Aviva Women’s Tour – Stage 3

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Luxembourg national champion Christine Majerus sprinted to victory in Kettering on Friday afternoon to take the lead of the Aviva Women’s Tour

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Aviva Women’s Tour – Stage 3

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Luxembourg national champion Christine Majerus sprinted to victory in Kettering on Friday afternoon to take the lead of the Aviva Women’s Tour heading into the weekend’s final two stages.

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Still 50 metres from the line and  Christine Majerus has time to start a long celebration

The Boels Dolmans rider rounded the final corner atop a stiff drag up to the finish line at the head of a peloton, heading home Barbara Guarischi and young British duo Lucy Garner and Hannah Barnes.

Majerus’ two second advantage on the Northamptonshire finish line moved her into the Aviva Yellow Jersey, four seconds ahead of overnight leader Lisa Brennauer.

Garner’s strong ride also saw her head up the SweetSpot Best Young Riders competition and take the Premier Inn jersey for the top placed British rider thanks to her sixth place overall.

Lisa Brennauer held on to the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey, having finished in the top six on every stage, while Melissa Hoskins keeps the lead, by four points over Elise Delzenne, in the Strava Queen of the Mountains classification.

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Mid race Sprint for time bonuses is keenly contested behind the two breakaways

Bigla Pro Cycling’s Sharon Laws won the YodelDirect Combativity Award for an attacking display that saw her only caught by the peloton on the outskirts of Kettering. Last year’s Strava Queen of the Mountains had bridged across to a two-rider break of Heather Fischer and Chloe McConville, but the trio’s lead was finally snuffed out with three kilometres to go.

Highlights of Stage Three are on ITV4 at 8pm on Friday 19 June, with a repeat at 11.10am on Saturday morning.

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Stage Three Report and Quotes
The Boel Dolmans team have experienced mixed emotions on this Aviva’s Women’s Tour so far but it was all smiles after Stage Three from Oundle to Kettering following an outstanding win for Christine Majerus which also projected her into the race lead

On Wednesday Majerus, normally a super-domestique in a star studded team, worked on behalf of stage winner Lizzie Armitstead before looking on in horror as her colleague crashed to ground after the finish. Armitstead was on the way to hospital by air ambulance as Majerus and the rest of the worried Boel Dolmans team accepted the yellow jersey on her behalf at a muted winners’ ceremony.

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Christine Majerus in yellow for stage 4, the shortest of the race.

Later the night however Armitstead walked back into the team hotel after escaping serious injury and yesterday Majerus, enjoying the opportunity to ride as a protected rider, again showed her class with a brilliantly executed ride.

The Luxembourg rider kept her nose out of the wind in the peloton all day and with her team moving her effortlessly through to the sharp end of the race when the break was caught four kilometres out from the finish and she really went to work. Racing into the final kilometre the key was a sharp ramp and sharp left hand corner at 200m out and she negotiated both in fine style

“It was a good day, exactly as we planned it and it’s always nice when that happens,” said a delighted Majerus afterwards. “I was so well protected by my team-mated that I couldn’t not win! We had a close look at the finish in advance and that last chicane suited me because I am pretty good at cornering. When I got through the corner and saw the gap I realised this might be my day so I just went for it.

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Ironically in the toughest sprint finish of the race, the pure sprints such as Lucy Garner and Hannah Barnes put the yellow jersey who had finished second twice on the first two stages behind them

“The yellow jersey was a nice bonus. I definitely wanted to try and win the stage but it was only when I was sitting at the podium waiting for the presentation that I got told I was the yellow jersey as well.”

Now 28 Majerus is a perennial winner of the Luxembourg National Time Trial championship eight times and the national road race for the last five years on the bounce. She has also a six time national cyclo-cross champion and, unsurprisingly, was voted Luxembourg’s Sports Woman of the Year in 2013 when she also recorded perhaps the best win of her career before today, taking the prestigious Sparkassen Giro.

“Normally I ride a lot for the other girls at Boels Dolmans and I know how cool and satisfying it is to see your teammate winning. We have a great mentality in the team with everyone racing for everyone. That’s why we have had such nice results this year. Today I was the leader and they did a lot of work for me I could not let that work go to waste. It was a huge motivation to really go for it and I took my chance.

“It is always difficult when you see a teammate crash so hard. I saw Lizzie crash in front of me and I was really scared for her. For four hours or so after the race we were all pretty depressed but then she came back to the hotel, the was great news. The atmosphere got better, she wanted us to keep racing and to keep fighting for the wins. Since then we have been trying to win for her. Today I could finally smile.”

In second place behind Majerus was Italy’s Barbara Guarischi riding for Velocio SRAM while in third place, with one of the ride of the day, was Great Britain’s Lucy Garner with a battling display which took her to sixth place in GC.

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A beaming Lucy Garner on the podium at the Women’s Tour! Best young rider and Best Brit

Garner, who rides for Liv Plantur, has been struggling a little with a knee injury this season and although she is now happy with her fitness and recovery she was disappointed not to feature in Thursday’s stage into Clacton which she felt was an obvious sprint finish.

Conversely she was dubious at the start of today’s tough 139.2km stage whether she had the legs but, in that relaxed mood and with little expectation, Garner suddenly rediscovered the confidence and form needed to make an impression at this level.

“I’ve had a tough couple of months but I’ve trained well and thought I had good form. Thursday was quite a disappointing result for me. I wanted it so badly but it didn’t work out for me. I didn’t think it was particularly a day for me. It was a very tough circuit constantly up and down but I was hoping I could make it to the finish as fresh as possible but I’m really pleased with the third.

“The team got me into the best possible positon and the sprint started very early at the bottom of the drag all the way up to the finish. It was a very long and painful sprint. I was trying to catch second but also trying to hold off some other riders I could see in the corner of my eye. Hannah Barnes came fourth and it seems I’ve been battling with Hannah ever since I started cycling. It’s great she went so well in her home county.

“La Course at the end of July will be the next big target for the team and myself after the Women’s Tour. After the Nationals next week I’ve got a big training block to prepare for it.”

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An equally beaming Sharon Laws in the break of the day. In the press conference she had the red numbers after getting the combativity award.

Another prominent British rider on the day was Sharon Laws whose hard riding in the break earned her the YodelDirect Combativity award: “It was a long day but we had seen on Thursday that the break stood a chance and we wanted to get in one today so I took my chance,” says Laws.

“So I decided to try and bridge the gap when Chloe McConville and Heather Fischer went up the road. Once I got over to them it was good and we worked well together. It was a shame we could stay all the way.

“Out front though it is really possible to appreciate the crowds. When you are in the peloton you don’t notice them quite so much but today some people seemed to recognise me in the break and were shouting my name which never happens when I am racing in Europe.”

Saturday’s Stage Four, a 103.4km run between Waltham Cross and Stevenage has the look of another sprint but with the overall general classification race for the Aviva Yellow Jersey so close and bonus second up for grabs every second counts.

Majerus is just three second ahead of Jolien D’hoore with Lisa Brennauer just one second further back in third place. Indeed the 20th place rider on GC, Majerus’ Boels Dolmans teammate Amelie Dideriksen, is still only 20 seconds behind the leader.

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Whilst the Aussie Chloe McConville get a bottle, Heather Fischer lets her team know she wants two …

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Heather Fischer and Chloe McConville lead the race with Sharon Laws not far behind to make three leaders.

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The first Queen of the Mountains is won by Elise Delzenne

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Sharon Laws winds the sprint up on the tough climb at Rockingham for the first QoM

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Early in the race and the peloton appears quiet. Shortly after, my pilot and I had to get through the group and it was manic and took a long time as riders kept racing to the front keeping the motorbikes behind them. It was an eye opener to just how fast they were going!

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The yellow jersey at the start was Lisa Brennauer 

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The shop where Hannah Barnes mother Sue works was a ‘landmark’ for race goers!

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Hannah Barnes was popular with the fans and local media

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As was her mother Sue!

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The bagpipes made an appearance as well!

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Youngster Elinor Barker crosses the line 38 seconds behind the leader in 79th and lost her position as leading Brit

RESULTS

STAGE 3
1 MAJERUS Christine DLT 3h43’05”
2 GUARISCHI Barbara VEL 02″
3 * GARNER Lucy TLP ‘
4 * BARNES Hannah UHC ‘
5 JOHANSSON Emma OGE ‘
6 BRENNAUER Lisa VEL ‘
7 D’HOORE Jolien WHT ‘
8 WORRACK Trixi VEL 05″
9 * DIDERIKSEN Amalie DLT ‘
10 FRAPPORTI Simona ALE ‘
11 KIRCHMANN Leah OPW ‘
12 PAWLOWSKA Katarzyna DLT ‘
13 * ZORZI Susanna LBL ‘
14 JEULAND Pascale FUT ‘
15 * RYAN Alexis UHC ‘
16 GUARNIER Megan DLT ‘
17 STEPHENS Lauren USA ‘
18 * KOSTER Anouska RBW ‘
19 KNETEMANN Roxanne RBW ‘
20 *CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia ALE ‘
21 TENNIGLO Moniek RBW 12″
22 * WEAVER Molly TLP ‘
23 CROMWELL Tiffany VEL ‘
24 LEPESTÖ Lotta BCT ‘
25 DECROIX Lieselot LBL ‘
26 ROSS Hannah USA ‘
27 * STULTIENS Sabrina TLP ‘
28 BRONZINI Giorgia WHT ‘
29 HEADLEY Sara USA ‘
30 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa WHT ‘
31 FOURNIER Roxane FUT ‘
32 * TROTT Laura MAT ‘
33 ELVIN Gracie OGE ‘
34 TAYLOR Carlee LBL ‘
35 KASPER Romy DLT ‘
36 JASINSKA Malgorzta ALE ‘
37 SLAPPENDEL Iris BCT ‘
38 KING Dani WHT ‘
39 TAGLIAFERRO Marta ALE ‘
40 CORDON Audrey WHT ‘
41 VILLUMSEN Linda UHC ‘
42 HAMMES Kathrin GER ‘
43 LICHTENBERG Claudia TLP ‘
44 * HORBACH Ariane OPW ‘
45 KINSELLA Maura OPW ‘
46 BIANNIC Aude FUT ‘
47 ROY Sarah OGE ‘
48 KOMANSKI Lauren USA ‘
49 POHL Stephanie GER ‘
50 HALL Katie UHC ‘
51 * LECHNER Corinna GER ‘
52 * EWART Annie OPW ‘
53 * DE JONG Thalita RBW ‘
54 FERNANDES SOUSA Uenia ALE ‘
55 ROWNEY Loren VEL ‘
56 RIJKES Sarah LBL ‘
57 *CAUZ Francesca ALE ‘
58 SOEK Julia TLP ‘
59 HORNE Ciara PIS ‘
60 LAWS Sharon BCT ‘
61 MUSTONEN-LICHAN Sara TLP ‘
62 KOEDOODER Vera BCT ‘
63 * SHAW Gabriella PIS ‘
64 * DUVAL Eugenie FUT ‘
65 DELZENNE Elise VEL ‘
66 CURTIS Katie PIS ‘
67 MCCONVILLE Chloe OGE ‘
68 HOSKINS Melissa OGE ‘
69 HANSELMANN Nicole BCT 25″
70 ALBRECHT Lex OPW 29″
71 BUCHANAN Rushlee UHC ‘
72 STOREY Dame Sarah PIS ‘
73 RIVAT Amelie FUT ‘
74 * ARCHIBALD Katie PIS 31″
75 MARTIN Lucy MAT 34″
76 FISCHER Heather USA 35″
77 * RIJFF Anouk LBL ‘
78 WYMAN Helen MAT 38″
79 * BARKER Elinor MAT ‘
80 AUBRY Emilie BCT ‘
81 * KNAUER Anna RBW 41″
82 EDMONDSON Annette WHT ‘
83 HOFFMANN Chantal LBL 52″
84 * KÃœLLMER Lisa GER 01’14”
85 * MANLY Alexandra OGE 01’31”
86 *LE COURT DE BILLOT Kimberley MAT 08’53”
87 * ORTMÃœLLER Madeleine GER 12’15”

OVERALL
1 MAJERUS Christine DLT LUX 9h46’09” 00″
2 D’HOORE Jolien WHT BEL 03″
3 BRENNAUER Lisa VEL GER 04″
4 JOHANSSON Emma OGE SWE 09″
5 GUARISCHI Barbara VEL ITA 10″
6 * GARNER Lucy TLP GBR 12″
7 * BARNES Hannah UHC GBR 13″
8 FRAPPORTI Simona ALE ITA 19″
9 * RYAN Alexis UHC USA ‘
10 JEULAND Pascale FUT FRA ‘
11 * KOSTER Anouska RBW NED ‘
12 WORRACK Trixi VEL GER ‘
13 *CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia ALE ITA ‘
14 KNETEMANN Roxanne RBW NED ‘
15 * ZORZI Susanna LBL ITA ‘
16 STEPHENS Lauren USA USA ‘
17 PAWLOWSKA Katarzyna DLT POL ‘
18 KIRCHMANN Leah OPW CAN ‘
19 GUARNIER Megan DLT USA ‘
20 * DIDERIKSEN Amalie DLT DEN ‘
21 KOEDOODER Vera BCT NED 20″
22 TAGLIAFERRO Marta ALE ITA 21″
23 * LECHNER Corinna GER GER 22″
24 MCCONVILLE Chloe OGE AUS 24″
25 LEPESTÖ Lotta BCT FIN 26″
26 ELVIN Gracie OGE AUS ‘
27 DECROIX Lieselot LBL BEL ‘
28 ROY Sarah OGE AUS ‘
29 ROSS Hannah USA USA ‘
30 * TROTT Laura MAT GBR ‘
31 FOURNIER Roxane FUT FRA ‘
32 JASINSKA Malgorzta ALE POL ‘
33 CROMWELL Tiffany VEL AUS ‘
34 SLAPPENDEL Iris BCT NED ‘
35 MUSTONEN-LICHAN Sara TLP SWE ‘
36 * DE JONG Thalita RBW NED ‘
37 CURTIS Katie PIS GBR ‘
38 KASPER Romy DLT GER ‘
39 BIANNIC Aude FUT FRA ‘
40 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa WHT ITA ‘
41 TENNIGLO Moniek RBW NED ‘
42 VILLUMSEN Linda UHC NZL ‘
43 HALL Katie UHC USA ‘
44 DELZENNE Elise VEL FRA ‘
45 ROWNEY Loren VEL AUS ‘
46 RIJKES Sarah LBL AUT ‘
47 * WEAVER Molly TLP GBR ‘
48 * EWART Annie OPW CAN ‘
49 TAYLOR Carlee LBL AUS ‘
50 SOEK Julia TLP NED ‘
51 POHL Stephanie GER GER ‘
52 CORDON Audrey WHT FRA ‘
53 KINSELLA Maura OPW USA ‘
54 KING Dani WHT GBR ‘
55 HAMMES Kathrin GER GER ‘
56 HEADLEY Sara USA USA ‘
57 LAWS Sharon BCT GBR ‘
58 * DUVAL Eugenie FUT FRA ‘
59 * STULTIENS Sabrina TLP NED ‘
60 KOMANSKI Lauren USA USA ‘
61 FERNANDES SOUSA Uenia ALE BRA ‘
62 * SHAW Gabriella PIS GBR ‘
63 HOSKINS Melissa OGE AUS ‘
64 *CAUZ Francesca ALE ITA ‘
65 LICHTENBERG Claudia TLP GER ‘
66 HORNE Ciara PIS GBR ‘
67 HANSELMANN Nicole BCT SUI 39″
68 RIVAT Amelie FUT FRA 43″
69 BUCHANAN Rushlee UHC NZL ‘
70 ALBRECHT Lex OPW CAN ‘
71 BRONZINI Giorgia WHT ITA 46″
72 FISCHER Heather USA USA ‘
73 MARTIN Lucy MAT GBR 48″
74 * BARKER Elinor MAT GBR 49″
75 AUBRY Emilie BCT SUI 52″
76 * KNAUER Anna RBW GER 55″
77 HOFFMANN Chantal LBL LUX 01’06”
78 EDMONDSON Annette WHT AUS ‘
79 * KÃœLLMER Lisa GER GER 01’28”
80 * HORBACH Ariane OPW GER 01’29”
81 WYMAN Helen MAT GBR 02’28”
82 * RIJFF Anouk LBL NED 02’39”
83 STOREY Dame Sarah PIS GBR 02’50”
84 * ARCHIBALD Katie PIS GBR 03’51”
85 * MANLY Alexandra OGE AUS 29’27”
86 *LE COURT DE BILLOT Kimberley MAT MRI 34’39”
87 * ORTMÃœLLER Madeleine GER GER 55’44”
YOUNG RIDER
1 GARNER Lucy TLP 9h46’21” 00″
2 BARNES Hannah UHC 01″
3 RYAN Alexis UHC 07″
4 KOSTER Anouska RBW ‘
5 CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia ALE ‘
6 ZORZI Susanna LBL ‘
7 DIDERIKSEN Amalie DLT ‘
8 LECHNER Corinna GER 10″
9 TROTT Laura MAT 14″
10 DE JONG Thalita RBW ‘
11 EWART Annie OPW ‘
12 WEAVER Molly TLP ‘
13 DUVAL Eugenie FUT ‘
14 SHAW Gabriella PIS ‘
15 STULTIENS Sabrina TLP ‘
16 CAUZ Francesca ALE ‘
17 BARKER Elinor MAT 37″
18 KNAUER Anna RBW 43″
19 KÃœLLMER Lisa GER 01’16”
20 HORBACH Ariane OPW 01’17”
21 RIJFF Anouk LBL 02’27”
22 ARCHIBALD Katie PIS 03’39”
23 MANLY Alexandra OGE 29’15”
24 LE COURT DE BILLOT Kimberley MAT 34’27”
25 ORTMÃœLLER Madeleine GER 55’32”

POINTS
1 BRENNAUER Lisa VEL 29
2 D’HOORE Jolien WHT 28
3 JOHANSSON Emma OGE 25
4 MAJERUS Christine DLT 24
5 GUARISCHI Barbara VEL 12
6 FRAPPORTI Simona ALE 11
7 TAGLIAFERRO Marta ALE 10
8 GARNER Lucy TLP 10
9 BARNES Hannah UHC 10
10 KOEDOODER Vera BCT 6
11 KOSTER Anouska RBW 6
12 RYAN Alexis UHC 5
13 KNETEMANN Roxanne RBW 5
14 JEULAND Pascale FUT 4
15 LECHNER Corinna GER 4
16 BRONZINI Giorgia WHT 4
17 FISCHER Heather USA 3
18 WORRACK Trixi VEL 3
19 BARKER Elinor MAT 3
20 DIDERIKSEN Amalie DLT 2
21 MCCONVILLE Chloe OGE 2
22 LEPESTÖ Lotta BCT 2
23 BIANNIC Aude FUT 1

MOUNTAINS
1 HOSKINS Melissa OGE 21
2 DELZENNE Elise VEL 17
3 LAWS Sharon BCT 11
4 TROTT Laura MAT 10
5 KOSTER Anouska RBW 9
6 STULTIENS Sabrina TLP 7
7 KOEDOODER Vera BCT 6
8 MCCONVILLE Chloe OGE 6
9 HALL Katie UHC 6
10 GUARNIER Megan DLT 6
11 FISCHER Heather USA 5
12 TAGLIAFERRO Marta ALE 4
13 JASINSKA Malgorzta ALE 4
14 BARKER Elinor MAT 3
15 TENNIGLO Moniek RBW 2
16 ARCHIBALD Katie PIS 2
17 ELVIN Gracie OGE 1
18 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa WHT 1

TEAM
1 Velocio SRAM 29h19’18” 00″
2 Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 29h19’19” 01″
3 UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling 29h19’28” 10″
4 Ale Cipollini 29h19’31” 13″
5 Rabo Liv Womens Cycling Team 29h19’31” ‘ ‘
6 Orica AIS 29h19’35” 17″
7 Wiggle Honda 29h19’35” ‘ ‘
8 Team Liv Plantur 29h19’35” ‘ ‘
9 Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 29h19’38” 20″
10 Lotto Soudal Ladies 29h19’38” ‘ ‘
11 Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 29h19’38” ‘ ‘
12 USA 29h19’38” ‘ ‘
13 Bigla Pro Cycling Team 29h19’45” 27″
14 Germany 29h19’45” ‘ ‘
15 Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International 29h19’45” ‘ ‘
16 Matrix Fitness 29h20’33” 01’15”

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