Lizzie Armitstead back in action in the Women's WorldTour for first time since Rio (report)
Armitstead was among several Brits in the Crescent Vårgårda road race, including national champion Hannah Barnes and Dani King
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

After the disappointment of the Rio Olympics and the preceding controversies over missed anti-doping tests, Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolamns) returned to European racing racing in Sweden on Sunday.
The world champion finished over one minute behind Swedish winner Emilia Fahlin (Alé-Cipollini) who became the first home winner of the Crescent Vårgårda road race.
The victory was the 27-year-old Swede’s first major win for nearly five years and her Italian team’s first WorldTour success.
>>> Mark Cavendish: Lizzie Armitstead absolutely at fault for whereabouts failures
Fahlin had been a major protagonist in a group of nine riders who escaped the peloton with 46 of the 141km left to race, and sprinted clear of second placed Lotta Lepistö (Cervélo-Bigla), arguably the best sprinter in the group.
Early in the race Lepistö’s Swiss team mate Nicole Hanselmann, who won the opening stage of last week’s Ladies Tour of Norway, broke clear on the third of four opening 11km circuits, establishing a gap of two minutes.
Starting the race with just four riders, the presence of the Swiss rider up the road allowed Lepistö to sit tight in the bunch, as the peloton prepared to head onto a long 53km loop characterised by four sectors of gravel roads made more testing by overnight rain.
Despite the late withdrawal of Marianne Vos, Rabo-Liv, dominant in Norway last week, joined forces with Boels-Dolmans in neutralising Hanselmann’s advantage at the end of the second gravel sector, with 68km behind them.
However, it was the fourth stretch of gravel which proved decisive. Lacking representation from all the major teams, an initial strong break of seven women served to split the peloton as they were chased down. It was then, as the race returned to Vårgårda to begin four final laps of the same 11km circuit as before, that the race winning break of nine riders escaped from a reduced bunch.
This group contained British road race champion Hannah Barnes (Canyon-SRAM) and Armitstead’s Dutch teammate Chantal Blaak, meaning the world champion and her team did not need to work in the peloton behind.
Working well together, the group built and maintained an advantage, beginning the final 11km lap with a lead of 42 seconds on two chasers, including Brit Dani King (Wiggle-High5.) Only in the closing kilometres did the cooperation break down as those unsure of their sprint tried to get away.
>>> National Championships win a ‘big relief’ for Hannah Barnes
Though Fahlin was one of those aggressors, she was able to take advantage of excellent positioning in the final turn to out sprint more notable fast women to the line.
Team time trial
The race was second WorldTour event of the weekend in the Swedish town. Friday saw Boels-Dolmans continued their domination of the series, winning the team time trial by 37 seconds ahead of Cervélo-Bigla.
The event is a final indicator of form before October’s world championships which the Dutch team will be keen to win. Last year was the first year the race was not won on Specialized bikes since the event was reinstated in 2012, and Boels-Dolmans, who placed second in Richmond will be keen to show the American manufacturer’s dominance in the sector.
Next Saturday’s GP Plouay-Bretagne, which Armitstead won last year to seal her second consecutive World Cup title, is the penultimate Women’s WorldTour event of the year.
Though the Englishwoman remains second in the standings, Sunday’s result sealed the overall series win for her American teammate and Giro Rosa winner, Megan Guarnier.
Result
Crescent Vårgårda Road Race
1. Emilia Fahlin (Swe) Alé-Cipollini, at 2-01-27
2. Lotta Lepistö (Fin) Cervélo-Bigla, same time
3. Chantal Blaak (Ned) Boels-Dolmans, same time
4. Amy Pieters (Ned) Wiggle-High5, same time
5. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Lensworld-Zannata, at 2 sec
6. Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAM, at 3 sec
7. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica-AIS, same time
8. Julia Soek (Ned) Liv-Plantur, at 4 sec
9. Shara Gillow (Aus) Rabo-Liv, at 6 sec
10. Roxanne Knetemann (Ned) Rabo-Liv, at 13 sec
Result
Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial
1. Boels-Dolmans, in 51-43
2. Cervélo-Bigla, at 36 seconds
3. Rabo-Liv, at 1-16
4. Canyon-SRAM, at 1-41
5. Wiggle-High5, at 1-45
6. BTC City Ljubljana, at 2-35
7. Bepink, at 2-40
8. Cylance, at 2-57
9. Team Liv-Plantur, at 3-07
10. Parkhotel-Valkenburg, at 3-22
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Owen Rogers is an experienced journalist, covering professional cycling and specialising in women's road racing. He has followed races such as the Women's Tour and Giro d'Italia Donne, live-tweeting from Women's WorldTour events as well as providing race reports, interviews, analysis and news stories. He has also worked for race teams, to provide post race reports and communications.
-
-
Ethan Hayter seals overall victory at Tour of Poland
The win is Hayter's first on GC at WorldTour level, and his second overall senior victory
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Dylan Teuns moves mid-season to Israel-PremierTech
Belgian rider moves to new team from Bahrain Victorious in unusual mid-season transfer
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Lizzie Deignan expecting second child, will miss 2022 racing season
Paris-Roubaix winner to return in 2023 and has extended contract to 2024 with Trek-Segafredo
By Adam Becket • Published
-
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
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
'That was really not the plan,' says Lizzie Deignan after stunning Paris-Roubaix victory
The Brit says her attack was by accident, as she found herself with a gap after riding on the front to support her two team leaders
By Jonny Long • Published
-
Lizzie Deignan ready for women to deliver Paris-Roubaix spectacle, sets future sights on Milan San-Remo return
'It's been hyped up for so long now that we really need to deliver a good race,' says the Brit
By Jonny Long • Published
-
Tokyo Olympics: Full list of Team GB cyclists competing
Geraint Thomas, Lizzie Deignan and Tom Pidcock among the star names
By Alex Ballinger • Published
-
Coryn Rivera wins the final stage of Giro Donne while Anna van der Breggen takes her fourth title
Rivera pipped Lizzie Deignan on the line as the British rider finishes fourth for her best Giro finish
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
Trek-Segafredo win the opening team time trial at Giro Donne 2021 for the second year running
Ruth Winder will wear the maglia rosa in stage two after leading the winning squad across the line
By Owen Rogers • Published
-