Pieters Scores at Ronde van Drenthe

Mar 14
cyclical

Boels-Dolmans went two for two in the World Tour after Amy Pieters took a superb sprint win at the Ronde van Drenthe last weekend.

Following on from Anna van der Breggen’s dominant display at Strade Bianche, Pieters put the finish on another fine team performance in the Netherlands. It brought a happy conclusion to a day which saw world champion Chantal Blaak crash heavily, and eventually abandon.

The early cobbled sections caused a number of splits and regroupings, before the VAMberg climb caused further chaos, with a powerful attack by Anouska Koster joined by Christine Majerus (Boels-Dolmans) and Sarah Roy of Michelton-Scott.

When they were brought back, it was the turn of Movistar’s Alicia Gonzalez but her attack was short-lived. When Blaak went down on a slippery right-hand turn, Michelton-Scott drove things along with a particularly powerful showing from New Zealand champion Georgia Williams, and the Australian Gracie Elvin. Alé Cipollini were also mob-handed placing six riders in the major selection of the day.

Despite the race being in a near-permanent state of flux with attacks and counters going non-stop, and a late crash taking out Lotta Lepisto (Cervelo-Bigla) and Wiggle-High5’s Kirsten Wild, things came down to a sprint finish.

Canyon-SRAM tried to lead things out for the on-fire Alexis Ryan, but once Amy Pieters hit the front, she showed incredible power to survive the headwind and the drag to the line. Ryan held on for second and Chloe Hosking finished fast for third.

Van der Breggen remains in the Women’s World Tour lead heading into round three at the Trofeo Alfredo Binda on 18 March.

 

Ronde van Drenthe, 157kms, 11 March 2018

1 Amy Pieters (Boels-Dolmans)     4hrs 06’ 44”

2 Alexis Ryan (Canyon-SRAM)     same time

3 Chloe Hosking (Alé Cipollini)     + 1”

4 Marta Bastianelli (Alé Cipollini)

5 Marianne Vos (Waowdeals)

6 Coryn Rivera (Sunweb)

7 Arlenis Sierra (Astana)

8 Roxane Fournier (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope)

9 Floortje Mackaij (Sunweb)

10 Ellen Van Dijk (Sunweb)     all same time