Ally Wollaston (FDJ - Suez) sealed the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women title by the narrowest of margins ahead of Cat Ferguson (Movistar Team), after a blockbuster final stage around the streets of Glasgow, as European champion Lorena Wiebes (Team SDWorx - Protime) secured the final stage victory with a powerful sprint.
Just three seconds separated race leader Ferguson from Wollaston before the start, and the General Classification battle came down to the final corner of the last stage of the four-day race, with nothing separating the two riders in terms of timings. Over the course of the three intermediate sprints, Wollaston had clawed back her deficit by crossing the line first each time ahead of her rival, meaning the New Zealander’s third place stage finish, and subsequent four bonus seconds saw her claim the Lloyds green jersey and the overall race win, her biggest win to date.
Speaking on her General Classification victory in her first Lloyds Tour of Britain Women appearance, Ally Wollaston said: “I am feeling very overwhelmed, it is so exciting and it really couldn’t have gone any better for me today. I was lucky that there were a lot of seconds up for grabs. The plan was to get as many seconds as I could, and unfortunately Cat [Ferguson] was on my wheel for every single one, so it really came down to the last sprint.
“The team were so amazing today, I really couldn’t have done it without them today. I’m just so grateful for the work that they did. I couldn’t be happier in this team, so I am very grateful for the support I have got over the last four days.
“Mum and Dad will be a bit shocked I imagine. I called them last night and said that the plan was to go for all three bonus sprints, and I said Cat will probably be thinking the same thing! I think they will be super proud back home.”
Wiebes reversed her fortunes after a difficult week, leading the bunch through the final corner with no one able to power past the European champion as she claimed her ninth victory of the season, and extended her winning record in Britain, to now seven stages of the national tour.
After some genteel opening laps around the Glasgow city centre circuit, the first move of the race saw Anna Morris (Great Britain Cycling Team) break off the front of the peloton halfway through the third lap, the Individual Pursuit World Champion using her track talents to make some headway against the bunch, but her attempts were short lived and she was caught by the end of the lap.
At the first intermediate sprint at the end of lap four, Ferguson was the first to begin her sprint but she was passed by Wollaston, who claimed the three bonus seconds, with Ferguson settling for two to leave her advantage at just two seconds.
This pattern continued over the following two intermediate sprints on laps six and eight, with Wollaston victorious in both, leaving her level on time with Ferguson, who had to endure a bike change and chase back to the peloton on lap seven.
A thrilling finale was set for the final lap, where bonus seconds of ten, six and four were available for the first three riders across the line respectively, however it was Wiebes who was untouchable for the stage win with a powerful kick out of the final corner, followed by Charlotte Kool (Team Picnic PostNL) with Wollaston earning a vital third place, claiming the final bonus seconds as Ferguson, finishing seventh, missed out on any bonuses.
Ferguson can be consoled by securing victory in the points and young rider classifications, as well as the combativity award for the final stage, with Wollaston’s FDJ-SUEZ team taking the team classification. Previous green jersey wearer Kristen Faulkner (EF Education - Oatley) was awarded the overall combativity title for the race, in recognition to her attacking racing over the first three stages, though small consolation after befalling misfortune on more than one occasion in Saturday’s stage that ruined her bid for the overall victory.
No Queen of the Mountains points available on the final stage meant that Dominika Wlodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ) could not lose her lead in that classification, earning her a place on the final podium in the blue jersey.
Points classification winner and General Classification runner up Cat Ferguson said: “I headed into the final sprint and I was in an ok position but I got a bit chopped up on some corners before, and really that was it, Ally went away and I knew that was it. Of course I am gutted but she was the strongest today.
“I am still happy with second place. If you had told me at the beginning of the week I would have been second, I would have been over the moon, so I can’t be too disappointed. It has been a really good and memorable week with all the amazing crowds and my family here. so thank you to the team and everyone for your support.”
Speaking about her stage victory, Lorena Wiebes said: “It was a tough race - with a city centre, all the time you have to push the power. The team did a really good job to keep me safe in the front. For me, it was perfect towards the finish as I could do the sprint as I wanted to.
“The team did a really good job. I am really happy that we could finish this week in a good way for the team.”
Glasgow also saw double race winner Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) bow out from Lloyds Tour of Britain Women competition, crossing the line safely in the bunch, having helped her teammate Riejanne Markus to fourth overall. A video looking back on Lizzie Deignan’s Lloyds Tour of Britain career, and hearing from her contemporaries, can be viewed on the Lloyds Tour of Britain YouTube channel here.
Full stage results and standings can be found here.
