Women's Cycling News 9-16.06.2013

Women's Cycling News You Might Have Missed

Johansson wins the Bira - JHT GP: Barnes wins Woking, Day wins Aylsham - Barnes also wins controversial Nocturne - British Cycling boss Cookson to stand for UCI presidency - New US MTB race seeks to even up pay disparity - Interesting Links - Elite Women Results - Photo of the Week - more to come...

Johansson bosses Vos at Bira

Emma Johansson, 2013 Emakumeen Bira victor

Rabo-Liv/Giant's Marianne Vos is widely considered the most successful cyclist in the world, so when she won Stage 1 at the Emakumeen Bira much of the women's cycling world sat back and waited for what very often seems to be inevitable - Marianne's total domination of the race. However, Marianne's incredible success has not negatively affected the sport by reducing competition as some commentators suggested it might: in fact, the opposite is true and, just as Helen Wyman wisely argued in January 2012, competition has become stronger as other riders have stepped up their efforts to take on the current World Champion.

One of those riders is Emma Johansson, who moved from Hitec Products to Orica-AIS for 2013 and has been no stranger to the podiums this year, proving herself a very strong adversary to Vos in the process and beating her at Gooik-Geraardsbergen-Gooik in May. The Swede got into a break with Orica team mate Tiffany Cromwell, old Hitec team mate Elisa Longo Borghini and Vos during Stage 2, leaving the pack behind shortly after the middle point of the stage as heavy rain created treacherous conditions. At the final climb, Johansson and Longo Borghini were able to split the break and began heading towards the finish together.

With Vos marooned away from helpers and with Longo Borghini having used up more energy due to not benefiting from the assistance of a team mate in the earlier break, this seemed an ideal situation for Johansson, but she knows that Vos must never be underestimated. "Elisa and I knew we had to go at it together. We couldn’t start playing games. We needed to try to keep the distance between us and the chasers as big as possible. We knew Marianne would take risks on the descent, but we played it safe. We worked together all the way to the line," she explained after the stage.

Elisa Longo Borghini, a rider heading
for the top of the sport...

Stage 1 had ended with a bunch sprint, meaning that although Johansson had finished 18 places behind Vos the Dutch woman had started Stage 2 without a time advantage; when Longo Borghini took second place Johansson now found herself with a very valuable 26" overall lead - and Stage 3 was to be an individual time trial, a discipline at which by her own admission Vos doesn't excel (her palmares suggests it's the only one at which she doesn't excel) but one at which Johansson performs very well indeed. A difficult parcours and more heavy rain made it a very hard stage. "I was suffering the whole time," she said later, but the first time check revealed that her speed was not - she was 10" faster than Longo Borghini and, as the stage progressed, she got even faster: "I was confident in Emma’s ability, but I was pleasantly surprised at the time gaps,” Orica directeur sportif Dave McPartland admitted. “Technically, her ride was brilliant. It had been raining to varying degrees all day, and it was a slight drizzle on and off during Emma’s ride. She rode as if it was dry and told me after her race that she hadn’t taken any risks. I’d like to see what she looks like when she is taking risks!" When the stage ended, she had finished 38" faster than second, third and fourth-placed riders Ellen van Dijk (Specialized-Lululemon), Longo Borghini and Anna van der Breggen (Sengers) and taken Orica's 200th podium place since the team came into being at the beginning of 2012.

...as is Anna van der Breggen

She thus began the fourth and final stage with 38" on Longo Borghini and a whole 1'51" on Vos, time gaps sufficient to allow her to win the race by cruising along in the peloton surrounded by a phalanx of protecting team mates. Except that women's cycling doesn't tend to work that way - after the first hour-and-a-half of racing had been spent with numerous attacks, counter-attacks and constant changes at the front of the pack, Longo Borghini and Johansson escaped again, this time accompanied Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-Lululemon) and Shara Gillow (Orica-AIS). Gillow worked hard for her leader, finally leaving the break between the two final climbs; that the 23-year-old Anna van der Breggen was able to bridge and join the break as the other three riders collaborated and increased their advantage on the way up the last hill is indication that she's a rider destined for greatness and very much one of the riders to watch at the forthcoming Tour de Bretagne, which she won in spectacular style last year. This time around, the stage deservedly went to Longo Borghini who had worked so hard throughout the race. Stevens followed her over the line for second with Johansson right on the American's back wheel for third, the three women recording an equal time while van der Breggen was three seconds slower; Vos was 1'06" down in sixth place.

"This is as close to a hometown win as anything for me,” the jubilant Johansson said once she'd climbed down from the podium and begun celebrating her first General Classification victory since 2012's Tour de Free State. "My first contract was with a Basque team based in Durango. I lived up north in Sweden at that time, so I couldn’t go home between races. Instead, I stayed with the girls here. I became good friends with my teammates. Their family became my family. I saw a lot of familiar faces out on the course every day. It feels like I’ve won at home." The Basques have a tradition of adopting riders they see as being worthy of becoming honourary Basques; Emma may ride for an Australian team these days, but she'll always find a warm welcome in Euskadi. (Race results further down the page)

Johnson HealthTech GP: Hannah Barnes wins Woking, Gabby Day wins Aylsham

Hannah Barnes, who required nine stitches
in her chin after winning in Woking, is
the 2013 overall winner.

She crashed hard enough early on in the race to need medical assistance once she'd crossed the finish line, but a rider like MG-Maxifuel's Hannah Barnes doesn't let anything as trifling as pain get in her way and her injuries didn't prevent her winning the round.

Her biggest rivals were Louise Borthwick of Edinburgh RC, who attacked time and time again throughout the race and finished up winning both the Sprints category and the Combativity award, and France's Roxanne Fournier who put up a stiff fight in the final sprint, only just missing out to Barnes at the line. MG-Maxifuel were the winning team and went to the fifth and final round in Aylsham with 180 points amassed so far, an advantage of 28 to second-placed MuleBar Girl-Sigma Sport's 152. This closely resembled the situation in the individual riders category where Barnes, with 72 points, led while Louise Mahe (MuleBar Girl-Sigma Sport) has 52.

Woking has hosted a round of the Tour series every year since its inception. Aylsham is a new addition, but with both the races and the afternoon of free cycling-related activities proving hugely popular despite heavy rain, it seems likely that this won't be the last visit. Other rounds have also been more successful than ever this year, proving that women's cycling is definitely on the up in Britain - let's hope that, in order to allow those towns that want the Series to come back next year to again host races and also retain an interesting variety of courses, we'll get a couple of extra rounds for 2014.

The rain made the course treacherous, leading to a nasty crash for Penny Rowson (Breast Cancer Care) who hit the barriers hard and was extremely fortunate (and surprised, going by her Twitter messages after the race) to escape without broken bones. Six other riders, including last year's Individual Standings overall winner Annie Simpson, were unable to finish.

Penny ‏@penny_rowson
Omg thankyou so much for the lovely messages I am one lucky girl! Hit the barriers hard and nothings broken or fractured! #madeofstrongstuff

Annie Simpson ‏@LittleSimo
Very happy to have @penny_rowson  back under my watchful eye. Nothing broken & I've bought her cookies so she'll be fine ;)

Round 5 winner Gabby Day

Natalie Creswick (MuleBar Girl-Sigma Sport) and Gabby Day (Matrix Racing Academy) escaped the pack early on and led for the rest of the race. Creswick's ability to stay with the highly experienced and successful cyclo cross rider Day is evidence that she has some serious bike-handling skills, but when it came to the final sprint to the line she was unable to generate the power she needed to prevent her rival taking victory which, with team mates Hannah Walker, Harriet Owen and Jessie Walker in fifth, ninth and tenth, gave Matrix their first win of this year's series.

Meanwhile, Hannah Barnes rode intelligently by remaining in the pack and staying out of trouble rather than risk throwing her advantage away in a crash, coming in 16th among a bunch led by France's Roxanne Fournier; she therefore wins the Individual Standings with 84 points. Creswick overtook Louise Mahe and finishes in second place overall with 73 points while Day is in third with 72, equal to Mahe who now takes fourth. Day also won the Sprint competition for the round; Barnes wins the category overall with 35 points to second placed Mahe's 23 and third placed Creswick's 19. MG-Maxifuel win the overall Teams category with 204 points, MuleBar Girl-Sigma Sport are second with 192 and Matrix Racing Academy are third with 187.

There is an excellent gallery of photos of the round by Paul Douglas on Matrix RA's website. Highlights of the race will be broadcast on ITV4 at 10pm on the 14th of June.

Woking Top Five
1 Hannah Barnes (MG-Maxifuel)
2 Roxanne Fournier (France)
3 Coryn Rivera (Breast Cancer Care)
4 Ella Hopkins (Breast Cancer Care)
5 Charline Joiner (MG Maxifuel)
Full results

Aylsham Top Five
1 Gabby Day (Matrix Racing Academy)
2 Natalie Creswick (MuleBar Girl-Sigma Sport)
3 Roxanne Fournier (France)
4 Coryn Rivera USA (Breast Cancer Care)
5 Hannah Walker GBR (Matrix Racing Academy)
Full results

Hannah Barnes scores controversial Nocturne win in front of record crowd

Laura Trott

Britain's female professional cyclists are flying higher than ever before right now - ask your non-cycling friends to name some male riders from this country and they'll tell you Wiggins, Cav and Hoy, ask them for some female riders and chances are they'll have heard of Pendleton, the Trotts, Rowsell, King, Armitstead, Cooke, Pooley, Houvenaghel and perhaps - if you choose your friends wisely - Wyman, who really ought to be much better known in her home country than she is. So that's three men who've become household names and at least nine women: truly a superb state of affairs and one that caused the organisers of the IG Markets Smithfield Nocture to predict that the Elite Women's race would draw a larger crowd than the Elite Men's race this year.

"The crowd was absolutely phenomenal" - Dani King

It being a free event, accurate figures are had to come by, but videos and photographs of the event prove beyond doubt that the women rode in front of a considerably larger crowd than last year - and every single one of the thousands that watched the race unfold will be glad they made the effort, having been treated to a thrilling race that kept things uncertain right to the end.

The result proved controversial. Reigning Olympic Team Pursuit and Omnium champion Laura Trott (Wiggle-Honda) and Hannah Barnes (MG-Maxifuel) fought hard in the final sprint, crossing the line so closely together than judges required a photo finish to decide who'd actually won, then declared that Trott had  got her wheel over the line first, while Barnes (who'll be on that list of household names by the next Olympics) recorded the same time of 34'51". However, after reviewing footage recorded by Channel 4, they decided that "it is clear" Barnes was in fact first but did not then declare her the winner, deeming the rider to have contested the sprint dangerously - the footage shows her lifting her arms aloft in celebration, as riders commonly do when finishing a race and as can be seen in this screenshot from the BBC, which British Cycling commissaires deemed dangerous "given the leaders' proximity in the sprint to a slower group of riders ahead on the road."

Nocturne organisers supported British Cycling's decision, but the cycling world was not convinced justice had been done. Legendary sprinter Mark Cavendish, no stranger to a spot of sprinting controversy himself, weighed in with the following Tweet in support of Barnes...

Mark Cavendish ‏@MarkCavendish
Reading about @bannahharnes getting demoted to 2nd in that #IGNocturne race. Is it true it was for celebrating the win?! Disgraceful if so.

...and fans were no less happy, as could be seen from the percentage of "#womenscycling" tweets discussing the matter and the appearance of a new tag, "#nocturnegate." Finally, in the afternoon of Saturday the 15th, a new official result was announced: Barnes was declared winner.

Trott's victory had been the first on home soil for her British-registered team, making the race a superb day out for Wiggle-Honda that got even better when Dani King took third place , Lauren Kitchen sixth, Jo Rowsell seventh and Charlotte Becker ninth with the team thus accounting for half of the top ten places. Nevertheless, team owner and manager Rochelle Gilmore was happy her rider had been relegated: ""We were delighted with what we understood was a narrow win for Laura Trott, but on discovering that Hannah Barnes had crossed the line first, we felt the decision to relegate her was harsh. We totally accept the reversal of this decision and offer our full and sincere congratulations to Hannah for an excellent win."

Top Ten further down the page.

Official statement here. Highlights of the event - with, hopefully, a decent-sized slot devoted to the Elite Women and the Women's Criterium - will be broadcast by Channel 4 at 07:35 on Sunday 16th of June.

Video

Matrix Fitness RA2013 UK women's Calendar has been amazing. Top races, riders, teams & TV. Belgium is so last year as a proving ground. UK is where its at.

Women's cycling-friendly British Cycling boss to stand for UCI president
Current UCI president Pat McQuaid has come in for a great deal of criticism over his perceived failure to develop women's cycling and apparent lack of concern for the sport during his time in office, most memorably from Australian rider Chloe Hosking, who called him "a bit of a dick" and was then to all intents and purposes let off without punishment by her National Federation when she apologised, but also by numerous other riders and (probably) the majority of women's cycling fans.

Few of those fans - including me - will have been at all upset when the Irish Federation's nomination of him to stand as a candidate for a third term was found not to have been carried out in accordance with the constitution of the organisation and declared void (the Federation then called an Extraordinary General Meeting, to be held on the 15th of June); now comes the good news that Brian Cookson, president of British Cycling and a staunch supporter of women's cycling in the past and has argued for equality between male and female athletes, intends to stand for the post.

"Cycling is quite a male chauvinist sport, culturally it has been for years, but it's taken a long time to change,"  said Cookson, who is also the current president of the UCI Road Commission, following a Management Committee meeting in October last year. "What I asked the senior management team to do was look at short, medium and long-term actions we can put in place. I'm not clear that we've actually got that process right; we've got a lot of work to do."

Cookson has opened a Twitter account and will publish his manifesto on his website in the near future.

New US MTB race seeks to even up pay disparity
The Specialized Catamount Classic, a new mountain bike competition to take part in Vermont, USA, is a UCI Cat 2 Pro XCT event and, as a result, female riders that take part have to be paid only 65% as much as their male counterparts.

You'll have read several stories that begin with similar sentences if you've followed women's cycling, on road or off, and will no doubt consider it absolutely unjustifiable. This time, however, thanks to the Catamount organisers agreeing that it's unjustifiable, the story takes a different course: in order to help give women's cycling the financial boost it needs to get onto an equal footing with men's cycling, they're spending an equal amount on the men's and women's races that make up the event - and, for the first time in mountain biking history and probably in the entire history of cycling, the women will be paid more than the men.

That'll probably bring some accusations that the men are now being discriminated against; but with prize funds in other races and so many more races open to them it's hard to make such an argument stick - the men will still earn a great deal more, and enjoy a lot more support, over the course of the season.

"We have been striving to support women in cycling for years and are excited that we can do this on a national stage with the support of companies like G-form and Specialized," says race promoter Eric Bowker.

Interesting Links
Britain
Highly recommended: Chris Davies' Redditch Johnson HealthTech GP photos
Annie Simpson on the Redditch Johnson HealthTech GP (Cycling Weekly)
Jo Rowsell latest rider to demand more women's races running alongside men's
Crystal Lane wins Paralympic bronze in Italy (British Cycling)
Live in Newcastle? Fancy a talk on Emily Davison and the role of the bicycle in the Women's Suffrage movement (June 14th/15th)?
Velo Club Walcott searching for new female members (NowBath)
Video: Becky James urges young riders to try out track at the Chris Hoy Velodrome (Daily Record)
Emily Kay wins Hillingdon GP (British Cycling)
Worldwide
Julie Emmerman wins North Boulder Park Classic (Daily Camera, Colorado, USA)
Fatehah Mustapa wins Keirin at SE Asian Track GP (New Straits Times, Malaysia)
An interview with Loren Rowney (ROAR)

Elite Women Results
Tour of Adygeya, Russia
1 Natalia BOYARSKAYA (Russia) 9h06'34"
2 Eivgenia VYSOTSKA (Ukraine) +30"
3 Anna ZAVERSHINSKAYA (Russia) +01'33"
4 Alexandra BURCHENKOVA (RusVelo) +02'22"
5 Anna EVSEEVA (Russia) +02'50"
6 Elena KUCHINSKAYA (RusVelo) +03'45"
7 Tatiana SHAMANOVA (Russia) +04'44"
8 Svetlana STOLBOVA (Russia) +04'54"
9 Aizhan ZHAPAROVA (RusVelo) +05'04"
10 Marina LIKHANOVA (Russia) +05'05"
Points: Boyarskaya (32p, Russia) KOM: Kuchinskaya (19p, RusVelo)
Stages: 1. Burchenkova (RusVelo) 2. Boyarskaya (Russia) 3. Chulkova (RusVelo) 4. Boyarskaya (Russia)
Full results here

Emakumeen Bira
1 Emma JOHANSSON (Orica-AIS) 7h56'47"
2 Elisa LONGO BORGHINI (Hitec Products-UCK) +38"
3 Evelyn STEVENS (Specialized-Lululemon) +02'14"
4 Anna VAN DER BREGGEN (Sengers) +02'45"
5 Marianne VOS (Rabo-Liv/Giant) +02'57"
6 Alena AMIALIUSIK (BePink) +04'12"
7 Megan GUARNIER (Rabo-Liv/Giant) +04'15"
8 Lucinda BRAND (Rabo-Liv/Giant) +04'35"
9 Fabiana LUPERINI (Faren-Let's Go Finland) +04'44"
10 Shara GILLOW (Orica-AIS) +04'45"
Points: KOM:
Stages: 1. Vos (Rabo-Liv/Giant) 2. Johansson (Orica-AIS) 3. Johansson (Orica-AIS) 4. Longo Borghini (Hitec Products-UCK)

IG Markets Smithfield Nocturne
1 Hannah Barnes (MG-Maxifuel) 34'51"
2 Laura Trott (Wiggle-Honda) ST
3 Dani King (Wiggle-Honda) +01"
4 Coryn Rivera (Breast Cancer Care) +02"
5 Corrine Hall (Matrix Racing Academy) ST
6 Lauren Kitchen (Wiggle-Honda) ST
7 Jo Rowsell (Wiggle-Honda) ST
8 Louise Mahe (MuleBar Girl-Sigma Sport) +04" 
9 Charlotte Becker (Wiggle-Honda) +05" 
10 Natalie Creswick (MuleBar Girl-Sigma Sport) +41"
Full results and Women's Criterium results

Photo of the Week

Johnson HealthTech GP, Redditch, 2013
Used with the very kind permission of Chris Davies; do not reuse or
reproduce without gaining the permission of the owner.

Emakumeen Bira video

Stages 1, 2, 3, 4
Iurreta

Emakumeen Bira 2012 Stage 4 and final General Classification

Arndt after winning the Tour of Qatar

Rabobank's Annemiek van Vleuten won the final stage with a courageous attack on a very wet and slippery final descent; but ultimately her tactics played into the hands of Judith Arndt (GreenEDGE) who, after van Vleuten forced her chasers to respond, crashed with 1.5km to go (her second crash today) and was awarded the same time as second place Emma Johansson (Hitec Products-Mistral) and as a result won the overall General Classification. Lucinda Brand (AA Drink-Leontien.nl) and Alena Amialyusik (Be Pink) and also went down in the crash, doing well to finish where they did. Johansson's result, just one second behind van Vleuten and considering that her team being reduced to two riders, was spectacular. Amanda Spratt (GreenEDGE) takes the Combativity prize.

Emma Pooley (AA Drink-Leontien.nl), expected to use the three climbs (including a Cat 2 9km from the finish line) to repeat her success on Stage 2, got left behind by a lead group of six riders and never managed to bridge the gap. Like many climbers, she's simply too light to be able to maintain comfortable control on a dangerous descent and the weather ensured she was out of contention for overall victory.

Van Vleuten pickd up 25 points on the stage and wins the overall Points competition with 24. Carlee Taylor (Australia) was fastest up the first two climbs for nine mountain points, Arndt first to the top of the third for six points; leaving Pooley the winner of the overall Mountains classification with 12 points in total. Amanda Spratt won the first intermediate sprint, Carlee Taylor took the second for five points apiece; Valentina Scandolara retains the overall Sprints lead with 15 points. Sarah-Lena Hoffman (Germany) wins the Youth category.


Arndt was second last year and in 2010 after winning in 2009, too - a second GC places her on an equal footing with Marianne Vos and Elena Barillová. Only Hanka Kupfernagel has enjoyed more Bira success with three victories.

Martine Bras @martinebras
"Totale off day in Bira. Fysiek en mentaal naar de kl... En mijn fiets paste zich netjes aan. Werkte ook al niet zoals normaal. Snel vergeten (Total off-day in the Bira. Physically and mentally unable to cope with the climbs - and my bike fitted wrong. Didn't feel like normal. I'll forget this one!)"

Stage 4 Top Ten

  1.  Annemiek Van Vleuten Rabobank 3h06'59" 
  2.  Emma Johansson Hitec Products-Mistral Home +1" 
  3.  Trixi Worrack Specialized-Lululemon ST
  4.  Sharon Laws AA Drink-Leontien.nl +4" 
  5.  Alena Amialyusik Be Pink +1" 
  6.  Judith Arndt Orica GreenEdge-AIS ST
  7.  Anna Sanchis Bizkaia-Durango +48"
  8.  Claudia Haüsler Orica GreenEdge-AIS +51"
  9.  Christelle Ferrier-breneau Hitec Products-Mistral Home ST
  10.  Kaat Hannes Lotto Belisol +52"  

(Full stage result)

General Classification

  1.  Judith Arndt Orica GreenEdge-AIS 08:30:59 

  2.  Emma Johansson Hitec Products-Mistral Home +00:07 

  3.  Annemiek Van Vleuten Rabobank 00:14 

  4.  Alena Amialyusik Be Pink 00:39 

  5.  Sharon Laws AA Drink-Leontien.nl 00:42 

  6.  Lucinda Brand AA Drink-Leontien.nl 00:55 

  7.  Trixi Worrack Specialized- Lululemon 01:21 

  8.  Emma Pooley AA Drink-Leontien.nl 01:50 

  9.  Anna Sanchis Bizkaia-Durango 02:05 

  10.  Claudia Haüsler Orica GreenEdge-AIS 02:30 

  11.  Ellen Van Dijk Specialized-Lululemon 03:10 
  12.  Joanne Hogan Bizkaia-Durango 03:59 
  13.  Mascha Pijnenborg Dolmans-Boels 04:07 
  14.  Elizabeth Armitstead AA Drink-Leontien.nl 04:22 
  15.  Amanda Spratt Orica GreenEdge-AIS 06:36 
  16.  Amy Pieters Skil-Argos 06:40 
  17.  Tiffany Cromwell Orica GreenEdge-AIS 07:07 
  18.  Carlee Taylor Vienne Futuroscope 07:14 
  19.  Christelle Ferrier-breneau Hitec Products Mistral Home 07:19 
  20.  Nicole Cooke Faren-Honda 07:22 
  21.  Sarah-lena Hofmann 07:29 
  22.  Linda Villumsen Orica GreenEdge-AIS 07:30 
  23.  Kaat Hannes Lotto Belisol 07:36 
  24.  Anouska Koster Dolmans-Boels 07:45 
  25.  Charlotte Becker Specialized-Lululemon 08:13 
  26.  Liesbet De Vocht Rabobank 08:38 
  27.  Eneritz Iturriaga Echevarria Lointek 08:49 
  28.  Ina Yoko Teutenberg Specialized-Lululemon 08:50 
  29.  Giada Borgato Diadora-Pasta Zara 10:02 
  30.  Lisa Brennauer Specialized-Lululemon 10:08 
  31.  Madeleine Sandig 11:09 
  32.  Katie Colclough Specialized-Lululemon 11:56 
  33.  Gracie Elvin 12:28 -
  34.  Roxane Knetemann Rabobank 13:43 
  35.  Oxana Kozonchuk Be Pink 14:05 
  36.  Romy Kasper RusVelo 14:30 
  37.  Sinead Noonan 14:43 
  38.  Mieke Kröger 14:45 
  39.  Elke Gebhardt Be Pink 14:48 
  40.  Valentina Scandolara S.C. Michela Fanini Rox 14:56 
  41.  Doris Schweizer Fassa Bortolo-Servetto 15:38 
  42.  Francesca Cauz Fassa Bortolo-Servetto 15:42 
  43.  Petra Dijkman Kleo 15:47 
  44.  Anna-bianca Schnitzmeier ABUS-Nutrixxion ST
  45.  Chantal Blaak AA Drink-Leontien.nl 15:49 
  46.  Malin Rydlund Alriksson Go:Green 15:55 
  47.  Lise Olivier Lotto Belisol 16:01 
  48.  Martina Ruzickova S.C. Michela Fanini Rox 17:03 
  49.  Annelies Van Doorslaer Kleo 17:37 
  50.  Elena Utrobina Faren-Honda 17:38 
  51.  Cristina Alcalde Huertanos Bizkaia-Durango 17:53 
  52.  Jennifer Hohl Faren-Honda 19:04 
  53.  Viviana Gatto Fassa Bortolo-Servetto 19:26 
  54.  Anna Potokina Lointek 19:27 
  55.  Anna Ramirez Bauxell 19:30 
  56.  Agne Silinyte Diadora-Pasta Zara 19:36 
  57.  Thalita De Jong Rabobank 19:57 
  58.  Lorena Foresi S.C. Michela Fanini Rox 20:28 
  59.  Joanna Van De Winkel Lotto-Belisol 20:39 
  60.  Petra Zrimsek Be Pink 21:35 
  61.  Grace Sulzberger ST
  62.  Luisa Tamanini Faren-Honda 22:04 
  63.  Marie Lindberg Kleo 22:21 
  64.  Ann-sophie Duyck Lotto Belisol 22:52 
  65.  Hanna Nilsson Alriksson Go:Green 23:04 
  66.  Ane Santesteban Gonzalez Bizkaia-Durango 23:15 
  67.  Martina Corazza Kleo 24:30 
  68.  Lieselot Decroix Dolmans-Boels 24:36 
  69.  Yulia Iliynikh Lointek 27:26 
  70.  Linea Fredäng Alriksson Go:Green 27:55 
  71.  Sara Grifi S.C. Michela Fanini Rox 28:47 
  72.  Jessica Allen 29:18 

Emakumeen Bira 2012 Stage 3

Linda Villumsen, who now rides for
GreenEDGE

GreenEDGE's Danish-born New Zealander Linda Villumsen proved she still has the strengths that drove her to numerous National and European time trial titles with a storming 18'21" lap around the 13.4km time trial parcours today, taking the two stiff climbs in her stride for first place with a time 3" faster than five-time time trial champion of Germany and current World time trial champ Judith Arndt.

Emma Pooley (AA Drink-Leontien.nl) retains her lead in the General Classification, but with her advantage reduced to one second by Judith Arndt (GreenEDGE) who is now in second place. Annemiek van Vleuten (Rabobank) edges Trixi Worrack (Specialized-Lululemon) off the top spot in the Points competition and now leads with 39 to Worrack's 35. Sarah-Lena Hoffman (Germany) is best Young Rider; Mountains and Sprints points were not on offer in the time trial and so both classifications remain unchanged.

Sunday is the Queen Stage and riders face 116km from Urduña to Iurreta including three categorised climbs: two Cat 2s and a Cat 3: a state of affairs that would seem to be very much to Pooley's liking because if she repeat her Stage 2 tactic of driving the peloton at a pace too high for her rivals to have the strength required to challenge her supreme skills on the mountains, the stage is all hers.


Top ten
  1.  Linda Villumsen Orica GreenEDGE 18'21"
  2.  Judith Arndt Orica GreenEDGE +3"
  3.  Ellen Van Dijk Specialized-Lululemon +6"
  4.  Emma Pooley AA Drink-Leontien.nl +10"
  5.  Emma Johansson Hitec Products-Mistral Home ST
  6.  Annemiek Van Vleuten Rabobank +18"
  7.  Shelley Olds AA Drink-Leontien.nl +21"
  8.  Ina Yoko Teutenberg Specialized-Lululemon +28"
  9.  Elizabeth Armitstead AA Drink-Leontien.nl +36"
  10.  Silvia Valsecchi Be Pink +41"
(Full results)

Emakumeen Bira 2012 Stage 2

Emma Pooley

Emma Pooley (AA Drink-Leontien.nl) wins after ecaping a strong break, with whom she'd spent much of the race, around 10km from the end of the 97.8km stage. Noticeably fresher than her rivals at the top of the Category 2 ascent ending 79km into the parcours, the British rider regained all the strength she needed to enjoy a serious advantage as she put her climbing abilities to work on the last Cat 3 and, by the time she reached the top, was ready to ride alone over the remaining 7.3km to the finish line.

With Pooley's team mates Lucinda Brannd, Lizzie Armitstead and Sharon Laws snapping up seventh, eighth and tenth places, it's been a very good day for the squad indeed - they lead the teams classification, their total elapsed time being  15h16'25" to second place GreenEDGE-AIS' 15h17'08".

Emma Johansson rode superbly for fourth place, but the race isn't going quite so well for her team - the further nineteen riders to abandon the race today leaves Hitec Products with only her and Christel Ferrier, who was 17th today. Both women are immensely strong and capable riders, but they're now hopelessly outnumbered and highly susceptible prey to the other team's tactics.

Emma Johansson ‏@emmaprocyclistSo much fun today! Loved the stage and the beautiful roads around here... #4th #Bira #tt2mrw

Top Ten
   1º 141  POOLEY, Emma AA DRINK-LEONTIEN.NL     2h35'31"    
   2º   1  V. VLEUTEN, Annemiek RABOBANK +20"      
   3º  13  WORRACK, Trixi SPECIALIZED LULULEMON +20"     
   4º  21  JOHANSSON, Emma HITEC PRODUCTS     +20" 
   5º 123  AMIALIUSIK, Alena BE PINK              +20"     
   6º 102  HAUSLER, Claudia  GREENEDGE-AIS        +20"     
   7º 142  BRAND, Lucinda AA DRINK-LEONTIEN.NL    +20"   
   8º 144  AMITSTEAD, Lizzie AA DRINK-LEONTIEN.NL    +20"     
   9º 101  ARNDT, Judith GREENEDGE-AIS        +20"      
  10º 145  LAWS, Sharon AA DRINK-LEONTIEN.NL    +20"
(Full results)

Worrack leads on points with 35, followed by Annemiek van Vleuten (Rabobank) with 34 and Pooley with 25. Pooley leads the Queen of the Mountains competition with 12 points, Ferrier follows with nine and Brand is third with 4. Valentina Scandolara (Michela Fanini) has the most intermediate sprint points, 15, Gracie Elvin (Australia) is second with six and Romy Kasper (Germany) third with five.

Tomorrow, the remaining riders face a 13.4km individual time trial at Urduña.

Emakumeen Bira 2012

The Race - The Stages - The Start List - Following The Race - News

Ever since the regrettable demise of Tour de France Feminin (last held in 2009, problems securing sponsors appear to have finished the race off for good) and the Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin (last held 2010, brought to an end for the same reason), the most important race and the only Grand Tour on the women's calendar has been the Giro Donne - however, the Emakumeen Euskal Bira goes a very long way to filling the void despite being reduced to four stages this year.

The race begins today in Iurreta for a 97.1km parcours that looks likely to finish with a sprint (Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, anyone?) at Matiena, then tomorrow the riders face 97.8km starting and ending at thefrom the busy fishing port Lekeitio. Stage 3 is a 13.4km individual time trial around Urduña and Queen Stage 4 takes in the hardest climbs this year on the 116km route from Urduña and back to Iurreta.

Emma Pooley, now with AA Drink

The Basques are one of the few peoples to rival the Belgians for their love of all cycling and will turn out in huge numbers to see the riders as they battle one another through 324.5km of tough climbs and beautiful Euskadi countryside. One rider who is guaranteed their support is the British star Emma Pooley (AA Drink-Leontien.nl) who, as one of the most gifted climbers in cycling today, is an obvious favourite for overall victory this year - not least of all because of the spectacular style in which she won the Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria on Tuesday, a race that has tended in the past to reveal the General Classification contenders for this one. No matter what her form, she won't go unchallenged: Judith Arndt (Orica-GreenEDGE), Annemiek van Vleuten (Rabobank), Emma Johansson (Hitec Products-Mistral Home) and Alena Amialiusik (Be Pink) have all had a superb season thus far and every one of them is capable of winning. In fact, the only serious rival Pooley doesn't have to take into account is 2008/2011 winner Marianne Vos, who is recovering after breaking her collarbone at the Parkhotel Valkenberg Classic.

Start list

STICHTING-RABO WOMEN

1 VAN VLEUTEN, Annemiek (NED)

2 SLAPPENDEL, Iris (NED)

3 DE JONG, Thalita (NED)

4 KITCHEN, Lauren (AUS)

5 KNENEMANN, Roxane (NED)

6 DE VOCHT, Liesbet (BEL)

SPECIALIZED-LULULEMON

11 TEUTENBERG, Ina Yoko (GER)

12 VAN DIKJ, Eleonora (NED)

13 WORRACK, Trixi (GER)

14 BECKER, Charlotte (GER)

15 BRENNAUER, Lisa (GER)

16 COLCLOUGH, Katie (GER)

HITEC PRODUCTS-MISTRAL HOME

21 JOHANSSON, Emma (SWE)

22 MUSTONEN, Sara (SWE)

23 BORGHINI, Elisa Longo (ITA)

25 FERRIER, Christel (FRA)

26 KAPUSTA, Sylwia (POL)

DIADORA-PASTA ZARA

31 TAGLIAPIETRA, Alice (ITA)

33 BORGATO, Giada (ITA)

34 JANELIUNAITE, Edita (LTU)

35 SILINYTE, Agne (LTU)

36 STEFANI, Francesca (ITA)

LOTTO BELISOL

41 MOOLMAN, Ashleigh (RSA) - withdrawn

42 DUYCK, Ann- Sophie (BEL)

43 HENRION, Ludivine (BEL)

44 VAN DE WINKEL, Joanna (RSA)

45 OLIVIERS, Lise (RSA)

46 KAAT, Hannes (BEL)

DOLMANS-BOELS

51 BRAS, Martine (NED)

52 KOSTER, Anouska (NED)

53 DECROIX, Lieselot (BEL)

54 PIJNENBORG, Mascha (NED)

KLEO

62 VAN DOORSLAER, Annelies (BEL)

63 DIJKMAN, Petra (NED)

64 LINDBERG, Marie (SWE)

65 ARYS, Evelyn (BEL)

66 CORAZZA, Martina (ITA)

LOINTEK

71 LLNYKH, Julia (RUS)

72 ITURRIAGA, Eneritz (ESP)

73 POTOKINA, Anna (RUS)

74 EPELDE, Mireia (ESP)

75 USABIAGA, Ana (ESP)

76 ORTEGA, Margot (FRA)

FASSA BORTOLO-SERVETTO

81 BERLATO, Elena (ITA)

82 FIORI, Jennifer (ITA)

83 GATTO, Viviana (ITA)

84 CAUZ, Francesca (ITA)

85 CECCHEL, Erika (ITA)

86 SCHWEIZER, Doris (SUI)

TEAM ALRIKSSON GO GREEN

91 FREDANG, Linnea (SWE)

92 NILSSON, Hanna (SWE)

93 KIHLBOM, Jessica (SWE)

94 SANDSTROM, Beata (SWE)

95 RYDLUND, Malin (SWE)

96 SJOBLOM, Linnea (SWE)

GREENEDGE-AIS

101 ARNDT, Judith (GER)

102 HAUSLER, Claudia (GER)

103 SPRATT, Amanda (AUS)

104 VILLUMSEN, Linda (NZL)

105 GUNNEWIJK, Loes (NED)

106 CROMWELL, Tiffany (AUS)

SKIL-ARGOS

112 VAN DE REE, Monique (NED)

113 PIETERS, Amy (NED)

114 TROMP, Esra (NED)

115 VAN RIJEN, Linda (NED)

116 JANNEKE, Kanis (NED)

BE PINK

121 ZRIMSEK, Petra (SLO)

122 VALSECCHI, Silvia (ITA)

123 AMIALIUSIK, Alena (BLR)

124 KOZONCHUK, Oxana (RUS)

126 GEBHARDT, Elke (GER)

MICHELA FANINI

131 GRIFI, Sara (ITA)

132 SANCHEZ, Azucena (ESP)

133 RUZICKOVA, Martina (CZE)

134 SCANDOLARA, Valentina (ITA)

135 MICHAL, Ella (ISR)

136 FORESI, Lorena (ITA)

AA DRINK-LEONTIEN

141 POOLEY, Emma (GBR)

142 BRAND, Lucinda (NED)

143 BLAAK, Chantal (NED)

144 ARMITSTEAD, Lizzie (GBR)

145 LAWS, Sharon (GBR)

146 OLDS, Shelley (USA)

GERMANY

151 SANDING, Madeleine (GER)

152 POHL, Stephanie (GER)

153 KASPER, Romy (GER)

154 KROGER, Mieke (GER)

155 HOFMANN, Srah-lena (GER)

156 SCHNITZMEIER, Anna Bianca (GER)

OURIBIKE

161 RAMIREZ, Anna (ESP)

162 GONÇALVES, Sara (POR)

163 AZNAR, Cristina (ESP)

164 COSTA, Rute (POR)

165 PATRICIO, Joana (POR)

166 GONÇALVEZ, Ana (POR)

BIZKAIA-DURANGO

171 SANCHIS, Anna (ESP)

172 ALCALDE, Cristina (ESP)

173 ESKAMENDI, Dorleta (ESP)

174 HOGAN, Joanne (AUS)

175 MARTIODA, Amaia (ESP)

176 SANTESTEBAN, Ane (ESP)

FAREN HONDA

181 COOKE, Nicole (GBR)

182 BLINDYUK, Julia (RUS)

183 UTROBINA, Elena (RUS)

185 HOHL, Jennifer (SUI)

186 TAMANINI, Luisa (ITA)

AUSTRALIA

191 NOONAN, Sinead (AUS)

192 ELVIN, Cracie (AUS)

193 ALLEN, Jessica (AUS)

194 SULZBERGER, Grace (AUS)

195 MCCONVILLE, Chloe (AUS)

196 TAYLOR, Carlee (AUS)

Following the race

As tends to be way with women's cycling, following the race can sometimes be difficult. However, local TV station Canal Bizkaia will - apparently - have some footage on their news reports; it may be possible to find livestreams of the channel. EiTB, available free and legally online, might also have reports. The race doesn't have an official account, but #EmakumeenBira will be the best way to keep up to date on Twitter and Karl Lima (Hitec Products-Mistral Home manager) is always a dafe bet for up-to-the-minute Tweets on all teams, not just his own. Wielerland is usually the best source for women's cycling news and Google's autotranslate copes sufficiently with Dutch to render it into something more-or-less understandable to those who can't speak it. Deia.com should have daily reports and other news.

News

A Bira without a favourite - Deia.com

The most disputed Emakumeen Bira - Que.es

Anna Sanchis in great form for Emakumeen Bira - Esciclismo.com

Ashleigh Moolman ‏@ashleighcycling

Hard decision to make, but I won't be starting Bira tour today! Down with flu virus and don't want to put the rest of my season at risk!