A first win of the 2016 season for Leah Kirchmann and her Liv-Plantur team at the Drentse Acht van Westerveld this afternoon. It’s probably the biggest result of the Canadian rider’s career to date, after a podium place at La Course in 2014.
https://youtu.be/4lJcNMLBbTg
Race action, above.
After the cobbles split the field in yesterday’s World Tour Ronde van Drenthe, it was the VAMberg that did the damage today: the first ascent caused a lot of suffering, but the second shredded things more completely with a baker’s dozen getting away. To Kirchmann’s benefit, ultimately, was the fact that she was the only rider from Liv-Plantur in the escape, so could afford to manage her resources as Boels-Dolmans (Majerus, Guarnier, Pawlowska), Rabo-Liv (Koster, the returning Marianne Vos), Canyon-SRAM (Cromwell, Ryan) and Wiggle High5 (Hosking and Johansson) had the numbers to drive the break.
Guarnier strung things out, and Pawlowska made a huge effort inside the final couple of kilometres to give Majerus a shot at the sprint. Kirchmann hit out early leaving Majerus with too much work to do in the wind. Anoushka Koster rounded off the podium.
Reactions, in Dutch, above.
“Leah did a great job in being in the breakaway,” said Liv-Plantur director Hans Timmerman. “Her positioning was very good and she was able to grasp that opportunity. Behind her, we also had riders in the second group, so she was able to save some energy in the front group and to focus on the eventual sprint.”
Over this weekend, there have been a lot of points worth noting:
- Wiggle High5 are gradually melding their stars into a more coherent team, with two in the break today and Johansson looking strong up the VAMberg (taking the climber’s jersey)
- Even when they don’t have Armitstead, Boels-Dolmans are in fine shape with Blaak winning yesterday and a just-back-from-illness Majerus on the podium
- Gracie Elvin is showing more consistency and appearing in the results more like she should for her abilities
- Marianne Vos is also back, going top ten.
- An average speed of 39.8km/h gives lie to the old complaint that women’s races aren’t fast enough.
Next up is the Trofeo Alfredo Binda next Sunday, the third round of the World Tour.
Drentse Acht van Westerveld, 140.5kms
1 Leah Kirchmann, Liv-Plantur 3hrs 32′ 45″
2 Christine Majerus, Boels-Dolmans
3 Anoushka Koster, Rabo-Liv
4 Tiffany Cromwell, Canyon-SRAM
5 Emilia Fahlin, Alé Cipollini
6 Chloe Hosking, Wiggle High5
7 Gracie Elvin, Orica-AIS same time
8 Emma Johansson, Wiggle- High5 + 2″
9 Coryn Rivera, UnitedHealthcare Women
10 Marianne Vos, Rabo-Liv same time