Words by Owen Rogers
It was so close, but so far for Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) in today’s opening stage of the Women’s Tour in Northampton. Having missed out on the first intermediate sprint, the Olympic silver medalist started her final sprint too early, taking eighth place behind eventual winner, Emma Johansson, of Orica-AIS.
“It was really good, though I messed up a few times,” Armitstead told Cycling Weekly after the race. “The team plan to win every intermediate sprint bonus second available didn’t work out- there was no 200 metre line for the first sprint, I saw the line and thought it was the 200 to go, so I didn’t even sprint.
"In the finish I went far too early, I led Emma Johansson out and she got me by quite a long way. I sprinted with about 500 metres to go, uphill, which was far too early. I’ll learn my lesson.”
Despite the result, the Olympic silver medalist, who currently leads the Road World Cup from Johansson, enjoyed the experience. “I loved every minute of it, it was a very proud moment for me to be in that race,” she told us.
“It was so special to feel that excitement about sport in the UK again, not just cycling, everyone was so enthusiastic, it was fantastic.” Armitstead will start tomorrow’s stage in sixth place in the general classification.
It wasn’t quite the same for fellow Brit Emma Pooley (Lotto-Belisol), who finished the stage in 69th. “It was aggressive and the roads are pretty narrow, it’s a bit like some of the Belgian Classics,” she told us.
“It was stressful at times and I was on suffer street from the start, I’ve just been diagnosed with asthma and I’ve been having trouble with my breathing.”
Hannah Barnes reflects on her 'best-ever result' at the Women's Tour
The British circuit race champion finished third on stage one of the race behind Emma Johansson and Marianne Vos.
Emma Johansson wins opening stage of Women's Tour
Lizzie Armitstead misses out in bunch sprint as Friends Life Women's Tour kicks off
-
-
Seven men jailed for stealing bikes worth £70k from Rutland Cycling shop
Police caught the gang of thieves who had stolen 23 bikes from the chain store in Grafham Water
By Ryan Dabbs •
-
These are all the teams applying for WorldTeam and Women’s WorldTeam status next year
Qhubeka-NextHash miss the first deadline, as five women’s teams apply to step up to the top level
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Could a lack of live TV threaten the Women’s Tour’s place on the WorldTour?
£400,000 bill for live TV is prohibitive for organisers, who intend to have live coverage for 2022
By Owen Rogers •
-
Demi Vollering wins the Women’s Tour GC as Balsamo takes her first win as world champion
Stage three time trial the key to Vollering's first top tier stage race victory
By Owen Rogers •
-
Lorena Wiebes makes it two from two on stage five of the Women's Tour 2021
The Dutch rider clearly likes to be beside the seaside, winning another bunch sprint while Vollering retains the GC lead
By Owen Rogers •
-
Lorena Wiebes loses sprint train but still powers to stage four victory at Women's Tour 2021
The 11th victory of the year for the dominant sprinter
By Owen Rogers •
-
Amy Pieters takes stage two of Women's Tour win from a small group
Clara Copponi inherits the overall lead after an aggressive day's racing in Walsall
By Owen Rogers •
-
Bastianelli takes sprint win and overall lead on the Women's Tour stage one
The Italian sprinter powered clear to take the win after a crash marred final
By Owen Rogers •
-
'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 •
-
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 •
