Lotte Kopecky outsprinted Letizia Paternoster (Liv ALUla Jayco) to win stage one of many Tour of Britain Girls in Llandudno in North Wales.
Paternoster punched the air in celebration, believing she had taken the victory on the seafront forward of the reigning World Champion, however a photograph end later declared Kopecky the winner.
A 9 rider robust breakaway – together with Lizzie Deignan and Anna Henderson of the Nice Britain Biking workforce – fashioned on the prime of the day’s closing climb, Ty’n y Llidiart, and shortly constructed up a bonus of greater than two minutes which meant they’d contest the end.
Henderson led the break into the ultimate kilometre, however Kopecky opened the dash for the road after Henderson had peeled off. Paternoster was straight onto the World Champion’s again wheel and lunged for the road alongside Kopecky. The Belgian ended up profitable by a matter of millimetres forward of Paternoster.
The present British nationwide champion, Pfeiffer Georgi, took third place behind them. Deignan got here in fourth.
Talking after finally being declared the winner, Kopecky stated that she felt it was unimaginable to name between her and Paternoster at first.
“I made a few errors within the dash myself,” Kopecky stated. “However then when it got here to the road it was like okay I can solely do yet one more factor and simply make the perfect bounce I can. As soon as we crossed the end line, Letizia raised her palms however I used to be pondering ‘I am unsure I received, however then I’m additionally unsure you received.'”
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“We had a very good group within the entrance,” Kopecky added. “I used to be additionally pleased to have [Christine] Majerus with me within the first group. However you recognize within the final 5 kilometres whenever you go to the end, for certain when there’s two riders from one other workforce they begin taking part in video games however yeah, it was a pleasant closing for me I believe.”
“It was a pleasant stage really, fairly hilly however by no means flat, additionally with numerous headwind. So it made it fairly sluggish at occasions due to the wind, however in the long run I’m pleased we might get within the break on the final climb, it was a pleasant race.”
Deignan later stated that the headwinds had impacted the race late on.
“I used to be pleased with my type in the present day,” she stated. “It was an odd race, virtually nothing and every part. We might have favored moments of assault within the closing end, however with the headwinds stretch and the launchpads, we simply needed to do what we might.
“I believe shifting ahead it is going to be a very open race, so hopefully an enormous breakaway might go, and we are able to use a few of our different concepts and take different alternatives.”
The way it occurred
Paternoster’s celebrations had been short-lived after commissaires declared that Kopecky had received
(Picture credit score: SWpix.com)
The opening stage of the inaugural version of the race was a largely hilly affair, however with a flat run into the end within the coastal city of Llandudno.
A handful of small breakaway teams briefly had their second within the highlight on the head of the motion, however because the race reached crunch time all of it got here again collectively.
With 36 kilometres to go, the race actually began to open up on the ultimate categorised climb of the day, Ty’n y Llidart. A bunch of 9 riders, containing the likes of Lizzie Deignan and Anna Henderson (Nice Britain Biking workforce), Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm firmenich Put up NL) and Letizia Paternoster (Liv ALUla Jayco), broke clear as they fought for the Queen of the Mountains factors on provide.
The 9 riders quickly constructed up a two minute time hole because the tempo ramped up on the descent again down in direction of the flatter terrain. Cofidis, who had been very energetic within the first half of the day’s racing, tried to type some cohesion within the chasing peloton, however it could be to no avail because of the energy of the 9 rider group that had fashioned.
Paternoster swept up the factors on provide on the intermediate dash at Dolgarrog.
With three kilometres to go the likes of Kopecky started to tighten her sneakers because the group began to organize for a dash end to the road alongside the seafront. Henderson launched a transfer solo seeking to disrupt any try from SD Worx to regulate the end. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv ALUla Jayco) pulled Henderson again, but it surely had evidently unsettled the 9 riders as the strain started to rise.
Because the riders tore underneath the kilometre to go marker, Majerus began to guide out Kopecky however the two Jayco riders had been straight onto the transfer. Kopecky launched her dash with Paternoster locked into her wheel and the duo appeared to cross the road collectively.
Paternoster punched the air pondering she had received, however Kopecky would later be declared the winner after a photograph end confirmed that the Belgian had edged the dash by a handful of millimetres.
Outcomes
Tour of Britain Girls 2024, stage one: Welshpool > Llandudno (142km)
1. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime, in 04:04:18
2. Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Liv ALUla Jayco,
3. Pfeiffer Gerogi (Gbr) dsm-firmenich PostNL,
4. Lizzie Deignan (Gbr) nice Britain Biking workforce,
5. Eline Jansen (Ned) Volker Wessels,
6. Anna Henderson (Gbr) Nice Britain Biking workforce,
7. Victorie Guilman (Fra) St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93,
8. Christine Majerus (Ned) SD Worx-Protime,
9. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) Liv ALUla Jayco, all at identical time
10. Lucy Lee (Gbr) DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK +3:49
Common classification after stage one
1. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime, in 04:04:06
2. Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Liv ALUla Jayco, +3s
3. Pfeiffer Gerogi (Gbr) dsm-firmenich PostNL, +7s
4. Lizzie Deignan (Gbr) nice Britain Biking workforce, +12s
5. Eline Jansen (Ned) Volker Wessels,
6. Anna Henderson (Gbr) Nice Britain Biking workforce,
7. Victorie Guilman (Fra) St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93,
8. Christine Majerus (Ned) SD Worx-Protime,
9. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) Liv ALUla Jayco, all at identical time
10. Lucy Lee (Gbr) DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK +4:01
