The Women’s Tour 2021 – Stage 5 [Highlights] (ladies)

October 8, 2021

The Women’s Tour 2021 – Stage 5 WE – Colchester – Clacton : 95,4 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) won her second consecutive stage of The Women’s Tour when she emerged victorious in the stage 5 sprint in Clacton-on-Sea.

The penultimate stage of the British stage race was dominated by a solo breakaway from Hayley Simmonds (CAMS-Basso Bikes), who was the virtual GC leader on the road for a long time, but was eventually reeled in with 16 kilometres to go.

In the bunch sprint, Wiebes was unchallenged, finishing almost two bike lengths ahead of world champion Elisa Balsamo (Valcar-Travel & Service) and Marjolein van ‘t Geloof (Drops-Le Col s/b Tempur).

Overall race leader Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx) finished with the peloton and goes into the final stage with a lead of 1:09 minutes on Juliette Labous (Team DSM) and 1:16 minutes on Clara Copponi (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope).

How it unfolded

Starting in Colchester, stage 5 saw the peloton ride eastwards followed by 1.5 laps of a long finishing circuit until finishing in Clacton-on-Sea after 95.4 kilometres. The route included two intermediate sprints and three QOM sprints.

Hayley Simmonds (CAMS-Basso Bikes) broke away from the peloton after only a few kilometres, and the time trial specialist quickly gained a large advantage. Having started the stage in 22nd place overall, 2:55 minutes behind Vollering, Simmonds was the virtual race leader when she crossed the finish line in Clacton for the first time after 32 kilometres.

Simmonds’ advantage maxed out at the 50-kilometre mark when she was 4:30 minutes ahead, then Team SD Worx as well as Team DSM started chasing at the front of the peloton and gradually reduced the gap.

Connie Hayes (AWOL O’Shea) had gone on a solo chase of Simmonds, but never got further than 1:20 minutes away from the peloton and was caught with 36km to go as the chase began in earnest.

Simmonds took maximum points on the first two QOM sprints and also won the two intermediate sprints. In the peloton, Copponi picked up three bonus seconds which brought her within seven seconds of Labous, with fourth-placed Amy Pieters (Team SD Worx) also moving a second closer to the Frenchwoman.

Sarah Roy, Ane Santesteban (both Team BikeExchange), and Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) jumped away from the peloton just after the Manningtree QOM with 30 kilometres to go, and Simmonds’ lead quickly dropped to under two minutes. The chasing trio was caught by the peloton 21 kilometres from the finish, and Simmonds was brought back five kilometres later.

On the second ascent of Tenpenny Hill, the last classified climb of the day, Chabbey was second behind Alice Towers (Drops-Le Col s/b Tempur). Together with the points the Swiss climber had collected on the first ascent, this was enough to secure her the green QOM jersey provided she finishes the final stage. Although she did not pick up any sprint points on stage 5, Nina Kessler (Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank) is certain of winning the red sprints jersey as her lead, too, is insurmountable.

Soraya Paladin (Liv Racing) tried a late attack after Tenpenny Hill but was quickly caught again, and the stage came down to a sprint in which Wiebes used her superior speed to win the stage.

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

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