Team Sunweb’s Coryn Rivera moved into the OVO Energy Women’s Tour Green Jersey after pipping 2014 champion Marianne Vos to the line in Daventry, Northamptonshire, on Thursday.
The Californian rider for Team Sunweb survived the double ascent of the SKODA Queen of the Mountains climb of Newnham Hill on the outskirts of Daventry to pip Vos and move into a 15-second lead ahead of day three in Warwickshire.
Briton Dani Rowe (WaowDeals Pro Cycling) sits second, with her team-mate Vos a further second in arrears. A further thirteen riders are all within 23 seconds of Rivera on GC with three days of racing remaining.
After a long solo breakaway by Maaike Boogaard (BTC City Ljubljana) was reeled in by the peloton, the first ascent of Newnham Hill saw a group of four, containing last year’s winner Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM), Vos, Rowe and Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle HIGH5), go clear with 35 kilometres remaining.
Having contested the day’s final intermediate Eisberg Sprint on the first passage of the finish line in Daventry – won by Rowe – the group were pulled back as Team Sunweb, and in particular Floortje Mackaij, worked hard for Rivera.
“We weren’t represented so did have to do something but we didn’t panic,” said Rivera afterwards of that elite but short-lived breakaway that preceded her first victory in the OVO Energy Women’s Tour.
“I just communicated to Floortje, who was riding really well today, to help me pace to it. Then as we got closer to the top I was able to bridge across to the climbers in the front group. Luckily we already had Ellen [Van Dijk] in there [by then] and so I just communicated to her to just drive it.”
Van Dijk’s pace setting on the three-kilometre run back to Daventry from the final climb kept the front group of 18 riders together and warded off any further attacks, setting up a thrilling finish. Rivera’s tighter line through the curved finish, combined with a fantastic last-ditch bike throw, gave her the win over Vos.
Team Sunweb coach Hans Timmermans (NED) said: “We stayed cool as the late break went clear and after they were brought back we still had four riders in the leading group. In the final the girls positioned Coryn super good and when the front group went clear, Ellen could follow. Coryn bridged across on the final climb with two and a half to go and from there it was full gas towards the finish line to gain some time”.
“There are still three days to go so we will race smart and not spend too much energy on defending, but it’s a great confidence boost to take the win today.”
Second-placed Rowe continues to lead the Adnams Best British Rider classification while Rivera also moves into the Breast Cancer Care Points Jersey and Eisberg Sprints Jersey. Thanks to her performances on Newnham Hill, Wiggle HIGH5’s Elisa Longo Borghini takes the lead in the SKODA Queen of the Mountains classification with a 10-point advantage over erstwhile leader Christine Majerus (Boels-Dolmans).
Words by Sweetspot, Images by Chris Maher.
The Women’s Tour Official Site
Friday’s stage sees the race return to Warwickshire for the third-successive year with Stage Three covering 150 kilometres from Atherstone to Royal Leamington Spa, via the likes of Kenilworth, Warwick and Wellesbourne.
Stage Winner 21 RIVERA Coryn Team Sunweb USA
Combativity award 143 BOOGAARD Maaike Btc City Ljubljana
General Classification OVO ENERGY 21 RIVERA Coryn Team Sunweb USA
Points BREAST CANCER CARE 21 RIVERA Coryn Team Sunweb USA
Queen of the Mountains SKODA 55 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa Wiggle High5 ITA
Sprints EISBERG 21 RIVERA Coryn Team Sunweb USA
Best British ADNAMS 105 ROWE Danielle Waowdeals Pro Cycling Team GBR
Best Team OVO ENERGY Waowdeals Pro Cycling Team
Stage 2 Top 20
1 21 RIVERA Coryn 00″ SUN USA B:15″
2 101 VOS Marianne ‘ ‘ WAD NED B:07″
3 14 MAJERUS Christine ‘ ‘ DLT LUX B:04″
4 105 ROWE Danielle ‘ ‘ WAD GBR B:06″
5 74 ELVIN Gracie ‘ ‘ MTS AUS
6 5 FERRAND PREVOT Pauline ‘ ‘ CSR FRA
7 161 CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia ‘ ‘ VAL ITA
8 141 BUJAK Eugenia ‘ ‘ BTC SLO
9 91 BUURMAN Eva ‘ ‘ DRP NED
10 55 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ‘ ‘ WHT ITA B:02″
11 15 PIETERS Amy ‘ ‘ DLT NED B:01″
12 51 BRENNAUER Lisa ‘ ‘ WHT GER
13 86 PALADIN Soraya ‘ ‘ ALE ITA
14 145 *IAKOVENKO Anastasiia ‘ ‘ BTC RUS
15 26 VAN DIJK Ellen ‘ ‘ SUN NED
16 106 STULTIENS Sabrina ‘ ‘ WAD NED
17 4 AMIALIUSIK Alena ‘ ‘ CSR BLR
18 73 WILLIAMS Georgia 05″ MTS NZL
19 11 BLAAK Chantal 17″ DLT NED
20 25 *MACKAIJ Floortje ‘ ‘SUN NED
General Classification after Stage 2
1 21 RIVERA Coryn 00″ SUN USA 7h22’22”
2 105 ROWE Danielle 15″ WAD GBR 7h22’37”
3 101 VOS Marianne 16″ WAD NED 7h22’38”
4 15 PIETERS Amy 17″ DLT NED 7h22’39”
5 14 MAJERUS Christine 19″ DLT LUX 7h22’41”
6 55 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa 21″ WHT ITA 7h22’43”
7 141 BUJAK Eugenia 23″ BTC SLO 7h22’45”
8 91 BUURMAN Eva ‘ ‘ DRP NED ‘ ‘
9 161 CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia ‘ ‘ VAL ITA ‘ ‘
10 5 FERRAND PREVOT Pauline ‘ ‘ CSR FRA ‘ ‘
11 106 STULTIENS Sabrina ‘ ‘ WAD NED ‘ ‘
12 26 VAN DIJK Ellen ‘ ‘ SUN NED ‘ ‘
13 86 PALADIN Soraya ‘ ‘ ALE ITA ‘ ‘
14 145 *IAKOVENKO Anastasiia ‘ ‘ BTC RUS ‘ ‘
15 4 AMIALIUSIK Alena ‘ ‘ CSR BLR ‘ ‘
16 84 KASPER Romy ‘ ‘ ALE GER ‘ ‘
17 1 NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna 39″ CSR POL 7h23’01”
18 61 BRONZINI Giorgia 40″ CPC ITA 7h23’02”
19 41 FOURNIER Roxane ‘ ‘ FDJ FRA ‘ ‘
20 46 SLIK Rozanne ‘ ‘ FDJ NED ‘ ‘
