April 13/16 15:04 pm - Euskal Emakumeen Bira Prologue
Posted by Editoress on 04/13/16
Finnish time trial champion Lotta Lepisto (Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling) grabbed her first victory of the season during Wednesday’s opening prologue in Euskal Emakumeen XXIX Bira. The 26 year old was the third rider off the start ramp and immediately claimed the hotseat with a time of 4 minutes and 12 seconds.
After a 2 hour wait, she was awarded the victory and the first race leaders jersey of the tour. To add to an incredible team performance on the day, Carmen Small rounded out the podium in third while Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio was fifth and Clara Koppenburg tenth. Joelle Numainville stayed close to the top ten in fourteenth.
"I was hoping for a top ten result today," a modest Lepistö said. "When I crossed the line I knew I did a good time so the last two hours of waiting was just torture. The last few weeks I was focused on this prologue. My coach and I went through how I should ride it. We prepared really well for it. I’ve been overthinking the prologues and been nervous so today I worked on really being relaxed but focused."
Lepistö mentioned the team partners saying everything felt like a team performance. "Everything just felt fast. It was a whole package. From the skin suit and shoe covers to the new Bambino Pro helmet from Kask and the bike, it was all just really fast."
Predictably, Team Manager, Thomas Campana was happy with the performance. "Last year the season really got going for us in Bira. That was in May when the team really got going and started performing. Now the race is a month earlier and we are going well so I think Bira is a good place for us," he said.
"This time trial was perfect for Lotta. It was windy, there was a long descent and a very steep uphill. For her, those conditions are perfect when she has good legs. We were thinking of a top 5 result but not necessarily the victory. Third place for Carmen after a hard weekend last weekend when she was sick is incredible. Ashleigh did a super ride and Clara Koppenburg was tenth, it is an impressive team performance."
Joelle Numainville (Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling) was the top Canadian in 14th
Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling press release
Results
| Prologue: Iurreta ITT, 3.3 km | |
| 1 Lotta Lepistö (Fin) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling | 04:12 |
| 2 Claire Rose (GBr) Podium Ambition Pro Cycling | at 0:04 |
| 3 Carmen Small (USA) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling | 0:08 |
| 4 Evelyn Stevens (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | 0:09 |
| 5 Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling | 0:10 |
| 6 Katarzyna Pawlowska (Pol) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | 0:11 |
| 7 Emilia Fahlin (Swe) Ale' Cipollini | 0:11 |
| 8 Danielle King (GBr) Wiggle High5 | 0:11 |
| 9 Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | 0:12 |
| 10 Clara Koppenburg (Ger) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling | 0:12 |
| 11 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle High5 | 0:13 |
| 12 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Australia | 0:13 |
| 13 Alison Tetrick (USA) Cylance Pro Cycling | 0:13 |
| 14 Joelle Numainville (Can) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling | 0:14 |
| 15 Sheyla Gutierrez (Esp) Cylance Pro Cycling | 0:14 |
| 16 Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | 0:16 |
| 17 Demi De Jong (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | 0:16 |
| 18 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Australia | 0:17 |
| 19 Jip van den Bos (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | 0:17 |
| 20 Jessie Daams (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | 0:18 |
| 21 Edwige Pitel (Fra) S.C. Michela Fanini | 0:18 |
| 22 Jermaine Post (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | 0:18 |
| 23 Claudia Lichtenberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal Ladies | 0:18 |
| 24 Irene Usabiaga(Esp) Team Spain | 0:18 |
| 25 Lourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Esp) Bizkaia - Durango | 0:20 |
| 26 Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | 0:20 |
| 27 Alicia Gonzalez (Esp) Lointek | 0:21 |
| 28 Laura C. Lozano (Col) S.C. Michela Fanini | 0:21 |
| 29 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle High5 | 0:21 |
| 30 Marjolaine Bazin (Fra) DN-17 Poitou Charentes | 0:21 |
| 31 Sari Saarelainen (Fin) S.C. Michela Fanini | 0:22 |
| 32 Ganna Solovei (Ukr) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | 0:22 |
| 33 Ellen Skerritt (Aus) Ale' Cipollini | 0:22 |
| 34 Anisha Vekemans (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | 0:23 |
| 35 Stephanie Pohl (Ger) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling | 0:23 |
| 36 Mayuko Hagiwara (Jpn) Wiggle High5 | 0:24 |
| 37 Amber Neben (USA) Bepink | 0:24 |
| 38 Jenelle Crooks (Aus) Australia | 0:24 |
| 39 Ana Usaiaga Balerdi (Esp) Team Spain | 0:24 |
| 40 Claudia Cretti (Ita) INPA - Bianchi | 0:25 |
| 41 Sara Headley-Clafferty (GBr) Podium Ambition Pro Cycling | 0:25 |
| 42 Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | 0:25 |
| 43 Malgorzta Jasinska (Pol) Ale' Cipollini | 0:25 |
| 44 Kristabel Doebel-Hickok (USA) Cylance Pro Cycling | 0:25 |
| 45 Emma Johansson (Swe) Wiggle High5 | 0:26 |
| 46 Ane Santesteban (Esp) Ale' Cipollini | 0:26 |
| 47 Doris Schweizer (Sui) Cylance Pro Cycling | 0:26 |
| 48 Soraya Paladin (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo | 0:26 |
| 49 Christina Perchtold (Aut) Vitalogic Astrokalb Radunion Nö | 0:26 |
| 50 Tetiana Riabchenko (Ukr) INPA - Bianchi | 0:26 |
| 51 Eva Buurman (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | 0:27 |
| 52 Katarzyna Wilkos (Pol) Mat-Atom Team Sobotka | 0:28 |
| 53 Daniela Reis (Por) DN-17 Poitou Charentes | 0:29 |
| 54 Eider Merino (Esp) Lointek team | 0:29 |
| 55 Ilona Hoeksma (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | 0:29 |
| 56 Lucia Gonzalez (Esp) Lointek | 0:30 |
| 57 Sharon Laws (GBr) Podium Ambition Pro Cycling | 0:30 |
| 58 Lara Vieceli (Ita) INPA - Bianchi | 0:30 |
| 59 Audrey Cordon (Fra) Wiggle High5 | 0:30 |
| 60 Laura Massey (GBr) Drops Cycling Team | 0:31 |
| 61 Amy Gornall (GBr) Podium Ambition Pro Cycling | 0:31 |
| 62 Monika Kiraly (Hun) S.C. Michela Fanini | 0:31 |
| 63 Ainara Elbusto Arteaga (Esp) Team Spain | 0:31 |
| 64 Rossella Ratto (Ita) Cylance Pro Cycling | 0:31 |
| 65 Margarita V. Garcia (Esp) Bizkaia - Durango | 0:32 |
| 66 Alba Teruel (Esp) Lointek | 0:32 |
| 67 Sophie Coleman (GBr) Drops Cycling Team | 0:32 |
| 68 Louisa Lobigs (Aus) Australia | 0:32 |
| 69 Anna Z. Stricker (Ita) INPA - Bianchi | 0:32 |
| 70 Shannon Malseed (Aus) Australia | 0:33 |
| 71 Elise Maes (Lux) Vitalogic Astrokalb Radunion Nö | 0:33 |
| 72 An-Li Kachelhoffer (RSA) Lotto Soudal Ladies | 0:33 |
| 73 Heidi Dalton (RSA) Bizkaia - Durango | 0:34 |
| 74 Ziortza Isasi (Esp) Bio Racer Elkar-Kirolak | 0:34 |
| 75 Paulina Brezezna (Pol) Mat-Atom Team Sobotka | 0:35 |
| 76 Rocio Del Alba (Esp) Lointek | 0:35 |
| 77 Dalia Muccioli (Ita) Ale' Cipollini | 0:36 |
| 78 Marta Lach (Pol) Mat-Atom Team Sobotka | 0:36 |
| 79 Bethany Hayward (GBr) Podium Ambition Pro Cycling | 0:36 |
| 80 Lucja Pietrzak (Pol) Mat-Atom Team Sobotka | 0:36 |
| 81 Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Bepink | 0:36 |
| 82 Irene Bitto (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo | 0:36 |
| 83 Anna Trevisi (Ita) Ale' Cipollini | 0:37 |
| 84 Iurani Blanco (Esp) Team Spain | 0:37 |
| 85 Lex Albrecht (Can) Bepink | 0:37 |
| 86 Ana Maria Covrig (Rom) INPA - Bianchi | 0:37 |
| 87 Jennifer George (GBr) Drops Cycling Team | 0:37 |
| 88 Lucia Valachova (Svk) Vitalogic Astrokalb Radunion Nö | 0:37 |
| 89 Rebecca Durrell (GBr) Drops Cycling Team | 0:37 |
| 90 Frederica Nicolai (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini | 0:38 |
| 91 Astrid Gassner (Aut) Vitalogic Astrokalb Radunion Nö | 0:38 |
| 92 Monika Brezezna (Pol) Mat-Atom Team Sobotka | 0:39 |
| 93 Claudia Cretti (Ita) INPA - Bianchi | 0:40 |
| 94 Sophie Almeida (Fra) DN-17 Poitou Charentes | 0:40 |
| 95 Kimberley Le Court (Mri) Bizkaia - Durango | 0:40 |
| 96 Nicole Dal Santo (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo | 0:41 |
| 97 Nicole Moerig (Aus) Podium Ambition Pro Cycling | 0:41 |
| 98 Lierni Lekuona Etxebeste (Esp) Bizkaia - Durango | 0:42 |
| 99 Asja Paladin (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo | 0:42 |
| 100 Jessica Allen (Aus) Australia | 0:46 |
| 101 Elena Leonardi (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo | 0:46 |
| 102 Michela Balducci (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini | 0:46 |
| 103 Mireia Orengo (Esp) BZK Emakumeen Bira - Smurfit Kappa | 0:47 |
| 104 Cristina Martinez (Esp) Lointek team | 0:47 |
| 105 Nathalie Birli (Aut) Vitalogic Astrokalb Radunion Nö | 0:48 |
| 106 Paula Sanmartin (Esp) Bio Racer Elkar-Kirolak | 0:49 |
| 107 Steffi Jamoneau (Fra) DN-17 Poitou Charentes | 0:50 |
| 108 Olatz Agorria (Esp) Bio Racer Elkar-Kirolak | 0:50 |
| 109 Lorena Llamas Garcia (Esp) Team Spain | 0:50 |
| 110 Laura Mendez (Esp) BZK Emakumeen Bira - Smurfit Kappa | 0:50 |
| 111 Dorleta Eskamendi Gil (Esp) Team Spain | 0:51 |
| 112 Rose Osborne (GBr) Drops Cycling Team | 0:52 |
| 113 Simona Bortolotti (Ita) Bepink | 0:52 |
| 114 Anna Badegruber (Aut) Vitalogic Astrokalb Radunion Nö | 0:53 |
| 115 Hannah Payton (GBr) Drops Cycling Team | 0:54 |
| 116 Ilaria Bonomi (Ita) Bepink | 0:57 |
| 117 Lorena Ordinana (Esp) BZK Emakumeen Bira - Smurfit Kappa | 0:58 |
| 118 Kseniya Tuhai (Blr) Bepink | 0:58 |
| 119 Desiree Duarte (Esp) Bio Racer Elkar-Kirolak | 0:58 |
| 120 Ilda Pereira (Por) BZK Emakumeen Bira - Smurfit Kappa | 0:58 |
| 121 Astrid Chazal (Fra) DN-17 Poitou Charentes | 0:59 |
| 122 Esther Munzo (Esp) BZK Emakumeen Bira - Smurfit Kappa | 1:00 |
| 123 Ainhoa Candil (Esp) Bio Racer Elkar-Kirolak | 1:02 |
| 124 Julia Rodruguez (Esp) Bio Racer Elkar-Kirolak | 1:05 |
| 125 Andrea Fraile (Esp) BZK Emakumeen Bira - Smurfit Kappa | 1:06 |
| 126 Catiuscia Grillo (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo | 1:07 |
| 127 Roos Hoogeboom (Ned) Bizkaia - Durango | 1:41 |
| 128 Susanna Zorzi (Ita) Lotto Soudal Ladies | 1:52/td> |
Related Photo Galleries
| Return to Cycling 4 Women homepage | Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top |
