photo credits @ Strade Bianche
World Champion Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) claimed the second edition of the women’s Strade Bianche today, finishing ahead of Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team) and Emma Johansson (Wiggle High5).
Speaking seconds after the finish, a victorious Lizzie Armitstead said: “It’s amazing to win the first UCI women’s WorldTour event and this race is absolutely special. After winning in Belgium last week, thankfully I’m not affected by the curse of the rainbow jersey. I managed to honour it again today. We’ve shared the work in the last 10km with my two breakaway companions and I pulled away on the climb. It worked out really well.”
Today’s victory marked the 27-year-old British rider’s second win of the season, after her victory in last weekend’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in Belgium.
Race Highlights
Armitstead was part of a three-rider breakaway group containing Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Rabo-Liv) and Emma Johansson (Wiggle-High5).
Johansson was later dropped during the final climb of the cobbled Piazza del Campo, leaving Armitstead and Niewiadoma to battle it out for the race honors.
However, the more experienced Armitstead rounded the corner of the final climb ahead of Niewiadoma, leaving the young Polish rider unable to respond to her last acceleration.
From there, Armitstead proceeded to breeze across the finish – 3 seconds ahead of her rival.
“After winning in Belgium last week, thankfully I’m not affected by the curse of the rainbow jersey. I managed to honour it again today. We’ve shared the work in the last 10km with my two breakaway companions and I pulled away on the climb. It worked out really well.”
“We’ve shared the work in the last 10km with my two breakaway companions and I pulled away on the climb. It worked out really well.”
Earlier in the race, British cyclocross champion Nikki Harris (Boels-Dolmans), commenced a solo escapes along the race’s infamous gravel sections. However, she was was later caught by Lucinda Brand (Rabo-Liv) following sector four, while both were eventually retrieved by the chase a few kilometers later.
Top 20 Finishers
1 Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 3:30:13 2 Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 0:00:03 3 Emma Johansson (Swe) Wiggle High5 0:00:13 4 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle High5 0:01:04 5 Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 0:01:07 6 Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 7 Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Orica-AIS 0:01:13 8 Claudia Lichtenberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal Ladies 0:01:17 9 Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Hitec Products 10 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Liv-Plantur 0:01:21 11 Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 0:01:23 12 Jolanda Neff (Swi) Servetto Footon 13 Malgorzta Jasinska (Pol) Ale’ Cipollini 0:01:29 14 Danielle King (GBr) Wiggle High5 15 Shara Gillow (Aus) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 0:01:32 16 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica-AIS 0:01:36 17 Shelley Olds (USA) Cylance Pro Cycling 0:01:45 18 Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 0:03:19 19 Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 20 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon SRAM Racing
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