Former world champion Marta Bastianelli won the bunch kick to take victory at the opening stage of the Women’s Tour in Banbury on Monday.
The Italian was in perfect position in the final bend which came around 250m from the line, surfing wheels to get ahead and take the win ahead of Chloe Hosking (Trek-Segafredo) and Clara Copponi (FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope).
With a strong, late breakaway caught only with three kilometres to go the final was marred by a high-speed crash which took down a number of riders, hindering the train of DSM’s sprinter Lorena Wiebes.
Bastianelli takes the overall race lead into the remaining five stages, with the bunch heading to Walsall in the West Midlands for a short, 102km dynamic race on a circuit to the west of the town centre.
How it happened
The seventh edition of the Women’s Tour saw the race return to Oxfordshire, a county it visited in its last iteration in 2019. Back then the race’s third stage finished with a rainy bunch kick at Blenheim Palace, but this year the country hosted he opening stage between Bicester and Banbury.
While the two towns are a sort hop apart up the M40, the raced a 147.7km route, first heading south and through Oxford, to an intermediate sprint just before turning north through Abingdon. Crossing the line in Banbury the course took on a lumpy 29.5km loop, including another intermediate sprint before the final sprint to the line.
Other than a couple of flurries, the opening kilometres were fairly benign, much of the peloton still recovering from the effort of Saturday’s Paris-Roubaix, staying together, the pace only lifting sporadically.
Only as the race approached halfway did anyone get away, Anna Christian (Drops-Le Col) and Kirstie van Haaften (Parkhotel Valkenburg) getting a small gap of around 15 seconds. However, just as they headed up the road the bunch hit a stretch of crosswinds, lifting the speed again and bringing the escape back.
However, this move set of a more active period which coincided with the roads becoming more hilly, with Dutch rider Janneke Ensing (BikeExchange) getting a lead of 35 seconds. That lead though did not last long as she was chased down on the first QOM at Iron Down Hill just short of the closing circuit.
The race was super active though, and on the descent from the climb a group of 12 escaped off the front, and while they were soon caught Femke Markus (Parkhotel Valkenburg) and Chiara Consonni (Valcar Travel and Service) then headed up the road.
However, even they were allowed no space, as the race became extremely aggressive, with different groups repeatedly trying to get away. Over the line for the first time, with 29km to go and Christian made another move off the front, gaining a lead of 20 seconds on the bunch.
There was no escape though and the Manx rider was caught before the final intermediate sprint, only for a further, very strong group to head up the road with 10 km to go. Juliette Labous (DSM), Soraya Paladin (Liv Racing), Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) and the SD Worx duo of Demi Vollering and Amy Pieters managed to build a lead of 20 seconds, on the tight undulating roads ahead of Banbury, but could not make their advantage count.
Caught as they passed the two kilometre marker, the race was set for a bunch kick.
Results
Women’s Tour, stage one: Bicester - Banbury (147.7km)
1. Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Alé-BTC Ljubljana in 3-44-31
2. Chloe Hosking (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
3. Clara Copponi (Fra) FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope
4. Sheyla Gutiérrez |(Esp) Movistar
5. Elena Cecchini (Ita) SDWorx
6. Hannah Barnes (Gbr) Canyon-SRAM
7. Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Liv Racing
8. Josie Nelson (Gbr) Coop-Hitec Products
9. Amy Pieters (Ned) SDWorx
10. Leah Kirchmann (Can) DSM all at same time
General classification after stage one
1. Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Alé-BTC Ljubljana in 3-44-31
2. Chloe Hosking (Aus) Trek-Segafredo at 04 sec
3. Nina Kessler (Ned) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank at same time
4. Clara Copponi (Fra) FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope ta 06 sec
5. Sarah Roy (Aus) BikeExchange at 07 sec
6. Demi Vollering (Ned) SDWorx at 09 sec
7. Sheyla Gutiérrez |(Esp) Movistar at 10 sec
8. Elena Cecchini (Ita) SDWorx
9. Hannah Barnes (Gbr) Canyon-SRAM
10. Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Liv Racing all at same time
-
-
Record rides: Tommy Godwin’s 75,065 miles in a year
vans Perhaps one of the most incredible records ever set on two wheels retold by Dave Barter.
-
French doctor sentenced to year of house arrest for inciting doping and illegally practicing medicine
Bernard Sainz will wear an electronic tag for the next year, and is prohibited from practicing within the health and sport field
-
Six Of The Best Women's WorldTour races of 2021
It’s been another fabulous year of women’s racing, most which we have been able to watch, here are our six favourites
-
No phones, limited food, minimal sleep: Hannah Barnes 'looking forward to the next year' with Uno-X after team bonding experience
After six seasons at Canyon-SRAM the former British champion is feeling positive about her new role at her new Norwegian squad
-
Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 2022: everything you need to know
The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race won't take place for the second year in a row in 2022
-
Women's WorldTour race days increase to 71 with Challenge by La Vuelta stage boost
With the addition of an extra stage in Spain, the Tour de France Femmes and the new Battle of the North, the calendar has grown substantially
-
WorldTour transfers 2022: All of the men's and women's new signings for the 2022 season
Who's changing teams for 2022 and who's retiring from the world of professional cycling
-
Porte and Dennis to ride Santos Festival of Cycling 2022
Confirmed teams and riders taking part in the 2022 Santos Festival of Cycling (January 23-29)
-
UCI announces teams for the 2022 WorldTour with six new women's teams joining the top tier
The women's top division of the sport is growing every year with yet more teams joining
-
UCI reveals it has refused Qhubeka-NextHash's WorldTour licence for 2022
The South African team has struggled with financial issues for the last few years
