by Anna Magrath | Sep 8, 2016
Jack Bauer (Cannonade Drapac) put in an all action display to win Stage Five of the Tour of Britain into Bath with a dramatic finish on the Royal Avenue as the peloton caught the break at the line
The victory, his first individual win since breaking his leg 14-months ago at the Tour de France, came at the end of a hard 194.5-kilometre stage from Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The Kiwi was part of a five rider break who survived until the final dash for the line, with Bauer and breakaway companions Amael Moinard and Erick Rowsell taking the 1-2-3 in Victoria Park, ahead of Caleb Ewan and Stage Four winner Dylan Groenewegen who led in the break.
It was a tough day out there. We had a great group, a really motivated group and really balanced which is quite unusual for a breakaway in that everyone really commits,” said the Cannondale Drapac rider after the stage.
I really appreciate what I have and I’ve tried to make a real go of it this year but this really caps off a difficult season for me and I think many people had written me off thinking I just couldn’t ride my bike any more or perform to the same level. But a year on I’m back and I’m able to win a race and I’m really grateful for that.
Stage 5 ToB winner, Cannonade Drapac
With the race in effect all coming back together for the finish the overall classification remained unchanged, with Julien Vermote continuing in the Yellow Jersey presented by Eisberg. The Belgian lies six seconds ahead of Steve Cummings heading towards a potentially decisive summit finish in Devon on Friday’s Stage Six.
Bauer had broken away along with Moinard, Rowsell, Javier Moreno and Johnny McEvoy as the race headed across South Wales. The quintet built a lead of over five-minutes as the race headed through Gloucestershire, which was whittled down by the teams of Lotto Soudal and LottoNL Jumbo working towards the sprint.
The gap steadily diminished, and with four rider remaining out front the gap was just a handful of seconds racing through the outskirts of Bath. Taking the penultimate left-hand corner Bauer went clear, but immediately eased as he sense the gradient steepen, following Moreno’s wheel through the final right hander before opening his sprint, to take the win as the charging peloton caught the escapees moments too late.
Dan McLay took a top ten spot in the bunch kick to move into the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey, while Jasper Bovenhuis kept the Yodel Sprints Jersey and Xandro Meurisse the SKODA King of the Mountains jersey.
All images ©Sweetspot & Theo Southee photography
Highlights of Stage Five are on ITV4 at 8pm with a repeat at Midday on Friday 9 September and available on demand via the ITV Hub for 30-days.
Stage Six sees the peloton head to Devon for a 150-kilometre stage from Sidmouth to Haytor in the Dartmoor National Park, which culminates with a summit finish atop a five-kilometre climb. Live coverage of Stage is on ITV4 from 12:30, with highlights at 8pm.
by Anna Magrath | Jun 21, 2015
All images ©www.chrismaher.co.uk / CyclingShorts.cc
Lisa Brennauer clinched the overall victory in the Aviva Women’s Tour, surviving an attacking final day of racing through the Chiltern Hills from Marlow to Hemel Hempstead, won by Hannah Barnes.
The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling rider sprinted to victory in the Premier Inn Best British Rider Jersey as the peloton once again caught the day’s break of Claudia Lichtenberg and Audrey Cordon inside the final kilometre.
The duo were finally reeled in by a fast charging peloton on the arrow straight final 500-metres, setting up an exciting finish with Barnes coming through to claim her biggest victory to date, along with both the Premier Inn Best British Rider and SweetSpot Best Young Rider prizes by virtue of her fifth overall.
Behind Barnes Stage Two winner Jolien D’hoore took second with Simona Frapporti third, while General Classification Contenders Brennauer, Majerus and Johansson took fourth, fifth and seventh respectively.
The World Time Trial Champion’s consistent finishing of top six places on all five stages earned her the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey to pair with her Aviva Yellow Jersey, finishing with a six second advantage over D’hoore with Majerus a further second back.
Lisa Brennauer of Team Velocio SRAM talks after her dominant performance and taking the overall win in GC in the 2015 Aviva Women’s Tour. A well deserved Yellow jersey win!
“This Tour is one of the biggest events on the women’s calendar, so this victory means a lot to me. It was a great victory for me, but also for the whole team – big thanks to all my team mates,” said the Velocio SRAM rider afterwards
“I have to thank my team mates, it wasn’t easy today – a tough stage with all the hills and a lot of hard attacks.
“I worked hard yesterday to get the jersey back. I missed some of the intermediate sprints. I wanted to get to the point where I could give back to my team-mates for all their hard work.”
Having started amidst the biggest crowds of the week in Marlow in Buckinghamshire, riders headed into the Chiltern Hills for a stage of attacking racing. A lead group of four riders, including eventual YodelDirect Combativity Winner Gracie Elvin, formed early on but were caught by the top of the first Strava Queen of the Mountains climb of Cryers Hill as the General Classification contenders fought for bonus seconds at the first Chain Reaction Cycles Sprint at Prestwood, which came almost immediately afterwards.
Lichtenberg then attacked on one of the day’s, many, unclassified climbs with many riders trying to cross to her, but Wiggle Honda’s Cordon was the only one to make the junction with thirteen kilometres remaining.
Yet again though in the Aviva Women’s Tour the escape would not prevail, setting up Barnes for a highly popular win in Hemel Hempstead
Hannah Barnes of Team UnitedHealthcare talks to the media after taking the U23 and Best British Rider Jerseys in the 2015 Aviva Women’s Tour and topping it all off with the final stage win!
“This was the biggest aim of the year, so I’m happy to have pulled it off.
“I knew it would be hard in the Chilterns and what to expect. The sprint was crazy, very difficult. I got boxed at 100m to go but thankfully got free. The team are normally used to the American peloton & wide roads,” continued Barnes, before praising teammate Alexis Ryan for protecting her in “the Alexis bubble”.
With breakaway riders sweeping up the big points at both Strava Queen of the Mountains climbs Orica AIS rider Melissa Hoskins extended her lead by a point to keep hold of the orange polka dot jersey ahead of Elise Delzenne.
The Boels Dolmans team added the Aviva Team Classification to their two stage wins with Elisa Longo Borghini claimed the Overall YodelDirect Combativity Award having been at the front of the action on several stages.
An excellent Women’s Tour bring on 2016!
Highlights of Stage Five will be shown by ITV4 at 8pm on Sunday 21 June with a repeat at 11.15am on Monday 22 June and available on demand via the ITV Player for 30-days after broadcast.
Stage 5 Results
Final GC Podium for the 2015 Aviva Women’s Tour
U23: Hannah Barnes
Best British: Hannah Barnes
Points: Lisa Brennauer
Queen of the Mountains: Melissa Hoskins
Team: Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
For full results and final overall standings please click here.
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