Ruby Roseman-Gannon received stage 4 of the Tour of Britain Girls in complicated circumstances, as she out-sprinted three SD Worx-Protime riders to victory.
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) got here fourth on the stage to win total, however had victory on the race inside her grasp, earlier than sitting up, seemingly to reward a win to her teammate Christine Majerus, however it was to not be. The quickest sprinter within the peloton, Lorena Wiebes, got here third.
In severely inclement climate, Lizzie Deignan (Nice Britain) animated the day, with a long-range assault, however it in the end got here right down to a lowered dash in Leigh.
Anna Henderson (Nice Britain) got here second total, with Majerus shifting as much as third on GC because of bonus seconds claimed on the ultimate stage.
The seemingly unusual resolution for Kopecky to take a seat up with a ultimate stage win in her grasp was as a result of group working for Majerus, in response to the general winner.
“We made the selection to go right this moment for Christine Majerus within the dash,” Kopecky mentioned. “We did it completely till the hole within the final nook, which was a bit too huge for me. I wasn’t going to take the win, I noticed Christine coming, however we made this deal and she or he was going to win it. Possibly a silly mistake, I do not know, however I’d all the time have accomplished the identical.
“It was fairly chilly,” she mentioned of the ultimate day. “Fortunately, it solely rained on the final day so it is okay, we had three good ones. It was hectic, some good steep climbs. Lizzie Deignan was very robust, however so was SD Worx-Protime. Ultimately, we had been alway in management and yeah, ultimately, it was unhappy that it ended like this, however it additionally might have been a really good day for Christine Majerus.”
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For Roseman-Gannon, the victory in weird circumstances was her first WorldTour win, and was surprising. Her group chief at first of the day, Letizia Paternoster, punctured with simply over 4km to go, leaving her free to use the end.
“I simply cannot consider it,” she mentioned. “Immediately the plan was to go for Letizia (Paternoster), to race aggressively and try to take some seconds again and try to go for GC. We had a very good group experience, with Teniel completely smashing that first climb, I used to be really struggling. It was full dedication into the subsequent climb the place the choice was made.
“We actually wished to get Letizia up there, however it ended up being a full bunch dash, and she or he obtained a puncture. It did not go to plan, I requested whether or not I ought to return, however I obtained informed to give attention to the end as a substitute. I nonetheless cannot consider I received that, it is loopy, it is my first European win.”
“I feel I actually simply did not count on it,” Paternoster continued. “Some races you are available in as a frontrunner and what you are able to do, and different races all of it simply works out. I used to be fairly nervous concerning the rain, I used to be nervous about crashing. I wasn’t within the mindset of attempting to win.”
The way it occurred
Lizzie Deignan on her personal on stage 4 of the Tour of Britain Girls
(Picture credit score: SWPix.com)
A brief 99km stage meant that many riders had been warming up pre-race, figuring out that the motion could be on from the beginning. Add in some severely inclement climate, and regardless of being brief, each metre of highway would show tough.
Given it was the final stage of the race, there was a critical battle to type an early break. Jo Tindley (Professional-Noctis–200° Espresso-Hargreaves Contracting), essentially the most combative rider on stage three, was an early attacker, however her lead didn’t final. Krista Doebel-Hickok (Human Powered Well being) gained an 18-second lead into the underside of the primary climb of the day, Grains Bar, a class one climb, however was caught.
First excessive was Lizzie Deignan (Nice Britain), securing her lead within the queen of the mountain’s jersey. The Briton pushed on excessive, constructing a bonus of over a minute at one level.
Behind, Liv AlUla Jayco and SD Worx Protime pulled, the latter defending Lotte Kopecky’s lead within the basic classification.
Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL) attacked out of the peloton, seemingly to behave as a launchpad for her teammate Pfeiffer Georgi. Nevertheless, she didn’t final lengthy, quickly caught by the peloton.
Into the second class one climb of the day, the Ramsbottom Rake, Deignan nonetheless pushed on, as dsm-firmenich PostNL continued their management on the entrance of the bunch. The only chief took the utmost factors on the high of the climb once more, along with her GB teammate Anna Henderson taking second on the climb.
A choose group together with Kopecky, Georgi, Henderson and Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco) briefly went clear, however their numbers quickly swelled, as Kopecky was joined by teammates Lorena Wiebes and Christine Majerus.
With simply over 50km to go, the peloton had grow to be chasing teams, with the race break up over the highway because of the Ramsbottom Rake. Deignan remained out entrance.
Simply because the race handed 40km to go, Deignan was caught, and Majerus instantly moved to the entrance to try to put the stress on. Henderson was subsequent to assault, however she was tracked by Kopecky.
Amber Pate (Liv AlUla Jayco) tried to leap clear, however was reeled in. Additional behind, St Michel-Mavic-Auber93 had been pulling, attempting to defend Victoire Guilman’s eighth place total.
They achieved this with 31km to go, because the entrance group swelled to round 25, with the total complement of GB riders in there.
The intermediate dash was a detailed battle between Majerus and Paternoster, with the previous popping out on high.
With 22km to go, it was Deignan who tried to maneuver off the entrance as soon as once more, adopted by Majerus, however this got here to nothing.
Henderson was the subsequent to assault, with the GB group figuring out that they would want to do one thing with a purpose to change how the day would end. She was caught, after which Georgi tried to power a break up, adopted by Kopecky and Paternoster. The highest 4 total rose to the highest on an uncategorised climb. The quartet established a lead of round 18 seconds with 19km to go, however it was unclear what they might work collectively for, given they had been the highest 4 already.
Behind, Eline Jansen (VolkerWessels), fifth total, tried to guide the chase, figuring out her GC place was doubtful.
Wiebes attacked from the chasing group, with Paternoster going off the entrance of the race with the information that their numbers would possibly quickly develop. This was shut down, however Georgi was subsequent to assault, with 15km to go, once more unable to hole her fellow leaders.
With slightly below 10km to go, the entrance group got here again collectively, with the entrance 4 caught.
Franziska Koch (dsm-firmenich PostNL) launched from this group, dragging Elena Cecchini (SD Worx-Protime) and Flora Perkins (Nice Britain) along with her, with Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco) shortly following. They had been caught with round 4km to go.
Paternoster, third total, suffered a rear wheel puncture on the worst doable second, because the race was on on the entrance.
Outcomes
Tour of Britain Girls 2024 stage 4: Manchester > Leigh (99km)
1. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) Liv ALUla Jayco, in 2:37:51
2. Christine Majerus (Ned) SD Worx-Protime
3. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime
4. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime
5. Eline Jansen (Ned) Volker Wessels
6. Pfeiffer Georgi (GBr) dsm-firmenich PostNL
7. Flora Perkins (GBr) Nice Britain
8. Elinor Barker (GBr) Nice Britain
9. Josie Talbot (Aus) Cofidis
10 Anna Henderson (GBr) Nice Britain
Common Classification after stage 4
1. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime, in 10:25:49
2. Anna Henderson (GBr) Nice Britain, +17s
3. Christine Majerus (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +34s
4. Pfeiffer Georgi (GBr) dsm-firmenich PostNL, +38s
5. Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Liv ALUla Jayco, +40s
6. Eline Jansen (Ned) Volker Wessels, +43s
7. Lizzie Deignan (GBr) Nice Britain Biking group, +46s
8. Victorie Guilman (Fra) St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93, at identical time
9. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) Liv ALUla Jayco, +2:50
10. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +4:14
