Women’s Tour de Yorkshire 2015 Race Report

by Chris Maher | May 2, 2015

It All Comes Down To A Bunch Sprint Along The Knavesmire In The Inaugural Women’s Tour De Yorkshire!

York 80Km Closed Circuit Road Race.

The inaugural Women’s Tour De Yorkshire cycling road race took place on a closed four lap, 20 kilometre circuit. Open to Elite, First, Second and Third cat ladies, gave opportunity, for the girls to ride safely through the streets of York. Looping out beyond the A64 to the East, before returning, the race completed the circuit on the Knavesmire near the Race Course entrance.

Likened to a Belgium Kermesse by the girls, rather than a City Centre Criterium. The technical at times course, twisted & turned through the streets of York, passing several well known landmarks, through ancient City Walls, and over cobbled roads, before entering the more exposed windier sections outside of town.

Flagged off by British Cycling President, Bob Howden, the Race got underway at 10.30am by an eighty strong field of riders.

Crowds had already built-up around the City streets, and the race got off to an aggressive start. There were many attacks on the back-end of the circuit, but each and every one were brought back on the run into the City Centre. At times the peloton were very strung-out, that showed the pace indeed was quite high averaging nearly 40kmph. Wiggle Honda’s Eileen Roe had several goes escaping the clutches of a strong Pearl Izumi – Sports Tours Int’l Team and the Team USN squads. They all had goes of firing riders off the front. But as the final lap approached, it became clear that it would end with a bunch sprint.

Approaching the final kilometres, last minute efforts were made to escape, but lead-out trains were formed for the Sprinters, and it was a case of “surfing the wheels” (Louise Mahѐ), and picking the best line or wheel to come off!

In the end, IKON Mazda’s Louise Mahѐ lunged across the line firstly, followed very closely by Wiggle Honda’s Eileen Roe and Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int’l’s Katie Curtis in a big bunch sprint. Fifty-seven girls completed the race.

Louise Mahe Women’s Tour de Yorkshire winner 2015 by Cycling Shorts

Louise Mahe speaks to CyclingShorts.cc writer Chris Maher after her win at the inaugural Women’s Tour de Yorkshire 2015.

I spoke to Louise Mahѐ after the race: “It was a fast race from the off” “At times when you look back, the whole bunch were strung-out, so you knew the pace was high”, “I left it quite late, found a gap, and went for it”. Louise said that she liked the circuit. It was flat, so you race hard. She enjoyed the closed circuit, and said the crowds were awesome!

On Twitter Louise posted: “Blimey, I won a bike race! Thanks for the support everyone”

I spoke to Eileen Row after the race: “It was a really good race”,  “It was a really aggressive actually, the race!”, “Unfortunately it did come down to a bunch sprint”, “I was in several breaks that went up the road, that never really came to much up the back-end of the circuit”.

Eileen Roe Womens Tour de Yorkshire 2015 by Cycling Shorts

Eileen Roe of Team Wiggle Honda talks to CyclingShorts.cc writer Chris Maher about her Women’s Tour de Yorkshire 2015.

On Twitter Eileen posted: “Thank you @letouryorkshire #WTdY was amazing, what a crowd. Honoured to be on the podium of the women’s first edition”.

Click here to view our full image gallery for the Women’s Tour de Yorkshire.

Top 10:

1. Louise Mahé – IKON Mazda – 80 kilometres in 2:00:36.4
2. Eileen Roe – Wiggle Honda
3. Katie Curtis – Pearl Izumi Sports International
4. Charline Joiner – Team WNT
5. Alice Barnes – Betch.NL-Superior-Brentjens MTB RT
6. Grace Garner – Team Giordana-Triton
7. Emily Kay – Team USN
8. Amy Hill – Team Rytger
9. Nicola Juniper – Team Giordana-Triton
10. Abigail Dentus – Team Velosport

Sprints

Katie Archibald – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International

2^nd Category riders

1. Alice Cobb – Aprire Bicycles/HSS Hire
2. Annasley Park – Team Giordana-Triton
3. Hayley Simmons – Team Velosport

3^rd Category riders

1. Alice Barnes – Betch.NL-Superior-Brentjens MTB RT
2. Beth Crumpton – North West Cycling Club
3. Ella Hopkins – IKON-Mazda

Full Rider Classification WTdY 2015 – York
1, 24 Mahe,Louise – IKON – Mazda 10:35:18
2, 99 Roe,Eileen – Wiggle Honda
3, 40 Curtis,Katie – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Int
4, 87 Joiner,Charline – Team WNT
5, 11 Barnes,Alice – Betch.NL-Superior-Brentjens
6, 65 Garner,Grace – Team Giordana – Triton
7, 77 Kay,Emily – Team USN
8, 75 Hill,Amy – Team Rytger
9, 67 Juniper,Nicola – Team Giordana – Triton
10 ,81 Dentus,Abigail – Team Velosport
11, 64 Dickinson,Eleanor – Team Giordana – Triton
12, 33 Shaw,Lucy – Matrix Fitness Development
13, 35 Crumpton,Beth – North West Cycling Club
14, 66 Holden,Elizabeth – Team Giordana
15, 5 Cobb,Alice – Aprire Bicycles/HSS Hire
16, 37 Archibald,Katie – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl
17, 44 Shaw,Gabriella – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl
18, 85 Boylan,Lydia – Team WNT
19, 23 Hopkins,Ella – IKON – Mazda
20, 71 Parkinson,Abby-Mae – Team Giordana – Triton
21, 70 Park,Annasley – Team Giordana – Triton
22, 94 De Quint,Pia – Velosure Starley Primal
23, 36 Mellor,Amira – Paul Milnes – Bradford Olympic
24, 18 Simpson,Annabel – Hope Factory Racing
25, 82 Simmonds,Hayley – Team Velosport
26, 21 Grant,Emma – IKON – Mazda
27, 76 Coster,Ellie – Team
28, 25 Rimmington,Rebecca – IKON – Mazda
29, 15 Hall,Lucy – Crosstrax
30, 39 Creamer,Lauren – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl
31, 78 Lloyd,Manon – Team USN
32, 20 Erskine,Julie – IKON – Mazda
33, 42 Horne,Ciara – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl
34, 79 Nelson,Emily – Team USN
35, 32 Walker,Jessie – Matrix Fitness
36, 41 Hayward,Bethany – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl
37, 68 McVitty,Keira – Team Giordana – Triton
38, 46 Turvey,Anna – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl
39, 49 Kinloch,Alison – PH-MAS VCUK Womens Cycling Team
40, 69 OBrien,Lauren – Team Giordana – Triton
41, 6 Gornall,Amy – Aprire Bicycles/HSS Hire
42, 45 Storey,Dame Sarah – Pearl Izumi Sports Tours Intl
43, 97 Christian,Anna – Wiggle Honda
44, 22 Hall,Corrine – IKON – Mazda
45, 88 Tate,Brit – Team WNT
46, 19 Brand,Melissa – IKON – Mazda
47, 90 Walker,Hannah – Team WNT
48, 10 Chappell,Ruby – Behind The Bikeshed
49, 59 Dixon,Eve – Team 22
50, 91 Stedman,Elizabeth – University of Sheffield CC
51, 12 Verdegaal,Madeline – Boston Whls CC
52, 3 Thompson,Seonaid – Albarosa Cycling Club
53, 4 Brogan,Kayleigh – Aprire Bicycles/HSS Hire
54, 83 Poole, Karen – Team WattCycle
55, 61 Riley,Gina – Team 22
56, 1 Richards,Suzie – Albarosa Cycling Club
57, 27 Beddis,Delia – Les Filles Racing Team
58, 2 Botteley,Sian – Velosure Starley Primal

For more information on the Tour de Yorkshire please visit; www.letouryorkshire.com