<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Luxemburg National Champion Christine Majerus wins the opening race into Norwich, as the Boel Dolmans train lead-out in the closing kilometers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After a riveting final twenty-five kilometers away that saw Cylance Pro Cycling’s Alison Tetrick almost clinch the victory, only to be caught with-in sight of the finish line. The scene has been set for the next four-days-of-racing as the Aviva Women’s Tour returns for a third successive year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ninety-One girls took the start in Southwold, before setting out on an eighty-nine kilometer journey away from the coast in Sussex.<\/p>\n The first action of the day came only twelve kilometers-in and the Strava Queen of the Mountains competition saw a big effort from IIona Hoeksma [Parkhotel Valkenburg] taking the first points towards the polka-dot jersey.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As the race settled in, the peloton lit-up on the run-in to the Chain Reaction Points Sprint in Beccles with Liv Plantur lifting the pace before been swallowed-up by the General Classification contenders of Vos, Elvin and Armitstead battling the time bonuses that could play a crutial roll later in the day in what has been described as the Sprinters Stage of the Tour.<\/p>\n A crash soon after saw half-a-dozen girls caught-out and Tetrick who won the days combativity award was one of the riders involved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A long drag up-to the Strava Queen of the Mountains second climb was led by Orica AIS, but another big push by Hoeksma sealed the first Jersey of the Tour in this first UCI Women’s World Tour event here in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n The second Chain Reaction Points contest came soon after the eighty-five kilometer marker and Leah Kirchmann [Liv Plantur] lined the peloton up on the run into Pulham Market. Christine Majerus first place over the finish line puts her in the Points Jersey, but Vos on equal points will wear the jersey for Stage Two from Atherstone tomorrow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tetrick set about her solo ride to into Norwich with around twenty-five kilometers remaining. Gaining around one-fifty-six over the peloton, at five kilometers the gap had dropped to one-twenty-one.\u00a0 Tetrick still had sixty-seconds going under the flame-rogue and looked like the victory was hers for the taking.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Boels Dolmans had other ideas and a four-rider train wound up the chase with World Champion Lizzie Armitstead contributing their efforts for Majerus.<\/p>\n A rather technical twisty finish kept Tetrick out of sight as she stood out-of-the-saddle giving every pedal stroke her maximum effort. The speed of delivery from the chasing teams saw Majerus, Vos and Bronzinni sweep by Tetrick with under one-hundred meters remaining and coming around the final drag-to corner Majerus powered to victory and into the Tours first Yellow Jersey.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After careful consideration overnight, the commissionaires awarded the same finish time to the first seventy-nine riders over the line. Emma Pooley, Lisa Brennauer and Gracie Elvin found themselves on the wrong side of the time gap.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Press: Did you look at the finish before today stage.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Christine: We suspected it would come down to a sprint. We had a look at the course yesterday, it\u2019s really technical.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n That was the plan, to lead me down to the final corner and the girls did a perfect job. I didn\u2019t have to do anything in the race, so I just saved my legs for those last three-hundred-meters. I\u2019m happy I could finish the work off.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Press: What about the breakaway? Did that change your plans that Tetrick held on for so long at the end? Were you concerned you weren\u2019t going to catch her back?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Christine: I have to admit I didn\u2019t really think about it. I was so focused on staying in the group in a good position. So when we turned left I wasn\u2019t sure whether we had caught her back. I couldn\u2019t see her coming up.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n So yeh, it was a brave move, all credit to her.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n It was going really fast in the final ten. I\u2019m happy we could bring her back, but I wasn\u2019t concerned.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Press: How did you feel when you crossed that line?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Christine: A big relief because it was pressure today being the leader for the last three-hundred meters. I have the best cyclists in the World riding for me today, so I have to win, there\u2019s no excuse. It\u2019s a big relief and I\u2019m really, really happy to come back and have this Jersey again.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Press: What does the Women\u2019s Tour mean for your-self in this Calendar winning stage one. How good is that going forward.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Christine: Yeh, this is one of the biggest races in the calendar this year and it\u2019s moved up to World Tour. So this is actually my World Tour win which makes it better. We are really motivated to keep going and winning.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Alison Tetrick: I was able to make a bold move with around twenty-five kilometres to go, and you go as hard as you can! <\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n You never believe you can win until you cross the line, but oh-man with ten metres to go – at that moment – I believed I could win. But to get past there was tough, but it was super exciting.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hear Christine Majerus talking to the press on CyclingShorts<\/a>\u00a0in full.<\/p>\n Hear Alison Tetrick talking to the press on CyclingShorts<\/a> in full.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Stage winner 26 MAJERUS Christine Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam LUX<\/p>\n Combativity award 126 TETRICK Alison Cylance Pro Cycling USA<\/p>\n <\/p>\n General classification Aviva<\/p>\n 26 MAJERUS Christine Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam LUX<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Points Chain Reaction Cycles<\/p>\n 26 MAJERUS Christine Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam LUX<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Queen of the mountain Strava<\/p>\n 103 HOEKSMA Ilona Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team NED<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Best British Adnams<\/p>\n 21 ARMITSTEAD Elizabeth Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam GBR<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Best young Stoke-onTrent European City of Sports<\/p>\n 43 MACKAIJ Floortje Team Liv – Plantur NED<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Best Team Aviva<\/p>\n Raboliv WomencyclingteamRBW<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Overall leader – Yellow Aviva<\/p>\n 26 MAJERUS Christine Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam LUX<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Points – Blue and white Chain Reaction Cycles<\/p>\n 91 VOS Marianne Raboliv Womencyclingteam NED<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Queen of the Mountain – Polka Strava<\/p>\n 103 HOEKSMA Ilona Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team NED<\/p>\n Best British –\u00a0 Cyan and pink Adnams<\/p>\n 21 ARMITSTEAD Elizabeth Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam GBR<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Best Young – White Stoke-on-Trent European City of Sport<\/p>\n 43 MACKAIJ Floortje Team Liv – Plantur<\/p>\n Stage One Top Twenty<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1 26 MAJERUS Christine 00″ DLT LUX B:10″<\/p>\n 2 91 VOS Marianne ‘ ‘ RBW NED B:09″<\/p>\n 3 13 BRONZINI Giorgia ‘ ‘ WHT ITA B:04″<\/p>\n 4 31 BASTIANELLI Marta ‘ ‘ ALE ITA<\/p>\n 5 81 LEPIST\u00d6 Lotta ‘ ‘ CBT FIN<\/p>\n 6 42 KIRCHMANN Leah ‘ ‘ TLP CAN B:03″<\/p>\n 7 92 BRAND Lucinda ‘ ‘ RBW NED<\/p>\n 8 126 TETRICK Alison ‘ ‘ CPC USA<\/p>\n 9 15 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa ‘ ‘ WHT ITA<\/p>\n 10 43 *MACKAIJ Floortje ‘ ‘ TLP NED<\/p>\n 11 36 TREVISI Anna ‘ ‘ ALE ITA<\/p>\n 12 103 HOEKSMA Ilona ‘ ‘ PHV NED<\/p>\n 13 116 RADOTIC Mia ‘ ‘ BTC CRO<\/p>\n 14 16 PIETERS Amy ‘ ‘ WHT NED<\/p>\n 15 11 JOHANSSON Emma ‘ ‘ WHT SWE<\/p>\n 16 12 D’HOORE Jolien ‘ ‘ WHT BEL<\/p>\n 17 5 CROMWELL Tiffany ‘ ‘ LPR AUS<\/p>\n 18 21 ARMITSTEAD Elizabeth ‘ ‘ DLT GBR B:01″<\/p>\n 19 121 *RATTO Rossella ‘ ‘ CPC ITA<\/p>\n 20 111 BUJAK Eugenia ‘ ‘<\/p>\n![\"WT2016_Stage1_Overview\"](\"http:\/\/www.chrismaher.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/WT2016_Stage1_Overview.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Stage One, June 15th 2016 Southwold to Norwich 132Kms.<\/pre>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>Christine Majerus \u2013 Stage One Yellow Jersey Holder \u2013 Post Race Reaction.<\/u><\/strong><\/pre>\n
<\/a>Roll of Honor for Stage One<\/u><\/pre>\n
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