PRESS RELEASE
TUESDAY 05 OCTOBER 2021
AMY PIETERS WINS AS CLARA COPPONI SEIZES AJ BELL WOMEN’S TOUR LEAD IN WALSALL
Dutchwoman Amy Pieters (SD Worx) claimed the fourth AJ Bell Women’s Tour stage victory of her career in Walsall on Tuesday, as debutante Clara Copponi moved into the race lead after a dramatic finale.
Images by Chris Maher - Updated Daily Throughout the Race
Pieters won from a 10-rider group who broke clear inside the final 10 kilometres of racing, and took advantage of support from team-mate Demi Vollering to out-sprint Copponi (FDJ Nouvelle – Aquitaine Futuroscope). Movistar Team’s Sheyla Gutierrez took third.
Overnight race leader Marta Bastianelli (Alé BTC Ljubljana) finished within the peloton, 46 seconds behind the leaders, and conceded the AJ Bell blue jersey to Copponi, who is making her debut in the race in 2021.
Copponi and Pieters are level on time, while only six others are within 10 seconds of the race lead going into Wednesday’s individual time trial in Atherstone, North Warwickshire.
“It was a hectic final”, said Pieters after claiming her fourth career win in the AJ Bell Women’s Tour. “I think the whole day was pretty hectic. There was still a small gap after the last corner but I thought I just need to start to sprint. It was an urgent sprint but it went well at the end. “The whole day was really aggressive, I think that we were the only ones attacking. We kept attacking with the team and at the end we went away and it was a really good group and luckily we made it.”
After setting off from Walsall’s Victorian Arboretum in wet conditions the peloton tackled 10 laps of a 10-kilometre circuit featuring the climb of Barr Beacon on every lap. The penultimate lap brought multiple attacks, with the race-winning move going clear and building a lead of half a minute on the run back to the finish in Walsall town centre.
British rider Pfeiffer Georgi (Team DSM) went clear in the last kilometre, leading through the final turn on to the Lichfield Street finishing straight, but with only a handful of metres’ of advantage over the fast-charging Pieters and Copponi. Georgi held on to take fifth and top Brit on the day, moving her up to eighth overall, just 10 seconds off the overall lead. Behind the leading 10, Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) led in the main field.
The Sigma Sports Points jersey also changes shoulders from Bastianelli to Copponi while Elise Chabbey (Canyon SRAM Racing) takes the ŠKODA Queen of the Mountains jersey. Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank’s Nina Kessler retains the Eisberg Sprints jersey having won two of the day’s intermediate sprints.
Stage 2 Top 20 Walsall Circuit
1 21 PIETERS Amy SDW NED B:10″ 00″
2 62 COPPONI Clara FDJ FRA B:06″ ‘ ‘
3 121 GUTIERREZ RUIZ Sheyla MOV ESP B:04″ ‘ ‘
4 2 CORDON RAGOT Audrey TFS FRA ‘ ‘
5 152 *GEORGI Pfeiffer DSM GBR ‘ ‘
6 14 CHABBEY Elise CSR SUI ‘ ‘
7 33 BOOGAARD Maaike ALE NED ‘ ‘
8 122 BIANNIC Aude MOV FRA ‘ ‘
9 155 LABOUS Juliette DSM FRA ‘ ‘
10 26 VOLLERING Demi SDW NED ‘ ‘
11 151 WIEBES Lorena DSM NED 42″
12 3 HOSKING Chloe TFS AUS ‘ ‘
13 75 VAN DER HULST Amber PHV NED ‘ ‘
14 41 *NELSON Josie HPU GBR ‘ ‘
15 124 ERIC Jelena MOV SRB ‘ ‘
16 92 BERTIZZOLO Sofia LIV ITA B:04″ ‘ ‘
17 61 DUVAL Eugénie FDJ FRA ‘ ‘
18 23 CECCHINI Elena SDW ITA ‘ ‘
19 154 KIRCHMANN Leah DSM CAN ‘ ‘
20 63 GROSSETETE Maelle FDJ FRA ‘ ‘
21 114 *TACEY April DRP GBR ‘ ‘
General Classification after Stage 2
1 62 COPPONI Clara FDJ FRA 6h22’34” 00″
2 21 PIETERS Amy SDW NED ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
3 121 GUTIERREZ RUIZ Sheyla MOV ESP 6h22’40” 06″
4 26 VOLLERING Demi SDW NED 6h22’43” 09″
5 155 LABOUS Juliette DSM FRA 6h22’44” 10″
6 14 CHABBEY Elise CSR SUI ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
7 122 BIANNIC Aude MOV FRA ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
8 152 *GEORGI Pfeiffer DSM GBR ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
9 105 KESSLER Nina TIB NED 6h23’12” 38″
10 31 BASTIANELLI Marta ALE ITA 6h23’14” 40″
11 33 BOOGAARD Maaike ALE NED 6h23’19” 45″
12 3 HOSKING Chloe TFS AUS 6h23’20” 46″
13 141 ROY Sarah BEX AUS ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
14 92 BERTIZZOLO Sofia LIV ITA 6h23’22” 48″
15 41 *NELSON Josie HPU GBR 6h23’26” 52″
16 23 CECCHINI Elena SDW ITA ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
17 154 KIRCHMANN Leah DSM CAN ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
18 61 DUVAL Eugénie FDJ FRA ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
19 13 *BARNES Hannah CSR GBR ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
20 96 PALADIN Soraya LIV ITA ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
Stage Three of the AJ Bell Women’s Tour is the race’s first ever individual time trial. Taking place over a 16.6-kilometre (10.3-mile) course starting and finishing in Atherstone town centre in North Warwickshire. The first rider starts at 12:01.
Start Times Stage 3 ITT Start Times in Atherstone
1 143 12:01:00 ALLEN Jessica BEX AUS
2 56 12:02:00 MORGANS-SLADER Francesca AWO GBR
3 83 12:03:00 FINNEY Jessica CAT GBR
4 55 12:04:00 MARTIN Phoebe AWO GBR
5 85 12:05:00 SCOTT Katie CAT GBR
6 76 12:06:00 VAN HAAFTEN Kirstie PHV NED
7 115 12:07:00 TOWERS Alice DRP GBR
8 43 12:08:00 FELDMANN Pernille Larsen HPU NOR
9 63 12:09:00 GROSSETETE Maelle FDJ FRA
10 82 12:10:00 EDWARDS Emma CAT USA
11 113 12:11:00 CHRISTMAS Danielle DRP GBR
12 142 12:12:00 CAMPBELL Teniel BEX TTO
13 116 12:13:00 VAN ‘T GELOOF Maria Apolonia DRP NED
14 126 12:14:00 RODRIGUEZ SANCHEZ Gloria MOV ESP
15 151 12:15:00 WIEBES Lorena DSM NED
16 6 12:16:00 WORRACK Trixi TFS GER
17 72 12:17:00 GERRITSE Femke PHV NED
18 123 12:18:00 GONZALEZ BLANCO Alicia MOV ESP
19 46 12:19:00 MOHR Mari Hole HPU NOR
20 134 12:20:00 PIRRONE Elena VAL ITA
21 86 12:21:00 STORRIE Becky CAT GBR
22 54 12:22:00 LETHBRIDGE Alice AWO GBR
23 112 12:23:00 CHRISTIAN Anna DRP GBR
24 136 12:24:00 VIGIE Margaux VAL FRA
25 114 12:25:00 TACEY April DRP GBR
26 2 12:26:00 CORDON RAGOT Audrey TFS FRA
27 104 12:27:00 FRAIN Nicole TIB AUS
28 74 12:28:00 MARKUS Femke PHV NED
29 53 12:29:00 HAYES Connie AWO GBR
30 144 12:30:00 ENSING Janneke BEX NED
31 103 12:31:00 EWERS Veronica TIB USA
32 75 12:32:00 VAN DER HULST Amber PHV NED
33 153 12:33:00 JASTRAB Megan DSM USA
34 1 12:34:00 DEIGNAN Elizabeth TFS GBR
35 133 12:35:00 SANGUINETI Ilaria VAL ITA
36 81 12:36:00 SIMMONDS Hayley CAT GBR
37 145 12:37:00 SANTESTEBAN GONZALEZ Ane BEX ESP
38 101 12:38:00 STEPHENS Lauren TIB USA
39 125 12:39:00 OYARBIDE JIMENEZ Lourdes MOV ESP
40 132 12:40:00 CONSONNI Chiara VAL ITA
41 66 12:41:00 WIEL Jade FDJ FRA
42 25 12:42:00 SHACKLEY Anna SDW GBR
43 156 12:43:00 LIPPERT Liane DSM GER
44 64 12:44:00 GUILMAN Victorie FDJ FRA
45 131 12:45:00 BALSAMO Elisa VAL ITA
46 12 12:46:00 BARNES Alice CSR GBR
47 73 12:47:00 LIMPENS Pien PHV NED
48 84 12:48:00 GRINCZER Natalie CAT GBR
49 65 12:49:00 MUZIC Evita FDJ FRA
50 124 12:50:00 ERIC Jelena MOV SRB
51 22 12:51:00 BLAAK Chantal SDW NED
52 106 12:52:00 SMITH Abi TIB GBR
53 36 12:53:00 WRIGHT Sophie ALE GBR
54 111 12:54:00 LOWDEN Joscelin DRP GBR
55 71 12:55:00 BREDEWOLD Mischa PHV NED
56 32 12:56:00 BUJAK Eugenia ALE SLO
57 24 12:57:00 MAJERUS Christine SDW LUX
58 15 12:58:00 HARRIS Ella CSR NZL
59 96 12:59:00 PALADIN Soraya LIV ITA
60 13 13:00:00 BARNES Hannah CSR GBR
61 61 13:01:00 DUVAL Eugénie FDJ FRA
62 154 13:02:00 KIRCHMANN Leah DSM CAN
63 23 13:03:00 CECCHINI Elena SDW ITA
64 41 13:04:00 NELSON Josie HPU GBR
65 92 13:05:00 BERTIZZOLO Sofia LIV ITA
66 33 13:06:00 BOOGAARD Maaike ALE NED
67 141 13:07:00 ROY Sarah BEX AUS
68 3 13:08:00 HOSKING Chloe TFS AUS
69 31 13:10:00 BASTIANELLI Marta ALE ITA
70 105 13:12:00 KESSLER Nina TIB NED
71 152 13:14:00 GEORGI Pfeiffer DSM GBR
72 122 13:16:00 BIANNIC Aude MOV FRA
73 14 13:18:00 CHABBEY Elise CSR SUI
74 155 13:20:00 LABOUS Juliette DSM FRA
75 26 13:22:00 VOLLERING Demi SDW NED
76 121 13:24:00 GUTIERREZ RUIZ Sheyla MOV ESP
77 21 13:26:00 PIETERS Amy SDW NED
78 62 13:28:00 COPPONI Clara FDJ FRA
Download Start Sheet & Times PDF 03_AJBWT_ITT_times
