Ruby Roseman-Gannon gained stage 4 of the Tour of Britain Ladies in complicated circumstances, as she out-sprinted three SD Worx-Protime riders to victory.
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) got here fourth on the stage to win total, however had victory on the race inside her grasp, earlier than sitting up, seemingly to reward a win to her teammate Christine Majerus, but it surely was to not be. The quickest sprinter within the peloton, Lorena Wiebes, got here third.
In significantly inclement climate, Lizzie Deignan (Nice Britain) animated the day, with a long-range assault, but it surely in the end got here all the way down to a decreased dash in Leigh.
Anna Henderson (Nice Britain) got here second total, with Majerus shifting as much as third on GC because of bonus seconds claimed on the ultimate stage.
The seemingly unusual resolution for Kopecky to take a seat up with a last stage win in her grasp was because of the workforce working for Majerus, in response to the general winner.
“We made the selection to go at this time for Christine Majerus within the dash,” Kopecky mentioned. “We did it completely till the hole within the final nook, which was a bit too huge for me. I wasn’t going to take the win, I noticed Christine coming, however we made this deal and he or she was going to win it. Possibly a silly mistake, I do not know, however I might at all times have completed the identical.
“It was fairly chilly,” she mentioned of the ultimate day. “Fortunately, it solely rained on the final day so it is okay, we had three good ones. It was hectic, some good steep climbs. Lizzie Deignan was very sturdy, however so was SD Worx-Protime. Ultimately, we have been alway in management and yeah, in the long run, it was unhappy that it ended like this, but it surely additionally might have been a really good day for Christine Majerus.”
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For Roseman-Gannon, the victory in weird circumstances was her first WorldTour win, and was sudden. Her workforce chief in the beginning of the day, Letizia Paternoster, punctured with simply over 4km to go, leaving her free to use the end.
“I simply cannot imagine it,” she mentioned. “Right now the plan was to go for Letizia (Paternoster), to race aggressively and attempt to take some seconds again and attempt to go for GC. We had a extremely good workforce journey, with Teniel completely smashing that first climb, I used to be truly struggling. It was full dedication into the subsequent climb the place the choice was made.
“We actually wished to get Letizia up there, but it surely ended up being a full bunch dash, and he or she received a puncture. It did not go to plan, I requested whether or not I ought to return, however I received instructed to give attention to the end as an alternative. I nonetheless cannot imagine I gained that, it is loopy, it is my first European win.”
“I believe I actually simply did not anticipate it,” Paternoster continued. “Some races you are available as a frontrunner and what you are able to do, and different races all of it simply works out. I used to be fairly nervous concerning the rain, I used to be nervous about crashing. I wasn’t within the mindset of attempting to win.”
The way it occurred
Lizzie Deignan on her personal on stage 4 of the Tour of Britain Ladies
(Picture credit score: SWPix.com)
A brief 99km stage meant that many riders have been warming up pre-race, realizing that the motion can be on from the beginning. Add in some significantly inclement climate, and regardless of being quick, each metre of highway would show tough.
Given it was the final stage of the race, there was a critical battle to kind an early break. Jo Tindley (Professional-Noctis–200° Espresso-Hargreaves Contracting), essentially the most combative rider on stage three, was an early attacker, however her lead didn’t final. Krista Doebel-Hickok (Human Powered Well being) gained an 18-second lead into the underside of the primary climb of the day, Grains Bar, a class one climb, however was caught.
First excessive was Lizzie Deignan (Nice Britain), securing her lead within the queen of the mountain’s jersey. The Briton pushed on excessive, constructing a bonus of over a minute at one level.
Behind, Liv AlUla Jayco and SD Worx Protime pulled, the latter defending Lotte Kopecky’s lead within the basic classification.
Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL) attacked out of the peloton, seemingly to behave as a launchpad for her teammate Pfeiffer Georgi. Nonetheless, she didn’t final lengthy, quickly caught by the peloton.
Into the second class one climb of the day, the Ramsbottom Rake, Deignan nonetheless pushed on, as dsm-firmenich PostNL continued their management on the entrance of the bunch. The only chief took the utmost factors on the prime of the climb once more, along with her GB teammate Anna Henderson taking second on the climb.
A choose group together with Kopecky, Georgi, Henderson and Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco) briefly went clear, however their numbers quickly swelled, as Kopecky was joined by teammates Lorena Wiebes and Christine Majerus.
With simply over 50km to go, the peloton had turn out to be chasing teams, with the race cut up over the highway because of the Ramsbottom Rake. Deignan remained out entrance.
Simply because the race handed 40km to go, Deignan was caught, and Majerus instantly moved to the entrance to attempt to put the stress on. Henderson was subsequent to assault, however she was tracked by Kopecky.
Amber Pate (Liv AlUla Jayco) tried to leap clear, however was reeled in. Additional behind, St Michel-Mavic-Auber93 have been pulling, attempting to defend Victoire Guilman’s eighth place total.
They achieved this with 31km to go, because the entrance group swelled to round 25, with the total complement of GB riders in there.
The intermediate dash was an in depth battle between Majerus and Paternoster, with the previous popping out on prime.
With 22km to go, it was Deignan who tried to maneuver off the entrance as soon as once more, adopted by Majerus, however this got here to nothing.
Henderson was the subsequent to assault, with the GB workforce realizing that they would want to do one thing in an effort to change how the day would end. She was caught, after which Georgi tried to pressure a cut up, adopted by Kopecky and Paternoster. The highest 4 total rose to the highest on an uncategorised climb. The quartet established a lead of round 18 seconds with 19km to go, but it surely was unclear what they might work collectively for, given they have been the highest 4 already.
Behind, Eline Jansen (VolkerWessels), fifth total, tried to steer the chase, realizing her GC place was doubtful.
Wiebes attacked from the chasing group, with Paternoster going off the entrance of the race with the information that their numbers would possibly quickly develop. This was shut down, however Georgi was subsequent to assault, with 15km to go, once more unable to hole her fellow leaders.
With slightly below 10km to go, the entrance group got here again collectively, with the entrance 4 caught.
Franziska Koch (dsm-firmenich PostNL) launched from this group, dragging Elena Cecchini (SD Worx-Protime) and Flora Perkins (Nice Britain) along with her, with Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco) shortly following. They have been caught with round 4km to go.
Paternoster, third total, suffered a rear wheel puncture on the worst potential second, because the race was on on the entrance.
Outcomes
Tour of Britain Ladies 2024 stage 4: Manchester > Leigh (99km)
1. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) Liv ALUla Jayco, in 2:37:51
2. Christine Majerus (Ned) SD Worx-Protime
3. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime
4. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime
5. Eline Jansen (Ned) Volker Wessels
6. Pfeiffer Georgi (GBr) dsm-firmenich PostNL
7. Flora Perkins (GBr) Nice Britain
8. Elinor Barker (GBr) Nice Britain
9. Josie Talbot (Aus) Cofidis
10 Anna Henderson (GBr) Nice Britain
Common Classification after stage 4
1. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime, in 10:25:49
2. Anna Henderson (GBr) Nice Britain, +17s
3. Christine Majerus (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +34s
4. Pfeiffer Georgi (GBr) dsm-firmenich PostNL, +38s
5. Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Liv ALUla Jayco, +40s
6. Eline Jansen (Ned) Volker Wessels, +43s
7. Lizzie Deignan (GBr) Nice Britain Biking workforce, +46s
8. Victorie Guilman (Fra) St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93, at similar time
9. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) Liv ALUla Jayco, +2:50
10. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +4:14
