The Women’s Tour 2021 – Stage 4 [Highlights] (ladies)

October 7, 2021

The Women’s Tour 2021 – Stage 4 WE – Shoeburyness – Southend-on-Sea : 117,8 km

After a two-year enforced hiatus the Women’s Tour is finally back, ready and raring to wrap up what has been one of the most dramatic Women’s World Tour seasons in recent memory. As the final WWT-ranked stage race of the year, the six-day event promises to deliver some thrilling racing as a handful of superstars go in search of one final big result. The six-day race will begin with a 147.6km-long stage from the Grand Départ in Bicester to Banbury that is a local spectacle for residents of Oxfordshire. Travelling as far south as Culham, the route passes through much of the county and will even hit the banks of the River Thames, before the riders head north to the finish in Banbury.

Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) has won stage 4 of The Women’s Tour. The 22-year-old Dutch sprinter was fastest to the finish line in a seaside sprint in Southend-on-Sea, beating Chiara Consonni (Valcar-Travel & Service) and Chloe Hosking (Trek-Segafredo) to win her first Women’s Tour stage.

“The win means a lot,” said Wiebes. “We really went for this win. Pfeiffer Georgi was really close at stage 2 so I’m really happy for the team that we took it today.”

Overall leader Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx) finished with the peloton and defended her blue leader’s jersey with a 1:09 margin over runner-up Juliette Labous (Team DSM) and 1:19 over third placed Clara Copponi (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope).

“My team stayed on the front and really controlled it,” said Vollering, “So that was nice. A lot of other teams wanted to sprint here so we were not the only ones who wanted to keep together so that was a bit more easy for us.”

How it unfolded

After the stage 3 individual time trial, The Women’s Tour moved to East Anglia for the second half of the race. Stage 4 started in Shoeburyness and finished in Southend-on-Sea after 117.8 kilometres, including a long loop on the Dengie peninsula. Due to the flat terrain and the relatively calm wind, a mass sprint was the expected outcome.

The stage was raced at a high speed, with 40km covered in the first hour of racing, meaning that none of the early breakaway attempts were successful. Janneke Ensing (Team BikeExchange) eventually got away and took the points and bonus seconds at the first intermediate sprint in Burnham-on-Crouch after 50km.

She was 15 seconds ahead of the peloton at that point and, a few kilometres later, decided to save her strength and let herself be caught. The next rider to break away was Lourdes Oyarbide (Movistar Team), followed by Anna Christian (Drops-Le Col s/b Tempur) trying to bridge across to the Spaniard.

Oyarbide held an advantage of up to 1:05 minutes over the peloton with 46km to go, Christian trailing her by 40 seconds. The Manxwoman was caught soon after, and as Oyarbide was only 34 seconds ahead at the 40-kilometre mark, she also decided to sit up and wait for the peloton.

Wiebes won the second intermediate sprint in Woodham Ferrers ahead of Amy Pieters (Team SD Worx), who moved within one second of Clara Copponi (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) due to the bonus seconds on offer, and Nina Kessler (Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank) who defended the red sprint jersey.

There were numerous attacks, including on the classified Hambro Hill where Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) took maximum points to defend her green QOM jersey, but the sprinters teams kept the peloton together as it neared Southend-on-Sea.

In the sprint up the Western Esplanade, Wiebes launched late and sped past Consonni on the final 100 metres to win the stage. In Wiebes’ slipstream, Hosking came up fast on the final metres, but Consonni held on to the runner-up place.

Results :
1 Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Team DSM 2:54:43
2 Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
3 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
4 Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team Women
5 Marjolein Van’T Geloof (Ned) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
6 Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Liv Racing
7 Sarah Roy (Aus) Team BikeExchange
8 Alice Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAM Racing
9 Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
10 Amy Pieters (Ned) Team SD Worx
11 Josie Nelson (GBr) Team Coop Hitec Products
12 Clara Copponi (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
13 Amber van der Hulst (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
14 Aude Biannic (Fra) Movistar Team Women
15 Nina Kessler (Ned) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
16 Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Movistar Team Women
17 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team DSM
18 Eugenia Bujak (Slo) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
19 Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
20 Elise Chabbey (Swi) Canyon-SRAM Racing
21 Demi Vollering (Ned) Team SD Worx
22 April Tacey (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
23 Pernille Larsen Feldmann (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products
24 Natalie Grinczer (GBr) CAMS-Tifosi
25 Juliette Labous (Fra) Team DSM
26 Maaike Boogaard (Ned) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
27 Mischa Bredewold (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
28 Maëlle Grossetete (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
29 Ella Harris (NZl) Canyon-SRAM Racing
30 Soraya Paladin (Ita) Liv Racing
31 Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
32 Pfeiffer Georgi (GBr) Team DSM
33 Pien Limpens (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
34 Elena Cecchini (Ita) Team SD Worx
35 Jade Wiel (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
36 Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (Ned) Team SD Worx
37 Anna Shackley (GBr) Team SD Worx
38 Liane Lippert (Ger) Team DSM
39 Evita Muzic (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
40 Christine Majerus (Lux) Team SD Worx
41 Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
42 Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Spa) Team BikeExchange
43 Victorie Guilman (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
44 Veronica Ewers (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
45 Lourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Spa) Movistar Team Women
46 Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAM Racing
47 Joscelin Lowden (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
48 Hayley Simmonds (GBr) CAMS-Tifosi
49 Nicole Frain (Aus) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:00:16
50 Jelena Eric (Srb) Movistar Team Women
51 Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:00:21
52 Teniel Campbell (TTo) Team BikeExchange
53 Janneke Ensing (Ned) Team BikeExchange 0:00:26
54 Femke Gerritse (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg
55 Danielle Christmas (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
56 Abi Smith (GBr) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:00:28
57 Connie Hayes (GBr) AWOL Oshea 0:00:30
58 Jessica Allen (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:00:35
59 Kirstie van Haaften (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:00:38
60 Elizabeth Deignan (GBr) Trek-Segafredo
61 Alice Lethbridge (GBr) AWOL Oshea 0:00:41
62 Gloria Rodriguez Sanchez (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:00:43
63 Becky Storrie (GBr) CAMS-Tifosi
64 Elena Pirrone (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service
65 Mari Hole Mohr (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:01:07
66 Sophie Wright (GBr) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:01:28
67 Alice Towers (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
68 Anna Christian (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur
69 Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
70 Jessica Finney (GBr) CAMS-Tifosi
71 Margaux Vigie (Fra) Valcar-Travel & Service
72 Katie Scott (GBr) CAMS-Tifosi 0:01:39
73 Phoebe Martin (GBr) AWOL Oshea
74 Emma Edwards (USA) CAMS-Tifosi
75 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Trek-Segafredo 0:03:20
76 Francesca Morgans Slader (GBr) AWOL Oshea 0:03:45
DNS Megan Jastrab (USA) Team DSM
DNS Femke Markus (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg

General Classification after Stage 4 :
1 Demi Vollering (Ned) Team SD Worx 9:40:44
2 Juliette Labous (Fra) Team DSM 0:01:09
3 Clara Copponi (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:01:19
4 Amy Pieters (Ned) Team SD Worx 0:01:20
5 Aude Biannic (Fra) Movistar Team Women 0:01:33
6 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team DSM 0:01:46
7 Joscelin Lowden (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur 0:01:47
8 Alice Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:01:51
9 Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (Ned) Team SD Worx 0:01:52
10 Pfeiffer Georgi (GBr) Team DSM 0:01:53
11 Elise Chabbey (Swi) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:01:54
12 Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:02:05
13 Anna Shackley (GBr) Team SD Worx 0:02:08
14 Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:02:10
15 Christine Majerus (Lux) Team SD Worx 0:02:17
16 Sarah Roy (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:02:26
17 Ella Harris (NZl) Canyon-SRAM Racing 0:02:29
18 Abi Smith (GBr) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:02:31
19 Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:02:48
20 Maaike Boogaard (Ned) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:02:53
21 Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana
22 Hayley Simmonds (GBr) CAMS-Tifosi 0:02:55
23 Elena Cecchini (Ita) Team SD Worx 0:02:58
24 Mischa Bredewold (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:03:00
25 Lourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:03:01
26 Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:03:04
27 Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Spa) Team BikeExchange 0:03:08
28 Eugenia Bujak (Slo) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:03:09
29 Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:03:27
30 Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Liv Racing 0:03:28
31 Soraya Paladin (Ita) Liv Racing 0:03:30
32 Natalie Grinczer (GBr) CAMS-Tifosi 0:03:33
33 Veronica Ewers (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:03:36
34 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
35 Jade Wiel (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:03:39
36 Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:03:40
37 Pien Limpens (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:03:45
38 Josie Nelson (GBr) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:03:58
39 Evita Muzic (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:03:59
40 Nina Kessler (Ned) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:04:01
41 Liane Lippert (Ger) Team DSM 0:04:07
42 Jelena Eric (Srb) Movistar Team Women 0:04:20
43 Victorie Guilman (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:04:36
44 Amber van der Hulst (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:04:52
45 Janneke Ensing (Ned) Team BikeExchange 0:04:54
46 Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:05:11
47 Elizabeth Deignan (GBr) Trek-Segafredo 0:05:33
48 Sophie Wright (GBr) Ale’ BTC Ljubljana 0:05:56
49 Nicole Frain (Aus) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:06:01
50 Connie Hayes (GBr) AWOL Oshea 0:06:30
51 Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Trek-Segafredo 0:06:55
52 April Tacey (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur 0:07:01
53 Becky Storrie (GBr) CAMS-Tifosi 0:07:12
54 Elena Pirrone (Ita) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:07:16
55 Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:07:28
56 Anna Christian (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur 0:07:37
57 Femke Gerritse (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:07:48
58 Lorena Wiebes (Ned) Team DSM 0:08:14
59 Alice Lethbridge (GBr) AWOL Oshea 0:08:23
60 Gloria Rodriguez Sanchez (Spa) Movistar Team Women 0:08:42
61 Margaux Vigie (Fra) Valcar-Travel & Service 0:08:51
62 Teniel Campbell (TTo) Team BikeExchange 0:09:26
63 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Trek-Segafredo 0:10:27
64 Marjolein Van’T Geloof (Ned) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur 0:10:39
65 Mari Hole Mohr (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:10:56
66 Danielle Christmas (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur 0:13:05
67 Maëlle Grossetete (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:16:28
68 Pernille Larsen Feldmann (Nor) Team Coop Hitec Products 0:17:52
69 Alice Towers (GBr) Drops-le Col Supported by Tempur 0:19:27
70 Emma Edwards (USA) CAMS-Tifosi 0:19:53
71 Kirstie van Haaften (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg 0:20:06
72 Katie Scott (GBr) CAMS-Tifosi 0:26:39
73 Phoebe Martin (GBr) AWOL Oshea 0:31:50
74 Jessica Finney (GBr) CAMS-Tifosi 0:31:58
75 Francesca Morgans Slader (GBr) AWOL Oshea 0:33:57
76 Jessica Allen (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:38:39