PRESS RELEASE
WEDNESDAY 6 OCTOBER 2021
DEMI VOLLERING MOVES INTO AJ BELL WOMEN’S TOUR LEAD AFTER SENSATIONAL RIDE IN ATHERSTONE
Demi Vollering moved into the AJ Bell Women’s Tour race lead after a dominant performance in the race’s first-ever individual time trial stage in Atherstone, North Warwickshire, on Wednesday.
Images by Chris Maher - Updated Daily Throughout the Race
The Team SD Worx rider was the only rider to go under the 24-minute mark for the 16.6-kilometre test, with her time of 23:18 beating nearest challenger and newly-crowned UCI Hour Record holder Joss Lowden (Drops – Le Col s/b TEMPUR) by 1:04.
Vollering holds a dominant gap of 1:09 over Juliette Labous (Team DSM), who was fifth on the day. Overnight leader Clara Copponi (FDJ Nouvelle – Aquitaine) finished 11th on the stage and slipped to third overall, 1:19 off the pace.
Lowden moves up to sixth overall and top British rider, 1:47 back on the lead, with fellow Brits Alice Barnes (8th) and Pfeiffer Georgi (10th) also in the top ten.
“The start was uphill so I knew I could win it or I could lose it there if I didn’t go full gas,” said Vollering. “The first 4km I went all out and the middle part was the hardest part. There was a lot of headwind after the first half of the time trial, which made it really hard. The last part again full gas, everything out.”
Looking ahead to defending her lead as the race moves to the East of England for the final three stages, the SD Worx rider said; “It would be nice of course, but first to recover, so we will see. We have a good team for it, so I am curious to see how the rest of the week will go.”
The other race classifications remain unchanged with Copponi in the Sigma Sports Points jersey, Nina Kessler (Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank) in the Eisberg Sprints jersey, and Elise Chabbey (Canyon SRAM Racing) retaining the ŠKODA Queen of the Mountains jersey.
Top 30 Results Atherstone ITT
Pl Bib Name First Name Team Nat Time P Split Pl Bib Name First Name Team Nat Time P Split
1 26 VOLLERING Demi SDW NED 23’18″15 00″
2 111 *LOWDEN Joscelin DRP GBR 24’22″51 01’04”
3 154 KIRCHMANN Leah DSM CAN 24’23″95 01’05”
4 12 *BARNES Alice CSR GBR 24’26″34 01’08”
5 155 LABOUS Juliette DSM FRA 24’26″76 ‘ ‘
6 22 BLAAK Chantal SDW NED 24’27″23 01’09”
7 106 *SMITH Abi TIB GBR 24’38″23 01’20”
8 103 EWERS Veronica TIB USA 24’39″12 01’21”
9 25 *SHACKLEY Anna SDW GBR 24’43″29 01’25”
10 13 *BARNES Hannah CSR GBR 24’45″93 01’27”
11 62 COPPONI Clara FDJ FRA 24’46″14 01’28”
12 21 PIETERS Amy SDW NED 24’49″62 01’31”
13 122 BIANNIC Aude MOV FRA 24’50″88 01’32”
14 24 MAJERUS Christine SDW LUX 24’52″26 01’34”
15 15 HARRIS Ella CSR NZL 25’04″36 01’46”
16 141 ROY Sarah BEX AUS 25’07″97 01’49”
17 152 *GEORGI Pfeiffer DSM GBR 25’10″21 01’52”
18 14 CHABBEY Elise CSR SUI 25’11″09 01’53”
19 101 STEPHENS Lauren TIB USA 25’23″50 02’05”
20 144 ENSING Janneke BEX NED 25’26″39 02’08”
21 121 GUTIERREZ RUIZ Sheyla MOV ESP 25’26″75 ‘ ‘
22 2 CORDON RAGOT Audrey TFS FRA 25’27″74 02’09”
23 81 *SIMMONDS Hayley CAT GBR 25’30″12 02’12”
24 23 CECCHINI Elena SDW ITA 25’33″61 02’15”
25 33 BOOGAARD Maaike ALE NED 25’35″18 02’17”
26 71 BREDEWOLD Mischa PHV NED 25’35″67 ‘ ‘
27 125 OYARBIDE JIMENEZ LourMdeOsV ESP 25’36″99 02’18”
28 131 BALSAMO Elisa VAL ITA 25’39″82 02’21”
29 31 BASTIANELLI Marta ALE ITA 25’40″72 02’22”
30 112 *CHRISTIAN Anna DRP GBR 25’41″07 02’23”
31 145 SANTESTEBAN GONZALEBZE AXneESP 25’43″09 02’25”
General Classification after Stage 3
1 26 VOLLERING Demi SDW NED 6h46’01” 00″
2 155 LABOUS Juliette DSM FRA 6h47’10” 01’09”
3 62 COPPONI Clara FDJ FRA 6h47’20” 01’19”
4 21 PIETERS Amy SDW NED 6h47’23” 01’22”
5 122 BIANNIC Aude MOV FRA 6h47’34” 01’33”
6 111 *LOWDEN Joscelin DRP GBR 6h47’48” 01’47”
7 154 KIRCHMANN Leah DSM CAN 6h47’49” 01’48”
8 12 *BARNES Alice CSR GBR 6h47’52” 01’51”
9 22 BLAAK Chantal SDW NED 6h47’53” 01’52”
10 152 *GEORGI Pfeiffer DSM GBR 6h47’54” 01’53”
11 14 CHABBEY Elise CSR SUI 6h47’55” 01’54”
12 106 *SMITH Abi TIB GBR 6h48’04” 02’03”
13 121 GUTIERREZ RUIZ Sheyla MOV ESP 6h48’06” 02’05”
14 25 *SHACKLEY Anna SDW GBR 6h48’09” 02’08”
15 13 *BARNES Hannah CSR GBR 6h48’11” 02’10”
16 24 MAJERUS Christine SDW LUX 6h48’18” 02’17”
17 141 ROY Sarah BEX AUS 6h48’27” 02’26”
18 15 HARRIS Ella CSR NZL 6h48’30” 02’29”
19 101 STEPHENS Lauren TIB USA 6h48’49” 02’48”
20 33 BOOGAARD Maaike ALE NED 6h48’54” 02’53”
21 31 BASTIANELLI Marta ALE ITA ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
22 81 *SIMMONDS Hayley CAT GBR 6h48’56” 02’55”
23 23 CECCHINI Elena SDW ITA 6h48’59” 02’58”
24 71 BREDEWOLD Mischa PHV NED 6h49’01” 03’00”
25 125 OYARBIDE JIMENEZ LourdMeOsV ESP 6h49’02” 03’01”
26 131 BALSAMO Elisa VAL ITA 6h49’05” 03’04”
27 145 SANTESTEBAN GONZALEBZ EAXne ESP 6h49’09” 03’08”
28 32 BUJAK Eugenia ALE SLO 6h49’10” 03’09”
29 92 BERTIZZOLO Sofia LIV ITA 6h49’29” 03’28”
30 96 PALADIN Soraya LIV ITA 6h49’31” 03’30”
Stage Four of the AJ Bell Women’s Tour takes place in Southend-on-Sea with riders facing a 117.8-kilometre (73.3-mile) stage between Shoeburyness and Southend’s Western Esplanade, the first time that the town has hosted the event.
