June 20, 2015 – Lisa Brennauer sprinted back into the Aviva Yellow Jersey at the end of Stage Four of the Aviva Women’s Tour in Stevenage, as the peloton swept up a two-rider breakaway inside the final kilometre.
The World Time Trial Champion now holds a nine second lead in the race into tomorrow’ decisive stage between Marlow and Hemel Hempstead, which offers up probably the most demanding terrain of the week and possibility for breakaway success in what has been a furiously ridden race.
The German rider from the Velocio SRAM team had led the chase into Stevenage of a very high quality break in the last quarter of the race featuring European Under-23 Road Race champion Sabrina Stultiens and the dangerous Italian Elisa Longo Borghini, who won the Ronde Van Vlaanderen World Cup round earlier this year with a spectacular 33km break.
That duo were much too dangerous to allow any significant leeway when they went hard with 25km to go and Brennauer and her team, as well as Boels Dolmans riding for overnight race leader Christine Majerus immediately moved to the front to control matters.
The break’s advantage reached almost one minute with just under 20-kilometres to go, but were steadily pegged back as the peloton rode with controlled pace in wet and slippery conditions. As they turned to take the flame route at one kilometre to go the game was up and the sprint teams started to organise themselves but Brennauer has shown a rare turn of speed this week and powered through in trademark fashion ahead of Emma Johansson and Finnish National Champion Lotta Lepistö, with the Aviva Yellow Jersey of Majerus in fourth.
“When the rain came I knew it would be tricky but I went around the final corners safely and chose a good wheel in Emma Johansson and came off from there,” said Brennauer. “The chase was difficult because of the undulating course and the quality of the riders up the road and I wasn’t quite sure we would see them again before the finish.
“It’s going to be an exciting day and it is so close that there are seconds on the road that everybody will fight for before the final finish but me and my team are going to do our best to bring this jersey home now that we have it back. We raced very well today as a team and that will give us confidence for the final day. Our morale is very good. We have had a rider on the podium of every stage. The spirit is good and that is a very good way to start the final stage.”
Britain’s Hannah Barnes, finishing the Aviva Women’s Tour strongly, rode well for her second consecutive top five place on the day to move up to fifth place overall, taking over from Lucy Garner as both the Premier Inn Best British Rider and SweetSpot Best Young Rider (Under-23).
“It was a crazy finish, very technical in the last 10km and then it started raining on top of that,” said Barnes. “We drove the last 12km of the finish on the Friday night going to our hotel and you could see difficult it was going to be.
“I knew there would be splits and time gaps at the finish so I tried to stay at the front. It all split on the last KOM and about 30 of us went up the road then the break went. The last 10km were very narrow and two riders were away but with the rain nobody particularly wanted to take up the chase and then it was far from a straight finish.
“I wasn’t really happy with my form when I arrived back from the USA last week, it didn’t feel there, but I do usually go better towards the end of a stage race and that is what has happened this week. For me it’s more about confidence more than anything. If I go into a race confident I will perform and the last three days that confidence has returned and I’ve been pretty consistent.”
Barnes has been largely based in the USA for the first half of the season but after this Aviva Women’s Tour she is planning a big training block in Girona before returning to the States where she is targeting the Tour of Utah and the Tour of Colorado, races in which she hopes to make a strong case for Great Britain selection at the World Championships at Richmond, Virginia in September.
Despite the efforts of Brennauer’s Velocio SRAM teammate Elise Delzenne, Orica AIS rider Melissa Hoskins continues to lead the Strava Queen of the Mountains jersey, but by just two points, and with the GC ambitions of her teammate Johansson the priority.
“I would probably be the last name you would expect to see leading the Queen of the Mountains. It just sort of happened. The first day as a team if you are near the mark when you come to the first QoM you go for it, take the points. You can get in a jersey and that is always great o this kind of tour.
“I ended up taking some points on the first QoM and then on the second day I thought I’d have a crack and see if I can get the jersey which I did. And what started as a bit of a joke and a bit of a play out on the road turned into something a little bit more serious and I started becoming attached to the polka dot!
“Tomorrow’s stage sounds a bit horrific, I’ve got my work cut out, but at the end of the day we are here to help Emma in the GC so my 100% commitment will be towards here. And all this week in between the QoMs my priority has been getting her in to the sprint. We are here for a bigger picture and that is Emma and the yellow jersey.
“The stage is going to blow apart, there is no question about that. There is going to be some big time gaps. Emma’s got the form and there are a few girls behind her looking to get away on a break. It’s going to be a very aggressive race and it will be interesting to see how some of the sprinters handle the hills. Emma is climbing well, she’s always on the mark and there’s no question she can win it.”
Brennauer, who also holds the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey, enjoys a nine-second leader over Majerus, with Stage Two winner Jolien D’hoore just a further second back. In total all of the top fourteen remain within 30-seconds of the Aviva Yellow Jersey going into the final stage from Marlow to Hemel Hempstead, a 102.6km leg from the banks of the River Thames through the Chiltern Hills.
Results
1. Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Velocio-SRAM 2:36:35
2. Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica-Ais
3. Lotta Lepistö (Fin) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
4. Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
5. Hannah Barnes (Gbr) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team
6. Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
7. Alexis Ryan (USA) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team
8. Sara Mustonen (Swe) Team Liv-Plantur
9. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle Honda
10. Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur
11. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle Honda
12. Susanna Zorzi (Ita) Lotto Soudal Ladies
13. Jolien D’Hoore (Bel) Wiggle Honda
14. Lauren Stephens (USA) USA National Team
15. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Ale Cipollini
16. Laura Trott (Gbr) Matrix Fitness
17. Maura Kinsella (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
18. Pascale Jeuland (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.89
19. Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
20. Leah Kirchmann (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
21. Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 7
22. Katarzyna Pawlowska (Pol) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
23. Gracie Elvin (Aus) Orica-Ais
24. Romy Kasper (Ger) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
25. Hannah Ross (USA) USA National Team
26. Malgorzta Jasinska (Pol) Ale Cipollini
27. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Velocio-SRAM
28. Molly Weaver (Gbr) Team Liv-Plantur
29. Audrey Cordon (Fra) Wiggle Honda
30. Elise Delzenne (Fra) Velocio-SRAM
31. Aude Biannic (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86
32. Claudia Lichtenberg (Ger) Team Liv-Plantur 0:11
33. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Velocio-SRAM
34. Annie Ewart (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 0:13
35. Ciara Horne (Gbr) Pearl Izumi Sport Tours 0:16
36. Kathrin Hammes (Ger) Germany 0:18
37. Carlee Taylor (Aus) Lotto Soudal Ladies
38. Danielle King (Gbr) Wiggle Honda
39. Eugénie Duval (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.87
40. Katie Hall (USA) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team
41. Anouska Koster (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 0:20
42. Vera Koedooder (Ned) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
43. Sharon Laws (Gbr) Bigla Pro Cycling Team 0:24
44. Uenia Fernandes Da Souza (Bra) Ale Cipollini
45. Stephanie Pohl (Ger) Germany
46. Sara Headley (USA) USA National Team
47. Melissa Hoskins (Aus) Orica-Ais
48. Iris Slappendel (Ned) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
49. Lucy Garner (Gbr) Team Liv-Plantur
50. Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Velocio-SRAM
51. Chloe Mcconville (Aus) Orica-Ais
52. Julia Soek (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur
53. Annette Edmondson (Aus) Wiggle Honda
54. Emilie Aubry (Sui) Bigla Pro Cycling Team 0:35
55. Simona Frapporti (Ita) Ale Cipollini
56. Rushlee Buchanan (Nzl) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team 1:00
57. Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Ale Cipollini 1:21
58. Lex Albrecht (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 1:22
59. Loren Rowney (Aus) Velocio-SRAM 1:26
60. Thalita De Jong (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
61. Moniek Tenniglo (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
62. Nicole Hanselmann (Sui) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
63. Francesca Cauz (Ita) Ale Cipollini
64. Chantal Hoffmann (Lux) Lotto Soudal Ladies
65. Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies
66. Sarah Rijkes (Aut) Lotto Soudal Ladies
67. Linda Melanie Villumsen (Nzl) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team 1:41
68. Lauren Komanski (USA) USA National Team 1:54
69. Helen Wyman (Gbr) Matrix Fitness 3:14
70. Katie Curtis (Gbr) Pearl Izumi Sport Tours 3:36
71. Heather Fischer (USA) USA National Team 3:39
72. Amélie Rivat (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.90 4:53
73. Roxane Fournier (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.88
74. Sarah Roy (Aus) Orica-Ais
75. Elinor Barker (Gbr) Matrix Fitness 6:33
76. Corinna Lechner (Ger) Germany 7:55
77. Alexandra Manly (Aus) Orica-Ais
78. Lisa Küllmer (Ger) Germany
79. Anouk Rijff (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies
80. Kimberley Le Court de Billot (Mri) Matrix Fitness 0:14:16
81. Lucy Martin (Gbr) Matrix Fitness
82. Gabriella Shaw (Gbr) Pearl Izumi Sport Tours
83. Dame Sarah Storey (Gbr) Pearl Izumi Sport Tours
84. Katie Archibald (Gbr) Pearl Izumi Sport Tours
85. Ariane Horbach (Ger) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
DNF Madeleine Ortmüller (Ger) Germany
DNF Anna Knauer (Ger) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
GC after Stage 4
1. Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Velocio-SRAM 12:22:35
2. Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 9
3. Jolien D’Hoore (Bel) Wiggle Honda 0:10
4. Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica-Ais 0:11
5. Hannah Barnes (Gbr) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team 0:22
6. Alexis Ryan (USA) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team 0:28
7. Pascale Jeuland (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.89
8. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Ale Cipollini
9. Susanna Zorzi (Ita) Lotto Soudal Ladies
10. Simona Frapporti (Ita) Ale Cipollini
11. Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
12. Lauren Stephens (USA) USA National Team
13. Leah Kirchmann (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
14. Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
15. Lotta Lepistö (Fin) Bigla Pro Cycling Team 0:31
16. Katarzyna Pawlowska (Pol) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 0:35
17. Laura Trott (Gbr) Matrix Fitness
18. Sara Mustonen (Swe) Team Liv-Plantur
19. Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
20. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle Honda
21. Maura Kinsella (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
22. Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur
23. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Velocio-SRAM 0:39
24. Audrey Cordon (Fra) Wiggle Honda
25. Elise Delzenne (Fra) Velocio-SRAM 0:40
26. Malgorzta Jasinska (Pol) Ale Cipollini 0:41
27. Gracie Elvin (Aus) Orica-Ais 0:42
28. Hannah Ross (USA) USA National Team
29. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Velocio-SRAM
30. Romy Kasper (Ger) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
31. Aude Biannic (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86
32. Molly Weaver (Gbr) Team Liv-Plantur
33. Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Velocio-SRAM 0:43
34. Lucy Garner (Gbr) Team Liv-Plantur 0:45
35. Claudia Lichtenberg (Ger) Team Liv-Plantur 0:46
36. Anouska Koster (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 0:48
37. Annie Ewart (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
38. Vera Koedooder (Ned) Bigla Pro Cycling Team 0:49
39. Ciara Horne (Gbr) Pearl Izumi Sport Tours 0:51
40. Katie Hall (USA) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team 0:53
41. Carlee Taylor (Aus) Lotto Soudal Ladies
42. Kathrin Hammes (Ger) Germany
43. Danielle King (Gbr) Wiggle Honda
44. Eugénie Duval (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.87
45. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle Honda 0:55
46. Chloe Mcconville (Aus) Orica-Ais 0:57
47. Iris Slappendel (Ned) Bigla Pro Cycling Team 0:59
48. Stephanie Pohl (Ger) Germany
49. Julia Soek (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur
50. Sharon Laws (Gbr) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
51. Sara Headley (USA) USA National Team
52. Uenia Fernandes Da Souza (Bra) Ale Cipollini
53. Melissa Hoskins (Aus) Orica-Ais
54. Emilie Aubry (Sui) Bigla Pro Cycling Team 1:36
55. Annette Edmondson (Aus) Wiggle Honda 1:39
56. Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Ale Cipollini 1:51
57. Rushlee Buchanan (Nzl) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team 1:52
58. Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies 2:01
59. Thalita De Jong (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
60. Moniek Tenniglo (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
61. Loren Rowney (Aus) Velocio-SRAM
62. Sarah Rijkes (Aut) Lotto Soudal Ladies
63. Francesca Cauz (Ita) Ale Cipollini
64. Nicole Hanselmann (Sui) Bigla Pro Cycling Team 2:14
65. Lex Albrecht (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
66. Linda Melanie Villumsen (Nzl) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team 2:16
67. Lauren Komanski (USA) USA National Team 2:29
68. Chantal Hoffmann (Lux) Lotto Soudal Ladies 2:41
69. Katie Curtis (Gbr) Pearl Izumi Sport Tours 4:11
70. Heather Fischer (USA) USA National Team 4:34
71. Sarah Roy (Aus) Orica-Ais 5:28
72. Roxane Fournier (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.88
73. Helen Wyman (Gbr) Matrix Fitness 5:51
74. Amélie Rivat (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.90 6:05
75. Elinor Barker (Gbr) Matrix Fitness 7:31
76. Corinna Lechner (Ger) Germany 8:26
77. Lisa Küllmer (Ger) Germany 9:32
78. Anouk Rijff (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies 0:10:43
79. Gabriella Shaw (Gbr) Pearl Izumi Sport Tours 0:14:51
80. Lucy Martin (Gbr) Matrix Fitness 0:15:13
81. Ariane Horbach (Ger) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 0:15:54
82. Dame Sarah Storey (Gbr) Pearl Izumi Sport Tours 0:17:15
83. Katie Archibald (Gbr) Pearl Izumi Sport Tours 0:18:16
84. Alexandra Manly (Aus) Orica-Ais 0:37:31
85. Kimberley Le Court de Billot (Mri) Matrix Fitness 0:49:04