Friends Life Women's Tour 2014 | Stage Two ©Cycling Shorts / www.chrismaher.co.uk

Friends Life Women’s Tour 2014 | Stage Two ©Cycling Shorts / www.chrismaher.co.uk

Italian Rossella Ratto out sprinted compatriot Susanna Zorzi on Bedford’s Embankment to win the second stage of the Friends Life Women’s Tour, jumping into the lead of the race following her victory.

The Italian duo out foxed the sprinters into Bedford, holding off the Marianne Vos led bunch by six seconds to remain clear after Ratto had broken clear after 65-kilometres of racing.

Having instigated the move heading towards the second Strava Queen of the Mountains at Brixworth, Ratto was later joined by Zorzi, building a gap of two minutes approaching 20-kilometres to go.

With Lizzie Armitstead’s Boels Dolmans taking up the chase the deficit was halved, but Ratto and Zorzi remained clear, although only just with the peloton in sight behind the duo on the 400-metre long finishing straight.

Having outsprinted Zorzi, Estado de Mexico Faren rider Ratto said afterwards;

“I originally attacked to get the points for the Queen of the Mountains but I continued because I felt good – I am training for the time-trial at present – so I thought why not? I was on the point of giving up when Susanna came across to me from the peloton. Two is always better than one so we started to ride hard again. The gap started going up and we thought maybe we could do it.

“I was still afraid the peloton would get back to us in the final 4km but Suzanna, who is a good friend, helped me a lot and we were able to ride all the way to the finish it was a dream.”

Behind the Italians Vos led home compatriot Amy Pieters and Lucy Garner, followed by Giorgia Bronzini and Lizzie Armitstead.

“We almost caught Rossella but not quite,” said Armitstead afterwards. “From our point of view it was really our team’s responsibility to lead the chase, we didn’t have the yellow jersey to defend and possibly GreenEdge made a slight mistake.

“In terms of the GC we are still in the hunt if the stages are challenging enough but realistically we need some wins to make it more interesting. I’ve been going for all the intermediate sprints so far, I have been in stage races before when it comes down to second so if it does get close on Sunday I don’t want to look back on any lost opportunity.”

Armitstead moves up to fifth overall and pulls on the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Best British Rider jersey, while Ratto added the Matrix Fitness Best Young Rider jersey to her Bedfordshire haul.

In the Friends Life Overall Classification Ratto now leads Zorzi by five seconds, with Vos, who leads the YodelDirect Points Classification a further second in arrears. Day One winner Emma Johansson drops to fourth overall, having come home eleventh, with Hannah Barnes and Lucy Garner joining Armitstead as Brits in the top ten.

UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling’s Sharon Laws retains the Strava Queen of the Mountains jersey after enjoying a competitive battle with Switzerland’s mountain bike champion Jolanda Neff, that saw the two competing for the points available at each of the day’s two Strava climbs.

Friday sees the Friends Life Women’s Tour head to Suffolk and Tendring, for Stage Three from Felixstowe to Clacton. Highlights of Stage Two are on ITV4 in the UK at 9pm this evening, with a repeat on Friday morning at 8am.

 

Stage Results:

Rk Bb Name First Name Nat Team Time
1 34 RATTO Rossella* EMF 03:02:02
2 14 ZORZI Susanna* BPK ST
3 1 VOS Marianne RBW 06
4 91 PIETERS Amy* NED ST
5 41 GARNER Lucy* GBR ST
6 154 BRONZINI Giorgia WHT ST
7 21 ARMITSTEAD Lizzie DLT ST
8 66 VERHOEVEN Aurore LKT ST
9 61 BIANNIC Aude* LKT ST
10 55 HOSKING Chloe HPU ST
11 111 JOHANSSON Emma GEW ST
12 36 CECCHINI Elena* EMF ST
13 126 WORRACK Trixi SLU ST
14 53 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa* HPU ST
15 131 NEFF Jolanda* SUI ST
16 45 ARCHIBALD Katie* GBR ST
17 52 MOOLMAN PASIO Ashleigh HPU ST
18 22 VAN DIJK Ellen DLT ST
19 122 BRENNAUER Lisa SLU ST
20 134 FORCHINI Ramona* SUI ST
21 156 VILLUMSEN Linda WHT ST
22 141 BARNES Hannah* UHC ST
23 92 KOSTER Anouska* NED ST
24 155 MULLENS Peta WHT ST
25 103 KIRCHMANN Leah OPW ST
26 125 DELZENNE Elise SLU ST
27 74 DE VOCHT Liesbet LBL ST
28 2 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek RBW ST
29 63 GONZALEZ Lucia LKT ST
30 95 PIJNENBORG Mascha NED ST
31 116 ELVIN Gracie GEW ST
32 152 KING Dani WHT ST
33 16 ARZUFFI Alice* BPK ST
34 105 RAMSDEN Denise OPW ST
35 82 LOWTHER Melissa* MFV ST
36 132 INDERGAND Linda* SUI ST
37 101 HALL Lauren OPW ST
38 23 KASPER Romy DLT ST
39 112 GUNNEWIJK Loes GEW ST
40 6 BRAND Lucinda RBW ST
41 26 PAWLOWSKA Melon DLT ST
42 151 TROTT Laura* WHT ST
43 144 LAWS Sharon UHC ST
44 124 CROMWELL Tiffany SLU ST
45 62 LOPEZ Belen LKT ST
46 13 VALSECCHI Silvia BPK ST
47 4 KNETEMANN Roxane RBW ST
48 24 DAAMS Jessie DLT ST
49 102 HOLCOMB Janel OPW ST
50 113 GILLOW Shara GEW ST
51 12 MUCCIOLI Dalia* BPK ST
52 5 SLAPPENDEL Iris RBW ST
53 136 STIENEN Jutta SUI ST
54 106 WILCOXSON Jade OPW ST
55 43 HORNE Ciara GBR ST
56 142 HALL Katharine UHC 21
57 153 BECKER Charlotte WHT 31
58 81 WYMAN Helen MFV 36
59 121 BLAAK Chantal SLU 39
60 32 MARTIN Lucy EMF ST
61 146 WINDER Ruth* UHC ST
62 42 JONES Hayley* GBR ST
63 33 LUPERINI Fabiana EMF 41
64 115 SCANDOLARA Valentina GEW ST
65 133 LEUMANN Katrin SUI 42
66 85 TINDLEY Jo MFV 46
67 76 HOFFMANN Chantal LBL 48
68 84 WALKER Jessie* MFV 01:01
69 46 HILL Amy* GBR 01:11
70 93 WOERING Henriette* NED ST
71 11 SCHWEIZER Doris BPK 01:13
72 71 POOLEY Emma LBL ST
73 86 ROWSON Penny* MFV 01:33
74 135 BAUR Caroline* SUI ST
75 31 SOUZA Uenia Fernandes EMF ST
76 65 RIBEROT Fanny LKT ST
77 3 KNAUER Anna* RBW ST
78 64 GUTIERREZ Sheyla* LKT ST
79 114 EDMONDSON Annette* GEW 01:36
80 25 TROTT Emma DLT ST
81 51 THORSEN Thea* HPU ST
82 96 VAN DE MEER Janine* NED 06
83 143 HIGGINS Cari UHC 02:52
84 35 YEPEZ FERNANDEZ Erika Leticia EMF ST
85 145 TAMAYO Lauren UHC 03:33
86 44 KAY Emily* GBR 10:37
87 83 OWEN Harriet* MFV 13:21
88 73 BECKERS Isabelle LBL 14:43
Did not finish
123 CANUEL Karol Ann SLU
72 CURE Amy* LBL

 

 

 

Overall:

Jerseys :
Leader Jersey : 34 – RATTO Rossella EMF
Points Jersey : 1 – VOS Marianne RBW
Mountain Jersey : 144 – LAWS Sharon UHC
Young Riders Jersey : 14 – ZORZI Susanna BPK
Best British Jersey : 21 – ARMITSTEAD Lizzie DLT

 

 Overall GC Results:

Rk Bb Name First Name Nat Team Time
1 34 RATTO Rossella* EMF 05:30:18
2 14 ZORZI Susanna* BPK 05
3 1 VOS Marianne RBW 06
4 111 JOHANSSON Emma GEW 07
5 21 ARMITSTEAD Lizzie DLT 14
6 141 BARNES Hannah* UHC 15
7 22 VAN DIJK Ellen DLT 16
8 125 DELZENNE Elise SLU ST
9 13 VALSECCHI Silvia BPK ST
10 41 GARNER Lucy* GBR 19
11 154 BRONZINI Giorgia WHT ST
12 91 PIETERS Amy* NED ST
13 126 WORRACK Trixi SLU ST
14 36 CECCHINI Elena* EMF ST
15 66 VERHOEVEN Aurore LKT ST
16 61 BIANNIC Aude* LKT ST
17 55 HOSKING Chloe HPU ST
18 131 NEFF Jolanda* SUI ST
19 53 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa* HPU ST
20 103 KIRCHMANN Leah OPW ST
21 122 BRENNAUER Lisa SLU ST
22 74 DE VOCHT Liesbet LBL ST
23 101 HALL Lauren OPW ST
24 156 VILLUMSEN Linda WHT ST
25 95 PIJNENBORG Mascha NED ST
26 52 MOOLMAN PASIO Ashleigh HPU ST
27 2 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek RBW ST
28 124 CROMWELL Tiffany SLU ST
29 105 RAMSDEN Denise OPW ST
30 152 KING Dani WHT ST
31 155 MULLENS Peta WHT ST
32 116 ELVIN Gracie GEW ST
33 92 KOSTER Anouska* NED ST
34 134 FORCHINI Ramona* SUI ST
35 144 LAWS Sharon UHC ST
36 12 MUCCIOLI Dalia* BPK ST
37 16 ARZUFFI Alice* BPK ST
38 102 HOLCOMB Janel OPW ST
39 132 INDERGAND Linda* SUI ST
40 151 TROTT Laura* WHT ST
41 23 KASPER Romy DLT ST
42 45 ARCHIBALD Katie* GBR ST
43 26 PAWLOWSKA Melon DLT ST
44 63 GONZALEZ Lucia LKT ST
45 112 GUNNEWIJK Loes GEW ST
46 62 LOPEZ Belen LKT ST
47 5 SLAPPENDEL Iris RBW ST
48 43 HORNE Ciara GBR ST
49 113 GILLOW Shara GEW ST
50 24 DAAMS Jessie DLT ST
51 96 VAN DE MEER Janine* NED ST
52 4 KNETEMANN Roxane RBW ST
53 106 WILCOXSON Jade OPW ST
54 142 HALL Katharine UHC 34
55 6 BRAND Lucinda RBW 43
56 153 BECKER Charlotte WHT 44
57 81 WYMAN Helen MFV 49
58 32 MARTIN Lucy EMF 52
59 121 BLAAK Chantal SLU ST
60 42 JONES Hayley* GBR ST
61 146 WINDER Ruth* UHC ST
62 115 SCANDOLARA Valentina GEW 54
63 133 LEUMANN Katrin SUI 55
64 76 HOFFMANN Chantal LBL 01:01
65 84 WALKER Jessie* MFV 01:14
66 93 WOERING Henriette* NED 01:24
67 11 SCHWEIZER Doris BPK 01:26
68 71 POOLEY Emma LBL ST
69 65 RIBEROT Fanny LKT 01:46
70 3 KNAUER Anna* RBW ST
71 114 EDMONDSON Annette* GEW 01:49
72 25 TROTT Emma DLT ST
73 136 STIENEN Jutta SUI 03:05
74 35 YEPEZ FERNANDEZ Erika Leticia EMF ST
75 143 HIGGINS Cari UHC ST
76 31 SOUZA Uenia Fernandes EMF 03:37
77 33 LUPERINI Fabiana EMF 03:46
78 145 TAMAYO Lauren UHC ST
79 85 TINDLEY Jo MFV 04:08
80 51 THORSEN Thea* HPU 04:38
81 64 GUTIERREZ Sheyla* LKT 04:45
82 82 LOWTHER Melissa* MFV 09:03
83 46 HILL Amy* GBR 10:08
84 135 BAUR Caroline* SUI 10:30
85 86 ROWSON Penny* MFV ST
86 44 KAY Emily* GBR 10:50
87 73 BECKERS Isabelle LBL 23:40
88 83 OWEN Harriet* MFV 31:29

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