Great Britain Cycling Team mountain bikers Annie Last, Alice Barnes and Beth Crumpton continued to impress on the road as the 2015 Energiewacht Tour continued in the Netherlands on Friday, with elite riders facing a split stage incorporating a team time trial in the morning and a road stage in the afternoon.
The elite women began the day with a 14.4-kilometre time trial from Noordenveld to Peize. But the six-rider Great Britain squad of Last, Barnes and Crumpton, along with road and track specialists Emily Kay, Emily Nelson and Manon Lloyd, struggled against world class opposition, finishing 19th out of 22 teams, three minutes and two seconds behind stage winners Velocio – SRAM.
Lizzie Armitstead’s Boels - Dolmans Cycling Team took third, consolation for Armitstead’s ill luck at the sharp end of the previous day’s stage.
Action moved on to the 111.8-kilometre Westerkwartier stage in the afternoon with Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team’s Lucinda Brand taking a fine sprint victory. Annie Last was Great Britain’s top finisher, crossing the line in the bunch in 34th place while team mate Alice Barnes was 45th.
Fellow mountain biker Beth Crumpton, in her first international road race, also finished in the bunch in 51st, two places ahead of Emily Nelson.
Manon Lloyd and Emily Kay finished in a group three minutes and one second behind the winner, in 80th and 96th place respectively.
The day left Lizzie Armitstead as Britain’s best placed rider, in ninth place, 25 seconds down on race leader Barbara Guarischi of Velocio – SRAM.
Alice Barnes remained Great Britain Cycling Team’s top placed rider on general classification, in 64th place, three minutes and 28 seconds adrift.
The elite women face the 117.8-kilometre Stadskanaal stage on Saturday before a final 105.4-kilometre stage in Borkum on Sunday.
The junior event saw Great Britain’s under-18 riders tackle the same 14.4-kilometre team time trial course as the elites.
The Great Britain Cycling Team quartet of Abbie Dentus, Megan Barker, Rebecca Raybould and Ffion James produced an excellent sixth place, finishing on 20:37.02, 30 seconds down on stage winners, the Combined Noord-Holland team of Maaike Boogard, Nicole Steigenga, Britt Janse and Anne Huinen.
Britain’s Grace Garner, as part of the Team Giordana-Triton squad, chalked up another great performance after Thursday’s podium, with another third place riding with Eleanor Dickinson, Elizabeth Holden and Abby-Mae Parkinson.
The result leaves Garner in seventh overall while Great Britain Cycling Team’s leading rider is Abbie Dentus, currently lying 19th, 18 seconds down on race leader Boogard with one stage remaining.
The junior women’s race concludes on Saturday with the 61.1-kilometre Stadskanaal stage.
Results
Stage 2a elite (TTT)
Stage 2 junior (TTT)
Stage 2b elite
General classification – elite – after stage 2b
General classification – junior – after stage 2
How to follow the race
Reports, results and reaction will appear on the British Cycling website.
Live coverage of the elite race will be streamed for every stage on Podium TV.
The official Energiewacht Tour event website.
The official social media accounts for the race are:
Energiewacht Tour Facebook
Energiewacht Tour Twitter
