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 general, however had victory on the race inside her grasp, earlier than sitting up, seemingly to present 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 critically inclement climate, Lizzie Deignan (Nice Britain) animated the day, with a long-range assault, but it surely finally got here all the way down to a diminished dash in Leigh.
Anna Henderson (Nice Britain) got here second general, with Majerus transferring as much as third on GC because of bonus seconds claimed on the ultimate stage.
The seemingly unusual choice for Kopecky to sit down up with a last stage win in her grasp was because of the staff working for Majerus, in accordance with the general winner.
“We made the selection to go as we speak 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. Perhaps a silly mistake, I do not know, however I’d all the time have carried out 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 had 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 surprising. Her staff 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 can’t 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 very good staff experience, with Teniel completely smashing that first climb, I used to be truly struggling. It was full dedication into the following climb the place the choice was made.
“We actually needed to get Letizia up there, but it surely ended up being a full bunch dash, and he or she bought a puncture. It did not go to plan, I requested whether or not I ought to return, however I bought advised 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 feel I actually simply did not anticipate it,” Paternoster continued. “Some races you are available as a frontrunner and you realize what you are able to do, and different races all of it simply works out. I used to be fairly nervous in regards to the rain, I used to be nervous about crashing. I wasn’t within the mindset of making an attempt 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 had been warming up pre-race, figuring out that the motion can be on from the beginning. Add in some critically inclement climate, and regardless of being quick, each metre of highway would show troublesome.
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), probably 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 common classification.
Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL) attacked out of the peloton, seemingly to behave as a launchpad for her teammate Pfeiffer Georgi. Nevertheless, 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 real chief took the utmost factors on the prime of the climb once more, together 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 into 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 strain 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 had been pulling, making an attempt to defend Victoire Guilman’s eighth place general.
They achieved this with 31km to go, because the entrance group swelled to round 25, with the complete 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 following to assault, with the GB staff figuring out that they would wish 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 general 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 had been the highest 4 already.
Behind, Eline Jansen (VolkerWessels), fifth general, tried to steer the chase, figuring out 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 just 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) together with her, with Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco) shortly following. They had been caught with round 4km to go.
Paternoster, third general, suffered a rear wheel puncture on the worst doable 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
Basic 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 staff, +46s
8. Victorie Guilman (Fra) St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93, at identical time
9. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) Liv ALUla Jayco, +2:50
10. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +4:14
