Women’s Tour: Stage 1

Jolien D’hoore wins Suffolk opener for OVO Energy Women’s Tour as peloton denies Abby-Mae Parkinson a solo victory

Women’s Tour: Stage 1

Belgian rider Jolien D’hoore sprinted to victory on the opening day of the Women’s Tour in Suffolk for the second year running, leading a Boels Dolmans Cycling Team one-two across the line after a testing day in gruelling conditions.

D’hoore, winner in Southwold 12 month ago, led home Dutch team-mate Amy Pieters in Stowmarket to take the first leaders jersey of this year’s race. The pair were at the head of the peloton that chased down British rider Abby-Mae Parkinson (Drops) who held a one and a half minute lead as the race passed through Stowmarket for the first time, with WNT ROTOR’S Lisa Brennauer taking third.

Parkinson’s reward for her efforts that brought the finish crowds in Stowmarket to life on a rain soaked stage was the first Combativity Award of the week. The Drops rider crossed the finish line 67th, while team-mate Ellie Dickinson was the leading British rider on the stage, finishing 12th.

.. continued after advert

Speaking afterwards, D’hoore said, “It was a pretty good day for us, I’m feeling alright, I did Bira two weeks ago and then straight after Thüringen, it’s pretty hard but now I’m feeling pretty good and it was pretty hard and I’m happy I could show it today with the stage win. The team was really strong, and they brought me actually to the perfect position going into the sprint and they dropped me off at 150 to go and Amy Pieters got second herself, so it really proves that we are a strong team here.”

Having now taken three of her four stage wins in the OVO Energy Women’s Tour in the East of England, the Belgian continued, “I think I like Suffolk now. It’s really nice and also last year was the first stage so there’s the advantage of having all the jerseys now, so I really like it and today a bunch sprint was expected and I am happy it was this way.”

In addition to the race lead, D’hoore also takes the initial lead in the Points Jersey, while Boels Dolmans team-mate Christine Majerus leads the Queen of the Mountains Jersey. Defending champion Coryn Rivera (Team Sunweb) began her campaign by taking the Sprints jersey on day one and with it six seconds of time bonuses.

Abby-Mae Parkinson: “It was pretty steady for the first 100k, nothing was really going, until there was an attack and a couple of girls followed, and I thought I’ll go over the top of it and kept pressing on and managed to stay out there until 4k to go.”

… continued after advert

The Stages
· Stage One, Monday 10 June, Beccles to Stowmarket, 157.6km
· Stage Two, Tuesday 11 June, the Kent Cyclopark Stage, 62.5km
· Stage Three, Wednesday 12 June, Henley-on-Thames to Blenheim Palace, 145.1km
· Stage Four, Thursday 13 June, Warwick to Burton Dassett Country Park, 158.9km
· Stage Five, Friday 14 June, Llandrindod Wells to Builth Wells, 140km
· Stage Six, Saturday 15 June, Carmarthen to Pembrey Country Park, 125.9km

Stage Result
1. Jolien D’Hoore Boels – Dolmans Cycling Team 04:09:12
2. Amy Pieters Boels – Dolmans Cycling Team
3. Lisa Brennauer WNT – Rotor Pro Cycling Team
4. Roxane Fournier Movistar Women’s Team
5. Marianne Vos CCC – Liv
6. Chloe Hosking Alé Cipollini
7. Maria Confalonieri Valcar – Cylance Cycling
8. Sheyla Ruiz Movistar Women’s Team
9. Julie Leth Bigla
10. Sarah Roy Mitchelton – Scott

12. Eleanor Dickinson Drops
13. Lizzie Deignan Trek – Segafredo Women @ 04
18. Elizabeth Banks Bigla @ 04
39. Hannah Barnes Canyon – SRAM Racing @ 04
57. Elizabeth Holden Drops @ 04
62. Alice Barnes Canyon – SRAM Racing @ 04
67. Abby-Mae Parkinson Drops @ 04
72. Anna Christian Drops @ 04
78. Alice Cobb Team TIBCO – Silicon Valley Bank @ 04
80. Manon Lloyd Drops @ 04
82. Hannah Payton Drops @ 16
92. Abigail Van Twisk Trek – Segafredo Women @ 02:49 92