With a break in the UCI Women’s WorldTour stage racing, the women’s peloton has divided between different races around the world.In Germany, the UCI 2.1 classified Internationale Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour was perhaps the top race last week. Won by home rider and former UCI World Champion in the time trial Lisa Brennauer, the event saw some exciting racing, and it was the German’s consistency and versatility which saw her finish in the top five on all seven days. After a good start to the year, her stage four win and overall victory were her first since joining Wiggle High5 this year.In the USA, 23-year-old Lily Williams took her second UCI classified race win at the 1.1 Winston Salem Cycling Classic, while in the Ukraine Yevgenia Vyotska won the 1.2 Horizon Park Women Challenge.Back in the sport’s heartland, Lorena Wiebes won the 1.2 classified Salverda Omloop van de IJsseldelta in the Netherlands, out-sprinting Mitchelton Scott’s Sarah Roy. Across the border in Belgium, Vietnamese rider Thi That Nguyen delivered a fantastic result riding for the UCI World Cycling Centre Women’s Team, taking honours at Dwars door de Westhoek ahead of Wiebes.With no racing, all the UCI Women’s WorldTour classifications remain unaltered. Anna van der Breggen continues to lead the individual classification and her Boels Dolmans Cyclngteam are still the top team. Italian Sofia Bertizzolo keeps her place at the top of the youth ranking.
Wednesday, June 13 to Sunday, June 17, OVO Energy Women’s Tour (Great Britain)
Another rider emerging from the Dutch conveyer belt of talent is Lorena Wiebes. Now 19 years old, she notched up some excellent results as a junior, including Dutch and European road race titles.2018 is her first year as a senior, riding for the Parkhotel Valkenburg team. In the last month she has notched up two professional race victories as well as a host of podium and top ten results earlier in the season. Perhaps the most notable of those was her fourth place in the punishing Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde, where she mixed it with the world’s best at the fourth UCI Women’s WorldTour race of this season.
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