.

A steady ride along to the Reservoir circuit saw the group lead by Team WNT’s Hanna Walker before two riders set-about an early lead.

It was Team WNT’s Walker and Jo Tindley that led onto the first of five climbs up to the Manor House by over two minutes before Tindley found herself soloing around the Reservoir for thee laps.

Holding a good One-Thirty-Five lead, several attempts at bridging across the gap failed with Walker marshalling the moves from Henrietta Colborne, Team Ford Ecoboost, Eleanor Dickinson, Drops Cycling Team and Natasha Reddy, RP Vision Racing Team.

The gap closed on the second ascend to the Manor House were all the chasers were reeled in once more.

As the race progressed around the circuit and past the feed zone, Tindley still had a forty-four second advantage, but Drops and Ecoboost were making progress.

By the third ascend and the first Prime, Tindley’s reign was all but over as the race flattened out, Tindley’s gap had shrunk to fifteen seconds.

The race all came back together but crosswinds split the group into-two with around twenty-five going clear. It wasn’t long and they were all back together once more.

The pace had proved too much for race leader Grace Garner, Podium Ambitions p/b Club La Santa who soon found comfort and company from Hannah Walker at a more leisurely pace before retiring.

Tour of the Reservoir 2016 - Motorpoint Spring Cup Stage 2As the Bell Lap approached Julie Erskine, Team Ford Ecoboost had a ten second lead from two chasers Anna Turvey, Tyneside Vagabonds and Maddi Campbell, Team Footon Velosport. These two had come from an earlier split of twelve escapees, but reformed one final time before the final push to the line.

With around two-minutes advantage, the victory was going to one of the girls from this leading bunch including Nikki Juniper, Eleanor Dickinson, Alice Barnes and Alice Cobb.

Five-Hundred meters remaining, the group had fragmented slightly up the steep climb to the reservoir . It was Alice Barnes, Team 100%ME who’s head came into view firstly, stomping on her pedals with under fifty meters to the finish-line. Unable to match the speed of Barnes, it was left up to Juniper and Lucy Shaw, Drops Cycling to battle for the final podium placements.

Nikki Juniper wins the General Classification for the Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir 2016, Eleanor Dickinson, Drops Cycling Development second and Maddi Campbell, Team Footon Velosport third.

After round two of the Women’s Road Series 2016, Nikki Juniper, Team Ford Ecoboost moves up-to the top of the leader board going into round three in the Lincoln Grand Prix in mid May.

 

Nikki Juniper talked to Cycling Shorts after the Podium Presentation: “So yesterday we got Charline on the podium, which is what we wanted. Job done!”, “And today was more about myself, the girls worked so hard for me to put me in a good position. Kinda wanted to control it (the race) until the last lap, and that’s where we said I would go, on the climb”. 

 

Stage 2 Results

Tour of the Reservoir 2016 - Motorpoint Spring Cup Stage 21: Alice Barnes 100% ME

2: Nicola Juniper Team Ford Ecoboost

3: Lucy Shaw Drops Cycling Team

4: Eleanor Dickinson Drops Cycling Development Team

5: Maddi Campbell Team Footon Velosport

6: Emily Wadsworth Beeline-Gener8

7: Jennifer Hudson Fushion RT Fierlan

8: Natalie Grinczer Team WNT

9: Alice Cobb Matrix Fitness p/b Corley Cycles

10: Jennifer Holden Fushion RT Fierlan

 

General Classification

Tour of the Reservoir 2016 - Motorpoint Spring Cup Stage 21: Nicola Juniper Team Ford Ecoboost

2: Eleanor Dickinson Drops Cycling Development Team

3: Maddi Campbell Tean Footon Velosport

4: Emily Wadsworth Beeline-Gener8

5: Alice Cobb Matrix Fitness p/b Corley Cycles

6: Jennifer Holden Fushion RT Fierlan

7: Sophie Wright Renvale RT

8: Anna Turvey Tyneside Vagabonds CC

9: Lucy Shaw Drops Cycling Team

10: Melissa Lowther Team Breeze

11: Alice Barnes 100% ME

12: Jennifer Hudson Fushion RT Fierlan

13: Keira McVitty Team WNT

14: Neah Evans Glasgow Sprint Track Cycling Team

15: Karla Boddy Drops Cycling Team

 

Tour of the Reservoir 2016 - Motorpoint Spring Cup Stage 2

Motorpoint Spring Cup Tour of the Reservoir Stage Two

Erick Rowsell, Madison Genesis made a brilliant solo charge to victory in the final conclusion of the 2016 Tour of the Reservoir.

The back-end of the race saw two solo rides, firstly been Ryan Perry, Metaltek Kuota, then by Rowsell who charged past Perry with a few kilometres to go. Perry had a one-o-five second lead across the line for the bell lap. Both riders coming from the final seven-man break coming off the large three-lap circuit over Bale Hill.

JLT Condor had set the pace of the main Peloton chasing the seven escapees, not having a man in the break that had two Madison, two Metaltek, Raleigh GAC, NFTO and Pedal Heaven represented.

The wind had picked up significantly from the Women’s Race earlier in the day, and a twelve man group formed in the early stages on the Reservoir circuit.

The group whittled down as race progressed, Briggs sliding out firstly, then re-joining and settling at around two-twenty before moving onto the big circuits.

As the final group of seven had assembled, Cronshaw, Madison Genesis attacked, then Rowsell up the final big climb. Before long, they were heading back down to Reservoir and the final two circuits.

 

Tour of the Reservoir 2016 - Motorpoint Spring Cup Stage 21: Erick Rowsell Madison Genesis

2: Dexter Gardias Pedal Heaven

3: James Gullen Pedal Heaven

4: Thomas Traviss-Pollard Metaltek Kuota Racing Team

5: Jack Puller Pedal Heaven

6: Joseph Fry Pedal Heaven

7: Jonny McEvoy NFTO

8: Adria Moreno Sala Raleigh GAC

9: Tom Moses JLT Condor

10: Ryan Perry Metaltek Kuota Racing Team

 

General Classification

Tour of the Reservoir 2016 - Motorpoint Spring Cup Stage 21: Joseph Fry Pedal Heaven

2: Jonny McEvoy NFTO

3: Adria Moreno Sala Raleigh GAC

4: Tom Moses JLT Condor

5: Taylor Gunman Madison Genesis

6: Connor Swift Envelopemaster Giant Sheffield

7: Erick Rowsell Madison Genesis

8: Dexter Gardias Pedal Heaven

9: Jack Pullar Pedal Heaven

10: James Gullen Pedal Heaven

 

Motorpoint Spring Cup Leader after round three.

1: Jonny McEvoy NFTO

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