Between the penultimate round of the UCI Women’s WorldTour in Plouay, France last weekend and the final round of the series in Madrid, Spain next weekend, the women’s peloton had the option of racing two different UCI stage races – the Boels Rental Ladies Tour in Holland (2.1) or the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche (2.2).
Chantal Blaak (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) took the first stage race win of her career in Valkenburg on Sunday. The 26-year-old had led the race from stage three when she assumed the leader’s jersey from her teammate and stage one winner Amalie Dideriksen. Boels Dolmans Cycling Team was the big winner of the week winning the opening two stages – a sprint and a team time trial – and going one-two-four in the general classification.
Additional stage winners in Holland included Kasia Niewiadoma, who won two hilly stages, Sarah Roy, who won from a breakaway, and Lisa Brennauer, who won a technical sprint.
The Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche remains underway in France with four stage done and two stages still to race. Stage four winner Flavia Oliveira (Lensworld – Zannata) moved into the pink leader’s jersey yesterday. She leads Anna Kiesenhofer (international selection) by 1:49 and Edwige Pitel (S.C. Michela Fanini Rox) by 3:14.
Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta (ESP) > 11.09.2016
Last year’s results
1. Shelley Olds (USA) 2. Giorgia Bronzini (ITA) 3. Kirsten Wild (NED)
The team classification of any given race is typically determined by the results of a team’s best three riders on the general classification. These results are typically scored by time rather than place or points but this isn’t always the case.
Example – Boels Dolmans Cycling Team won the Boels Rental Ladies Tour team classification this week because the team’s top three riders overall – Chantal Blaak, Ellen van Dijk and Karol-Ann Canuel – had the lowest collective time, when the times were added together, compared to other team’s top three time.
Boels Dolmans Cycling Team also has a lock on the UCI Women’s WorldTour team classification, which will be awarded in Madrid next weekend. This team classification is determined by points scored during each round of the series rather than time.
Sarah Roy (Orica - AIS) took her first UCI win at the Boels Rental Ladies Tour. The 2014 Australian Criterium Champion converted to cycling from triathlon in 2009 and turned professional with Poitou-Charentes-Futuroscope in 2014 before joining Orica – AIS the following season. An integral part of her team’s sprint train, Roy has also shown when she’s given an opportunity to ride for herself in fast finishes that she can deliver.
Key Highlights
1st – Boels Rental Ladies Tour, stage 4 (2016) 1st – Australian Criterium Championships (2014) 2nd – Keukens Van Lommel Ladies Classsic (2015) 2nd – La Route de France, prologue (2016) 3rd – SwissEver GP Cham – Hagendorn (2016)
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