March 14, 2017 – Four Canadians contested the four-stage Stemana Ciclista Valenciana from March 8-11th in Portugal. The UCI rated 2.2 event kicked off with a 6.6km Team Time Trial in which Canadian Alison Jackson and her Bepink Cogeas squad took the win by 4 seconds ahead of fellow Canuck Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin’s Cervelo-Bigla Pro Cycling team. The Astana Women’s Team claimed third at 13 seconds behind.

The Quebec based SAS – Macogep team, which has become a professional squad for the 2017 season, finished the first stage in 21st at 55 seconds behind Bepink Cogeas. Canadians racing for SAS – Macogep included Sarah Rasmussen and Frederique Larose-Gingras.

Following Stage 1 Jackson sat 3rd on the General Classification, with Pilote-Fortin in 9th, while Rasmussen and Larose-Gingras ranked 103rd and 105th, respectively.

Stage 2 saw the riders race a 110km route around Gandia, with Belgian rider Ann-Sophie Duyck (Drops) taking the win. Jackson was the top Canadian in 29th at 1:51 back. Pilote-Fortin finished in the same group as Jackson in 40th, while Larose-Gingras finished 83rd at 6:01 behind. Rasmussen crossed the line in 115th at 14:36 back as Jackson was now 25th overall at 1:53 behind race leader Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Cervelo-Bigla Pro Cycling).

The talented Jackson continued to show her form during Stage 3, which finished in a bunch sprint after 87km of racing as she crossed the line in 7th on the day, with the win going to Arlenis Sierra of the Astana Women’s Team. Pilote-Fortin finished 75th at 1:54 behind Sierra, while Larsoe-Gingras was 114th at 10:59 back. Rasmussen rode in for 120th at 14:11 behind the stage winner. Ludwig continued to lead the GC after Stage 3, with Jackson remaining the top Canadian overall in 23rd.

The fourth and final day of racing consisted of 96km of flat circuit racing around Valencia. Lydia Boylan (Team WNT Pro Cycling) won with a 3-second margin over a charging main bunch. Larose-Gingras was the top Canadian in 57th, followed closely by Pilote-Fortin in 68th and Rasmussen in 78th, all with the same time. Jackson finished 118th at 3:11 off the pace, and at this time Pedalmag is unaware if she suffered a mechanical or crash.

Ludwig maintained her lead in the GC, winning the overall with a time of 7:08:41, 11 seconds ahead of Sierra in second and 20 seconds ahead of teammate Ashleigh Moolman (South Africa/Cervelo-Bigla). Pilote-Fortin was the top Canadian on GC in 49th at 4:52 behind Ludwig as Jackson slipped to 50th at 5:01 back. Larose-Gingras placed 103rd, at 17:57 behind while Rasmussen was ranked 110th at 29:44 down.

SAS – Macogep is slated to race the upcoming Dwars Door Vlaanderen UCI 1.1 on March 23rd, with Larose-Gingras scheduled to start. The team’s roster also includes Canadian Emma Bedard. Jackson is set to race the UCI Women’s World Tour Gent-Wevelgem on March 26th with her Bepink Cogeas squad.

Results

Stage 1 – March 8 – Vila-Real – Vila-Real (TTT) – 6.6km
1. BePink Cogeas 9:18
(Silvia Valsecchi, Francesca Pattaro, Alison Jackson, Ilaria Sanguineti, Katia Ragusa, Maria Vittoria Sperotto)
2. Cervélo-Bigla Pro Cycling 0:04
(Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin)
3. Astana Womens Team 0:13
4. Wiggle High5 0:17
5. Lares-Waowdeals Women Cycling Team 0:27
6. Sport Vlaanderen – Guill D’or 0:28
7. Drops 0:29
8. Alé Cipollini 0:30
9. Team WNT Pro Cycling 0:32
10. Switzerland 0:35

21. SAS – Macogep 0:55
(Marjolaine Bazin, Sarah-Anne Rasmussen, Irena Ossola, Frédérique Larose-Gingras, Soline Lamboley)

Stage 2 – March 9 – Gandia-Gandia – 110km
1. Ann-Sophie Duyck (Drops) 2:45:49
2. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Cervélo-Bigla Pro Cycling)
3. Marta Bastianelli (Alé Cipollini) 0:14
4. Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle High5)
5. Arlenis Sierra (Astana Women’s Team)
6. Rasa Leleivyte (Aromitalia Vaiano)
7. Linda Indergand (Switzerland)
8. Laura Massey (Drops)
9. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia)
10. Lara Vieceli (Astana Women’s Team)

29. Alison Jackson (Bepink Cogeas) 1:51
40. Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin (Cervélo-Bigla Pro Cycling)
83. Frédérique Larose-Gingras (SAS – Macogep) 6:01
115. Sarah-Anne Rasmussen (SAS – Macogep) 14:36

Stage 3 – March 10 – Alicante-Alicante – 87km 
1. Arlenis Sierra (Astana Women’s Team) 1:55:37
2. Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle High5)
3. Katie Archibald (Team WNT Pro Cycling)
4. Vita Heine (Norway)
5. Linda Indergand (Switzerland)
6. Thalita De Jong (Lares-Waowdeals Women Cycling Team)
7. Alison Jackson (Bepink Cogeas)
8. Sandra Alonso (Spain)
9. Marta Bastianelli (Alé Cipollini)
10. Lara Vieceli (Astana Women’s Team)

75. Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin (Cervélo-Bigla Pro Cycling) 1:54
114. Frédérique Larose-Gingras (SAS – Macogep) 10:59
120. Sarah-Anne Rasmussen (SAS – Macogep) 14:11

Stage 4 – March 11 – Valencia-Valencia – 96km 
1. Lydia Boylan (Team WNT Pro Cycling) 2:17:56
2. Kelly Druyts (Sport Vlaanderen – Guill D’or) 0:03
3. Katie Archibald (Team WNT Pro Cycling)
4. Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle High5)
5. Marta Bastianelli (Alé Cipollini)
6. Arlenis Sierra (Astana Women’s Team)
7. Arianna Fidanza (Astana Women’s Team)
8. Thalita De Jong (Lares-Waowdeals Women Cycling Team)
9. Maria Vittoria Sperotto (Bepink Cogeas)
10. Michela Pavin (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo)

57. Frédérique Larose-Gingras (SAS – Macogep) 0:03
68. Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin (Cervélo-Bigla Pro Cycling)
78. Sarah-Anne Rasmussen (SAS – Macogep)
118. Alison Jackson (Bepink Cogeas) 3:11

Final GC
1. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Cervélo-Bigla Pro Cycling) 7:08:41
2. Arlenis Sierra (Astana Women’s Team) 0:11
3. Ashleigh Moolman (Cervélo-Bigla Pro Cycling) 0:20
4. Marie Vilmann (Cervélo-Bigla Pro Cycling)
5. Ann-Sophie Duyck (Drops) 0:21
6. Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle High5) 0:27
7. Lara Vieceli (Astana Women’s Team) 0:29
8. Claudia Lichtenberg (Wiggle High5) 0:33
9. Marta Bastianelli (Alé Cipollini) 0:42
10. Eva Van Den Born (Sport Vlaanderen – Guill D’or) 0:44

49. Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin (Cervélo-Bigla Pro Cycling) 4:52
50. Alison Jackson (Bepink Cogeas) 5:01
103. Frédérique Larose-Gingras (SAS – Macogep) 17:57
110. Sarah-Anne Rasmussen (SAS – Macogep) 29:44