Report: Women’s V-Tour Stage Two

Welsh rider Leah Dixon (Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank) took the second stage of the ŠKODA V-Women’s Tour on the hill top finish of Burton Dassett in Warwickshire to round off an exemplary display of tactics from Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank.

Report: Women’s V-Tour Stage Two

Dixon’s teammate Lauren Stephens had kicked things off on the second of three ascents of the 1.7km climb, going clear from a leading group of ten riders, with Dixon bridging across to her at the top of the climb. The Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank tandem at the front was never caught, with teammate Kristen Faulkner threatening to make it a trio of blue jerseys, but her pursuit was marked by Lizzy Banks (Bigla Katusha) and Lizzie Holden (Bizkaia Durango).

On the final ascent of Burton Dassett Stephens initially forged ahead, but Dixon soon matched and rode clear from her Texan colleague to take the win. Behind Stephens, Holden took third, just ahead of Faulker to prevent a 1-2-3 for Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank.

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“It was just the perfect race,” said Leah Dixon afterwards. “We had talked about it on the team call beforehand, me and Lauren had discussed tactics earlier on in the day around what we thought would happen. We thought we could whittle the group down a bit on the first lap, and then depending on who was in the group on the second lap we would try and go hard to reduce the group further.

“Lauren attacked and got a really big gap, and then came over our race radio ‘If someone can come across to me, come across now’ and I just went all in, got over to her and then we just did some really great teamwork.”

Dixon now takes a lead of almost 22 seconds over teammate Faulkner into the final stage, a 35-lap circuit race around Canary Wharf in London, with Holden a further second in arrears, and the current Best Young Rider. Overnight leader Dani Christmas (Lotto Soudal Ladies) put in a great ride on the final ascent to get across to the remains of the front group, coming home tenth, but almost a minute back on the winner and now sits seventh.

The ŠKODA V-Women’s Tour resumes with the third and final stage, a 35 lap criterium around the Canary Wharf circuit in London. The 35 lap race gets underway at 19:10 BST and will see the first winner of the ŠKODA V-Women’s Tour crowned.

Live coverage of the race will again be available via the BBC Sport website, app and BBC iPlayer as well as available on the Women’s Tour website, Facebook page and YouTube channel from 19:00 BST on Friday 19 June.

Stage Result

1. Leah Dixon (Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank), 54:10.508
2. Lauren Stephens (Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank), + 9.235
3. Lizzie Holden (Bizkaia Durango), + 21.735
4. Kristen Faulkner (Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank), + 22.009
5. Lizzy Banks (Bigla Katusha), + 24.089

General Classification, after Stage Two
1. Leah Dixon (Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank), 1:54.10.508
2. Kristen Faulkner (Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank), + 21.978
3. Lizzie Holden (Bizkaia Durango), + 22.920
4. Lizzy Banks (Bigla Katusha), + 24.335
5. Illi Gardner (CAMS-Tifosi), + 46.515

Best British Rider, after Stage One: Leah Dixon (Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank)
Best Young Rider, after Stage One: Lizzie Holden (Bizkaia Durango)