June 15/16 13:51 pm - The Friends Life Women's Tour: Stage 1, Majerus wins, Kirchmann 6th

Posted by Editoress on 06/15/16
 

Christine Majerus sprinted to victory in Norwich to clinch the opening stage of the Aviva Women's Tour and with it the Aviva Yellow Jersey of race leader.

The Boels Dolmans rider, and Luxembourg national champion, took her first UCI Women's WorldTour victory, pipping Marianne Vos and Giorgia Bronzini as Cylance Pro Cycling's Alison Tetrick was caught in the final 100-metres of the stage into Norwich city centre.

The 31-year-old American spent the final 21-kilometres in a solo break on the Norfolk roads, building a lead at one-point of almost two-minutes. But come the technical run through the centre of Norwich, and the uphill drag to the finish line in the Market Place the Cylance rider was pipped, holding on to finish eighth, just ahead of a six second time gap.

Tetrick did claim the day's combativity prize for her fighting ride that so nearly paid fruit, especialy after she had been brought down in a crash earlier in the stage, until the final corner when first Majerus, and then Vos brushed her aside.

Majerus also claimed the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey, with her stage win giving her the advantage over Vos, with the two level on 15-points apiece.

Top Brit on the day was Lizzie Armitstead in 18th, pulling on the Adnams Best British Rider jersey with Dutch rider Ilona Hoeksma of the Parkhotel Valkenburg team holds a three point advantage in the Strava Queen of the Mountains competition over Orica AIS rider Taylor Wiles.
Women's Tour press release

Leah Kirchmann (Team Liv-Plantur) was in the mix on the final sprint and came in sixth in the same time as the winner.