Women’s Tour Down Under 2020 – Stage 4 [FULL STAGE]

January 19, 2020

Women’s Tour Down Under 2020 – Stage 4 – Adelaide – Adelaide : 42,5 km

The Women’s Tour Down Under continues to go from strength to strength, and this year enjoys categorisation as part of the UCI’s new ProSeries. It’s a well-run and well-supported event, headed up by director Kimberley Conte, and attracting plenty of fan support and media coverage.

US champion Ruth Winder (Trek-Segafredo) fought off attacks in a battle for time bonuses on the final criterium stage of the Women’s Tour Down Under to secure overall victory in Adelaide on Sunday.

Winder safely sailed across the finish line with the bunch to secure the leader’s ochre jersey after Simona Frapporti (BePink) won the stage from a 10-rider breakaway.

The Italian charged to the line on the final stage of the four-day tour ahead of Lauren Stephens (TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank) and Rushlee Buchanan (Vantage New Zealand).

It was good news for Winder that a winning break got away as they soaked up the bonus seconds that had the power to threaten her lead in the first UCI ranked race of 2020 and first ProSeries race ever.

Liane Lippert (Team Sunweb) and three-time tour winner Amanda Spratt (Mitchelton-Scott) were both just seven seconds down on general classification at the start of the stage, so were furiously chasing the intermediate sprint time bonuses to try and pull back the gap.

They made some inroads during the 42.5 kilometre race around the Adelaide circuit, but not enough to dislodge Winder from the ochre jersey. In the end, Lippert finished five seconds back, while a gap of six seconds stood between Spratt and a fourth Women’s Tour Down Under victory.

“I need a second really. That race was pretty crazy. Sunweb and Mitchelton are really strong teams but we where able to pull it off,” Winder said straight after the finish.

“Yesterday, after winning the stage, it was such a special feeling and I am really excited to celebrate with my team after this.”

It was on Saturday’s stage 3 that the Trek-Segafredo rider tore up the expected script — Mitchelton-Scott taking control and holding onto that ochre jersey until the end — by grabbing the lead from Spratt on the final road stage. For three years running, no one has been able to loosen the Australian champion’s grip on the ochre jersey, so it came as a surprise, even to Trek-Segafredo, when Winder ended up not just winning stage 3 but also walking into the leader’s jersey and setting herself up for the overall win.

Still, it was almost an inevitability that Mitchelton-Scott would one day have to give up their stranglehold on the race as it continued to go up the UCI rankings and draw an ever more competitive field. That time may have come a little sooner than the Australian team would have liked.

On the other hand, it ended up being an incredibly successful race for Team Sunweb and their 22-year-old German rider. Sunweb won the team category while Lippert not only secured second in the overall standings but also both the Queen of the Mountains jersey and the Young Rider classification. The sprinter’s jersey also went to Sunweb’s Leah Kirchmann.

How it happened

It was a nervous beginning to the 25-lap race in central Adelaide, with the tight overall standings making it more than just a day for the sprinters. Those time bonuses at the three intermediate sprints – three seconds for the winner, two for second place, and one for third – had the potential to make a real difference. So could the 10, six and four-second time bonuses at the finish line for the top three.

As the race started, it was all about positioning for those intermediate sprints. As the first approached at six laps in, Trek-Segafredo, Team Sunweb and Mitchelton-Scott, moved to the front en masse.

Trek and Sunweb clearly had the most powerful trains and, when third-placed Lippert wound up her sprint, Winder had no choice but to throw herself into the action as well. However, she couldn’t match Lippert’s speed and the German rider was first over the line, while Winder took fifth, which meant her gap was now down to just four seconds.

On the next sprint, it was Mitchelton-Scott and Spratt that Trek-Segafredo had to contend with. While Winder couldn’t quite chase the Australian champion down, speedy teammate Lotta Henttala held onto the front position to soak up the three bonus seconds. Spratt earned two and Winder one. That meant Winder now led Lippert by five seconds and Spratt by six.

Taking advantage of the lull after the sprint, a breakaway of 10 got away – a good situation for Winder, who would clearly relish them soaking up all the bonus seconds in the third sprint.

The break kept working together and held on through the third sprint at lap 18, which was taken by Jaime Gunning (Specialized Women’s Racing). They then continued on and stretched the gap, with Rushlee Buchanan leaping out the front to try and go it alone.

Seeing the stage win and any last hope of the overall slip away, the teams of the sprinters, Mitchelton-Scott and Sunweb, started to turn up the pace and chase the break, who were at the same time closing down Buchanan’s advantage.

Buchanan was caught but the peloton left the chase too late. Once Italian track rider Frapporti leapt out from the group on the run-in to the line, it was clear no one could catch her.

“I had one chance and I wanted to use it,” said an elated Frapporti after the stage.

The time gap and bonuses from second place moved TIBCO-SVB’s Stephens up in the overall category. She finished fourth at 17 seconds, ahead of stage 1 winner Chloe Hosking (Rally Cycling).

Results :
1 Simona Frapporti (Ita) BePink 0:58:32
2 Lauren Stephens (USA) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
3 Rushlee Buchanan (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team
4 Leigh-Ann Ganzar (USA) Rally Cycling
5 Jaime Gunning (Aus) Specialized Women’s Racing
6 Katia Ragusa (Ita) Astana Women’s Team
7 Brodie Chapman (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope
8 Jessica Pratt (Aus) Canyon-Sram
9 Georgia Williams (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott
10 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Ale BTC Ljubljana
11 Andrea Ramirez Fregoso (Mex) Agolico BMC
12 Georgia Whitehouse (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia
13 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Rally Cycling 0:00:10
14 Ruby Roseman Gannon (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia
15 Arlenis Sierra Canadilla (Cub) Astana Women’s Team
16 Peta Mullens (Aus) Roxsolt Attaquer
17 Liane Lippert (Ger) Team Sunweb
18 Ruth Winder (USA) Trek-Segafredo
19 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Sunweb
20 Anna Trevisi (Ita) Ale BTC Ljubljana
21 Alexis Ryan (USA) Canyon-Sram
22 Nina Kessler (Ned) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
23 Silvia Zanardi (Ita) BePink
24 Racquel Sheath (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team
25 Jessie Hodges (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team
26 Shara Gillow (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope
27 Ally Wollaston (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team
28 Matilda Raynolds (Aus) Specialized Women’s Racing
29 Anna Louise Henderson (GBr) Team Sunweb
30 Denisse Ahumada Riquelme (Chi) Agolico BMC
31 Ella Harris (NZl) Canyon-Sram
32 Rachel Neylan (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia
33 Jenna Natasha Merrick (NZl) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
34 Gracie Elvin (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
35 Taryn Heather (Aus) Specialized Women’s Racing
36 Sophie Edwards (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia
37 Lauren Kitchen (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope
38 Lotta Hentalla (Fin) Trek-Segafredo
39 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Trek-Segafredo
40 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
41 Juliette Labous (Fra) Team Sunweb
42 Marcela Elizabeth Prieto Castaneda (Mex) Agolico BMC
43 Jessica Allen (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
44 Lizbeth Yarely Salazar Vazquez (Mex) Astana Women’s Team
45 Krista Doebel-Hickok (USA) Rally Cycling
46 Julia Soek (Ned) Team Sunweb
47 Josie Talbot (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia
48 Ella Bloor (Aus) Specialized Women’s Racing
49 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon-Sram
50 Elizabeth Stannard (Aus) Specialized Women’s Racing 0:00:16
51 Anastasiia Chursina (Slo) Ale BTC Ljubljana
52 Tanja Erath (Ger) Canyon-Sram
53 Nicole Shields (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team
54 Urska Pintar (Slo) Ale BTC Ljubljana
55 Mieke Docx (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
56 Sarah Gigante (Aus) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
57 Pfeiffer Zara Georgi (GBr) Team Sunweb
58 Grace Brown (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
59 Sharlotte Lucas (NZl) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
60 Maelle Grossetete (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope
61 Emily Herfoss (Aus) Roxsolt Attaquer
62 Victorie Guilman (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope
63 Maaike Boogaard (Ned) Ale BTC Ljubljana
64 Heidi Franz (USA) Rally Cycling
65 Jade Wiel (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope
66 Jenelle Crooks (NZl) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
67 Erica Clevenger (USA) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:00:19
68 Hannah Ludwig (Ger) Canyon-Sram
69 Madeline Wright (Aus) Roxsolt Attaquer
70 Lucy Kennedy (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
71 Nicole Hanselmann (Swi) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport 0:00:21
72 Nicole Frain (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia
73 Anna Plichta (Pol) Trek-Segafredo
74 Francesca Pattaro (Ita) Astana Women’s Team
75 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) BePink
76 Maryna Ivaniuk (Ukr) Astana Women’s Team
77 Ariadna Gutierrez Arzaluz (Mex) Agolico BMC
78 Marike de Groot Van Witzenburg (Ned) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
79 Marketa Hajkova (Cze) BePink
80 Sara Poidevin (Can) Rally Cycling
81 Jennifer Morales Milanes (CRc) Agolico BMC
82 Bree Wilson (Aus) Roxsolt Attaquer
83 Tayler Wiles (USA) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Justine Barrow (Aus) Roxsolt Attaquer

Final General Classification :
1 Ruth Winder (USA) Trek-Segafredo 10:11:07
2 Liane Lippert (Ger) Team Sunweb 0:00:05
3 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 0:00:06
4 Lauren Stephens (USA) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:00:17
5 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Rally Cycling 0:00:30
6 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Sunweb 0:00:32
7 Andrea Ramirez Fregoso (Mex) Agolico BMC 0:00:33
8 Katia Ragusa (Ita) Astana Women’s Team 0:00:34
9 Jessica Pratt (Aus) Canyon-Sram
10 Peta Mullens (Aus) Roxsolt Attaquer 0:00:35
11 Juliette Labous (Fra) Team Sunweb 0:00:37
12 Shara Gillow (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:00:38
13 Ella Harris (NZl) Canyon-Sram
14 Rachel Neylan (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia
15 Jaime Gunning (Aus) Specialized Women’s Racing 0:00:40
16 Arlenis Sierra Canadilla (Cub) Astana Women’s Team 0:00:44
17 Ruby Roseman Gannon (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia
18 Jenna Natasha Merrick (NZl) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
19 Marcela Elizabeth Prieto Castaneda (Mex) Agolico BMC
20 Taryn Heather (Aus) Specialized Women’s Racing
21 Krista Doebel-Hickok (USA) Rally Cycling
22 Anastasiia Chursina (Slo) Ale BTC Ljubljana 0:00:45
23 Rushlee Buchanan (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team 0:00:48
24 Urska Pintar (Slo) Ale BTC Ljubljana 0:00:50
25 Sarah Gigante (Aus) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
26 Elizabeth Stannard (Aus) Specialized Women’s Racing
27 Lauren Kitchen (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:00:57
28 Emily Herfoss (Aus) Roxsolt Attaquer 0:01:03
29 Tayler Wiles (USA) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:06
30 Lucy Kennedy (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 0:01:30
31 Jenelle Crooks (NZl) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:02:48
32 Grace Brown (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 0:04:17
33 Brodie Chapman (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:04:20
34 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Ale BTC Ljubljana 0:04:33
35 Marketa Hajkova (Cze) BePink 0:05:41
36 Victorie Guilman (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope 0:05:45
37 Leigh-Ann Ganzar (USA) Rally Cycling 0:05:53
38 Anna Louise Henderson (GBr) Team Sunweb 0:06:00
39 Bree Wilson (Aus) Roxsolt Attaquer 0:07:18
40 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon-Sram 0:08:38
41 Matilda Raynolds (Aus) Specialized Women’s Racing 0:10:50
42 Sharlotte Lucas (NZl) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:11:00
43 Hannah Ludwig (Ger) Canyon-Sram 0:11:03
44 Gracie Elvin (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 0:11:28
45 Madeline Wright (Aus) Roxsolt Attaquer 0:11:40
46 Ariadna Gutierrez Arzaluz (Mex) Agolico BMC 0:12:36
47 Silvia Zanardi (Ita) BePink 0:15:18
48 Ella Bloor (Aus) Specialized Women’s Racing
49 Tanja Erath (Ger) Canyon-Sram 0:15:22
50 Lotta Hentalla (Fin) Trek-Segafredo 0:15:23
51 Maelle Grossetete (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope
52 Heidi Franz (USA) Rally Cycling 0:15:24
53 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Trek-Segafredo 0:15:34
54 Nicole Frain (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia 0:17:36
55 Jessie Hodges (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team 0:18:49
56 Nicole Shields (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team 0:18:57
57 Anna Trevisi (Ita) Ale BTC Ljubljana 0:19:02
58 Simona Frapporti (Ita) BePink 0:19:13
59 Anna Plichta (Pol) Trek-Segafredo 0:19:14
60 Georgia Williams (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott 0:19:23
61 Alexis Ryan (USA) Canyon-Sram 0:19:31
62 Nina Kessler (Ned) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank
63 Racquel Sheath (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team 0:19:33
64 Denisse Ahumada Riquelme (Chi) Agolico BMC
65 Jessica Allen (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
66 Julia Soek (Ned) Team Sunweb
67 Mieke Docx (Bel) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport 0:19:39
68 Maaike Boogaard (Ned) Ale BTC Ljubljana
69 Jade Wiel (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope
70 Pfeiffer Zara Georgi (GBr) Team Sunweb
71 Georgia Whitehouse (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia 0:23:11
72 Ally Wollaston (NZl) Vantage New Zealand National Team 0:23:55
73 Sophie Edwards (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia 0:24:06
74 Josie Talbot (Aus) Team UniSA-Australia 0:24:37
75 Lizbeth Yarely Salazar Vazquez (Mex) Astana Women’s Team
76 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) BePink 0:24:48
77 Maryna Ivaniuk (Ukr) Astana Women’s Team 0:26:24
78 Marike de Groot Van Witzenburg (Ned) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport 0:27:16
79 Francesca Pattaro (Ita) Astana Women’s Team 0:28:31
80 Erica Clevenger (USA) Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank 0:28:41
81 Sara Poidevin (Can) Rally Cycling 0:28:43
82 Jennifer Morales Milanes (CRc) Agolico BMC 0:29:33
83 Nicole Hanselmann (Swi) Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport 0:31:04