Lucy Coldwell took a convincing win in the 2015 Mersey Valley Tour finishing on the podium in all three stages and winning stage 2. Coldwell, a Scottish Commonwealth Games representative had won a stage of the Jayco Adelaide Tour last month and carried that form into the Mersey Tour, the forth round of the Subaru Women’s National Road Series.
How the race unfolded
The 2015 Mersey Valley Tour got underway with a 16.8km Individual Time Trial on an out and back course from Ulverstone to Penguin, and back. The course was mainly flat with one or two undulations that would suit the powerful riders. Bridie O’Donnell (Total Rush Hyster) won the stage with a time of 22:55.75, Lucy Coldwell (Holden Women’s Cycling Team) was second, 6 seconds back and Felicity Wardlaw (Bicycle Superstore) was third at 21 seconds.
Stage 2 started in Sheffield and was 80.5km long and featured several climbs including finishing on a 5km climb. Lucy Coldwell backed up her individual time trial second place by winning the stage by 8 seconds from Ruth Corset (Total Rush Hyster), with Jenelle Crooks (Specialized Securitor) a further 2 seconds back in third.
The final Stage 3 was a 74.8km stage from Ulverstone taking in the climb to Gunns Plains, then finishing at Riana 14km later. An early break of five riders then joined by two more contained Lucy Coldwell’s teammate Shannon Malseed. Ruth Corset and Lucy Coldwell joined the lead group on the final climb and then about 1km to go Malseed attacked and held the advantage to win the stage, with Corset finishing second and Lucy Coldwell taking third and the overall win in the 2015 Mersey Valley Tour. Holden Women’s Cycling Team won the teams classification.
The Subaru Women’s National Road Series is now led by Ruth Corset with 29 points, Lucy Coldwell is second in the standings on 25 points. Valentina Scandolara remains in third with 22 points.
NEWS: Coldwell crowned Mersey Valley Tour champion #NRS15 #MVT15 http://t.co/uwVCfTXrkA @eventstasmania pic.twitter.com/cJxCOryE8U
— Cycling Australia (@CyclingAus) May 3, 2015
Results
Individual General Classification – 2015 Women’s Mersey Valley Tour
[table]
PLACE,#,RIDER (TEAM),TIME
1,111,Lucy COLDWELL (HWC),5h07:37
2,1,Ruth CORSET (TRH),+.37
3,22,Jenelle CROOKS (SPS),+1:21
4,112,Shannon MALSEED (HWC),+2:32
5,25,Anna-Leeza HULL (SPS),+2:35
6,11,Georgia BAKER (HFD),+2:52
7,51,Kirsten HOWARD (SNS),+2:56
8,41,Rachel WARD (BRT),+3:00
9,32,Taryn HEATHER (BSS),+3:14
10,93,Alexandria NICHOLLS,+3:17
11,14,Ellen SKERRITT (HFD),+3:27
12,65,Georgia CATTERICK (SUV),+3:43
13,21,Michaela PARSONS (SPS),+3:47
14,113,Louisa LOBIGS (HWC),+3:54
15,71,Jessica PRATT (QTS),+4:24
16,45,Nicole MOERIG (BRT),+5:20
17,23,Elizabeth DOUEAL (SPS),+5:40
18,33,Felicity WARDLAW (BSS),+5:50
19,92,Holly RANSON,+5:56
20,31,Kristy GLOVER (BSS),+5:58
21,42,Lisa KEELING (BRT),+6:09
22,4,Kate PERRY (TRH),+6:09
23,81,Kathryn WOOLSTON,+6:15
24,61,Josephine MELDGAARD (SUV),+7:13
25,43,Lucy BARKER (BRT),+8:00
26,63,Gina RICARDO (SUV),+8:17
27,2,Bridie O’DONNELL (TRH),+8:46
28,84,Nerine ADAMS,+9:04
29,83,Belamie FLINT,+9:10
30,91,Myra MOLLER,+10:20
31,62,Abby SNEDDON (SUV),+10:24
32,35,Rebecca HEATH (BSS),+10:29
33,102,Ruby ROSEMAN-GANNON,+10:48
34,44,Lisa ANTILL (BRT),+11:36
35,55,Nicola MACDONALD (SNS),+12:28
36,12,Rebecca WIASAK (HFD),+20:52
37,72,Kristina CLONAN (QTS),+22:01
38,82,Yvette EDWARD,+22:50
39,15,Lauren PERRY (HFD),+24:52
40,52,Jade COLLIGAN (SNS),+25:27
41,54,Hollee SIMONS (SNS),+26:54
42,73,Jaime GUNNING (QTS),+34:03
43,53,Angela SMITH (SNS),+46:58
[/table]
Team General Classification – 2015 Women’s Mersey Valley Tour
[table]
PLACE,TEAM,TEAM NAME,TIME
1,HWC,Holden Women’s Cycling Team,15h29:17
2,SPS,Specialized Securitor,19
3,HFD,High5 Dream Team,+5:47
4,BRT,Boss Racing Team,+7:29
5,BSS,Bicycle Superstore,+8:36
6,TRH,Total Rush Hyster,+9:06
7,SUV,SUVelo Racing,+12:19
8,SNS,Subaru NSWIS NKC Team,+30:46
9,QTS,QAS/CQ Emerging Talent Squad,+54:02
[/table]
Individual Women’s National Road Series Standings after 2015 Mersey Valley Tour
[table]
RANK,RIDER (TEAM),POINTS
1,Ruth CORSET (TRH),29,pt
2,Lucy COLDWELL (HWC),25
3,Valentina SCANDOLARA (OGE),22
4,Melissa HOSKINS (OGE),19
5,Michaela PARSONS (SPS),15
6,Jenelle CROOKS (SPS),13
7,Rachel NEYLAN (BCS),12
8,Shannon MALSEED (HWC),10
9,Georgia BAKER (HFD),10
10,Kirsty GLOVER,10
11,Amanda SPRATT (OGE),9
12,Rebecca WIASAK (HFD),8
13,Kimberley WELLS (HFD),8
13,Loren ROWNEY (RXS),8
15,Taryn HEATHER (BSS),7
[/table]
Team Women’s National Road Series Standings after 2015 Mersey Valley Tour
[table]
RANK,TEAM,TEAM NAME,POINTS
1,HWC,Holden Women’s Cycling Team,43,pt
2,HFD,High5 Dream Team,41,
3,SPS,Specialized Securitor,40,
4,BSS,Bicycle Superstore,28,
5,RXS,Roxsolt,21,
6,TRH,Total Rush Hyster,15,
7,BRT,Boss Racing Team,11,
8,WCV,Wormall Civil CCS Cycling Team,10,
9,EOC,EMBA-Ozone Cleaning Specialists,7,
10,SUV,SUVelo Racing,6,
11,SNS,Subaru NSWIS NKC Team,5,
12,CBR,CBR Women’s Cycling,5,
12,NIC,Nicheliving Racing,5,
14,BCS,Building Champions Squad,4,
15,USG,Unified Solutions Group,2,
16,BNG,Bikebug-NextGen,1,
[/table]
The next round of the Women’s National Road Series is the Battle on the Border on the 28 – 31, May.
Women’s NRS15 – The Bike Lane
