Women’s Tour of California 2016 Stage 2

photo credits @ Women’s Tour of California

Kristin Armstrong and her Twenty16-RideBiker team, took a convincing victory during today’s Team Trial at the Women’s Tour of California, beating race favorite Boels-Dolmans by 6 seconds.

“Twenty16 came out on top, we came together as a team and worked really hard for the win,” Armstrong said. “We prepared as a team just as I would as an individual.”

Meanwhile, Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans) retained her lead in the GC by 12 seconds over Armstrong who moved into second place, while Evelyn Stevens (Boels-Dolmans) now sits in third.

“We wanted to win and we didn’t,” Guarnier said immediately after the finish. “It was windy and we saw the course this morning. I know Twenty16 won and they’ve been out here practicing in the course. Today was the first time we saw it.”

Twenty16 – Ridebiker, the 16th of 18 teams to start the 20.3km course in four-minute intervals, rode strongly from the outset. Armstrong, who claimed the 2009 world ITT crown and Dygert, who captured the world junior ITT and road races last September in Richmond, Virginia, powered the six-rider squad to the best provisional intermediate time, 12 seconds faster than UnitedHealthcare. But Boels – Dolmans then shattered the halfway time by six seconds.

Later on, UnitedHealthcare posted the best time with four teams still on the course. A few minutes later, Twenty16 – Ridebiker crossed the line and then waited for the remaining two squads to finish.

The tenth team on the course, Rally, crashed five minutes into its ride. The team finished last in the field, more than three minutes behind the 17th place squad. A Rally team spokesperson said riders touched wheels 7km into the TTT. The squad made time cut, but Canadian Kristi Lay will leave the race after injuring her head and back.

Top Finishers 

1 Twenty16 – Ridebiker 0:27:33
2 Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 0:00:06
3 UnitedHealthcare 0:00:25
4 Raboliv Womencyclingteam 0:00:34
5 Canyon SRAM Racing 0:00:36
6 Team Tibco – Silicon Valley Bank 0:00:55
7 Wiggle High5 0:00:58
8 Hitec Products 0:01:08
9 Podium Ambition Pro Cycling 0:01:12
10 Colavita – Bianchi 0:01:51
11 Cylance Pro Cycling 0:01:52
12 USA National Team 0:01:57
13 Hagens Berman – Supermint 0:02:05
14 Bepink 0:02:25
15 Visit Dallas DNA Pro Cycling
16 Drops Cycling 0:02:49
17 Weber Shimano Ladies Power 0:03:17
18 Rally Cycling 0:05:50

General classification after stage 2

1 Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 3:32:36
2 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Twenty16 – Ridebiker 0:00:12
3 Evelyn Stevens (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 0:00:22
4 Leah Thomas (USA) Twenty16 – Ridebiker 0:00:44
5 Coryn Rivera (USA) UnitedHealthcare Women 0:00:47
6 Katie Hall (USA) UnitedHealthcare Women 0:00:49
7 Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 0:00:50
8 Chloe Dygert (USA) Twenty16 – Ridebiker 0:00:53
9 Shara Gillow (Aus) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 0:00:58
10 Emma Johansson (Swe) Wiggle High5 0:01:02
11 Lauren Stephens (USA) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:01:19
12 Linda Melanie Villumsen (NZl) UnitedHealthcare Women
13 Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon-SRAM 0:01:20
14 Danielle King (GBr) Wiggle High5 0:01:22
15 Mara Abbott (USA) Wiggle High5
16 Allie Dragoo (USA) Twenty16 – Ridebiker 0:01:28
17 Brianna Walle (USA) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:01:32
18 Anouska Koster (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 0:01:39
19 Moniek Tenniglo (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
20 Nikki Harris (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 0:01:48