Annemiek Van Vleuten (Orica-Scott) won the gruelling opening stage of La Course by Le Tour de France on Thursday, which took the riders straight up the Col d'Izoard in the Alps.
The Dutchwoman attacked inside the final 5km of the 67.5km of the route from a select group of riders, that included British national champion Lizzie Deignan (Boels-Dolman).
Deignan came home for second, with Italian Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-High5) in third.
The day kicked off from Briançon at a fast pace, with several riders attempting to break free from the bunch. Boels-Dolmans and WM3 Energie rode at the front of the peloton to control the pace-setting.
Even before the foot of the Izoard, the peloton had started to shed numerous riders over the undulating terrain.
New Zealander Linda Villumsen (Veloconcept) was the first rider to make a move stick, launching an attack with 35km to go. She opened up a significant gap as Deignan hit the front of the bunch in the chase. At this point, Deignan was working for team-mate Megan Guarnier, who was tipped as one of the leading favourites for the win.
>>> Tour de France 2017: Latest news, reports and race info
Deignan ground out a relentless pace in an impressive display, all the while shedding more and more riders from the group. Villumsen was caught with 9km to go to bring the lead group back together.
Surprisingly, Guarnier and Katarzyna Niewiadoma (WM3 Energie) were two of those that were dropped off the pace set by Deignan. When Van Vleuten attacked with 4.6km to go, Deignan set off in pursuit followed by Shara Gillow (FDJ) and Longo Borghini.
Van Vleuten powered ahead, quickly opening up a gap that would prove to be unbridgeable. Her aero skinsuit and aero helmet signalled her intent – although a momentary mechanical problem with her gears saw her nearly come to a standstill heading into the last 2km.
Deignan continued the pace that she had set throughout almost the entire climb, dropping first Longo Borghini and then Gillow. Gillow then slowed, and was passed by Longo Borghini and then passed by Guarnier, who was staging a comeback on the Izoard's upper slopes.
Van Vleuten was 38 seconds ahead of Deignan by the time she went under the kilometre-to-go banner, with the victory sealed. Deignan was left ruing what could have been had she not put in so much work on the lower part of the climb for her team.
The fourth edition of La Course scrapped the circuit-based event of the past three editions, which took place on the Champs Élysées in Paris prior to the final stage of the men's Tour. Instead, there is Thursday's mountain stage and a 22.5km time trial in Marseille on Saturday.
Riders will transfer between the two stages on Friday, when no racing takes place. The TT uses a controversial handicap format, with the top 20 riders on Thursday taking part on Saturday with staggered starts relating to their time gaps on stage one.
Results
La Course by Le Tour de France 2017, stage one: Briançon to Izoard, 67.5km
1. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Orica-Scott, in 2-07-18
2. Lizzie Deignan (GBr) Boels-Dolmans, at 43 secs
3. Elisa Longo-Borghini (Ita) Wiggle-High5, at 1-23
4. Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels-Dolmans, at 1-28
5. Shara Gillow (Aus) FDJ, at 1-33
6. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica-Scott, at 1-41
7. Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco, at 1-51
8. Ana Cristina Sanabria Sanchez (Col) Servetto, at 2-24
9. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) WM3 Energie, at 2-52
10. Hanna Nilson (Swe) BTC City, at 3-04
General classification after stage one
1. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Orica-Scott
2. Lizzie Deignan (GBr) Boels-Dolmans, at 43 secs
3. Elisa Longo-Borghini (Ita) Wiggle-High5, at 1-23
4. Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels-Dolmans, at 1-28
5. Shara Gillow (Aus) FDJ, at 1-33
6. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica-Scott, at 1-41
7. Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco, at 1-51
8. Ana Cristina Sanabria Sanchez (Col) Servetto, at 2-24
9. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) WM3, at 2-52
10. Hanna Nilson (Swe) BTC City, at 3-04
Thank you for reading 10 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
-
-
My Training Space: 'Work, rest and play – I do everything in here!'
Massage therapist and athletic all-rounder Andy Keegan walks us around his do-it-all garden training room
-
‘Moments to live and remember’: Roglič set to win the pink jersey after winning extraordinary penultimate stage of the Giro d’Italia
Thomas loses the pink jersey to Slovenian by just 14 seconds
-
Lizzie Deignan to return to racing at Flèche Wallonne, is a possibility for Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Trek-Segafredo finalise roster for Wednesday's Ardennes Classic, with Deignan returning for the first time since 2021
-
Lizzie Deignan: Remembering Paris-Roubaix
Ahead of the 2022 edition of Paris-Roubaix Cycling Weekly caught up with Lizzie Deignan to reflect on her victory in the first ever women’s edition of the race.
-
Lizzie Deignan: 'It’s a shame someone can’t see the value of the Women’s Tour'
The Women’s Tour’s only double winner expresses her disappointment after the cancellation of the 2023 race
-
Women’s Tour fundraising campaign receives public backing from Alastair Campbell
Tony Blair's former comms director highlights major role played by race in growth of women’s cycling
-
Three weeks to save the Women’s Tour as organiser launches crowdfunding campaign
Race is looking for £100,000 to fill funding hole
-
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
-
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
-
'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
