Lizzie Armitstead wins the Trofeo Alfredo Binda

World champion Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) defended her Trofeo Alfredo Binda title yesterday to take the lead in the UCI Women’s WorldTour series, Armitstead won ahead of team mate Megan Guarnier with Jolanda Neff (Servetto Footon) third after leading for most of the closing stages of the race.

Lizzie Armitstead rode back from being dropped out of the break containing Emma Johansson (Wiggle High5), Alena Amialiusik (Canyon-SRAM), Katarzyna Niewiadoma and Anna Van Der Breggen (Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team) and team mate Megan Guarnier to catch back on to the break over the Ornio with just over 5km to go. Armitstead then rode straight past the riders in pursuit of Neff who was 30 seconds up the road, Armitstead caught Neff with 3k to go and the two worked together until the finish straight where Armitstead was too strong opening the sprint, Megan Guarnier sprinted out of the break of five riders to overtake Jolanda Neff before the finish line for second place.

“I came directly back on the top of the climb,” said Armistead. “I attacked directly. It was my last move. Today we were working for Megan, and I was just being a teammate and doing a stupid attack. But nobody saw me coming from behind, and I had a lot of speed.”

The duo had a five-second advantage over the chase group as they hit the finishing stretch.

“I jumped,” Armitstead explained. “I was sprinting for the line, and Neff couldn’t match my speed.”

“I only caught Jolanda just before the line,” said Guarnier. “We had already opened the sprint, and that’s how overtook her.”

Results of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda 2016

1. Lizzie Armitstead (GBr) Boels-Dolmans in 3:11:10
2. Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans at 1 sec
3. Jolanda Neff (Swi) Servetto-Footon at 4 secs
4. Emma Johansson (Swe) Wiggle-High5
5. Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon-SRAM
6. Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Rabo-Liv at same time
7. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Rabo-Liv at 11 secs
8. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Orica-AIS at 39 secs
9. Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Hitec Products at 1-06
10. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle High5 at same time

Main image via boelsdolmanscyclingteam.com

Joseph Cooper wins VRS Mansfield Tour

Joseph Cooper (Avanti IsoWhey Sports) won the three stage Mansfield Tour to extend his lead in the Singapore Airlines VRS series after winning both of the first two rounds. Cooper’s team mate Oscar Stevenson was second overall with Drew Morey (Pat’s Veg) in third place.

The Mansfield Tour was the second round of the Singapore Airlines VRS series and was run over three stages, the first was a 16km individual time trial won by Sean Lake (Avanti IsoWhey Sports) from Cooper and Morey.

The second stage was 92km around Jamieson and Mansfield and was won by Patrick Lane (Avanti IsoWhey Sports) in a solo break by 13 seconds to Matthew Ross (Pat’s Veg) and Oscar Stevenson third. With the final Mount Buller stage to go the overall lead was held by Sean Lake with Cooper 5 seconds back in second place and Oscar Stevenson third at 16 seconds.

The final stage finished at the top of Mount Buller and was won by Rhys Gillett (Van D’am Racing p/b Butterfields) from Matthew Clark 2 seconds back and Jesse Featonby and other 2 seconds back. Joseph Cooper finished the stage fifth at 13 seconds to win the overall Mansfield Tour by 22 seconds.

Results 2016 VRS Mansfield Tour

1. Joseph COOPER (Avanti IsoWhey Sports) 4h:01:35
2. Oscar STEVENSON (Avanti IsoWhey Sports) +22 secs
3. Drew MOREY (Pat’s Veg) +34
4. Rhys GILLETT (Van D’am Racing p/b Butterfields) +35
5. Matthew CLARK (Wangaratta)+1min:23
6. Mathew ROSS (Pat’s Veg) +1:44
7. Angus LYONS (Jayco John West VIS) +1:58
8. Jesse FEATONBY (Albury-Wodonga Panthers) +2:02
9. Patrick BURT (Pitcher Parners/KCC) +2:18
10. Patrick SHAW (Avanti IsoWhey Sports) +2:28

B Grade Men was won by Nicholas Norden (St Kilda).
Masters A Grade was won by Tom Leaper (Kosdown Performance Cycling) from Brett Kingston (Hampton Cycles) with Nick Squillari third overall (Becoz).
Women’s A Grade was won by Kate Perry (Brunswick) from Lisen Hockings (St Kilda) with Justine Barrow (Coburg) third overall.

The next round of the Singapore Airlines Victorian Road Series (VRS) is the Baw Baw Classic on April 10.

Hayden Roulston and Linda Villumsen win at Le Race, New Zealand

Former World Tour rider and double Olympic medalist Hayden Roulston and current world individual time trial champion Linda Villumsen were the winners of the PlaceMakers Le Race that was run over 100km in strong winds between Christchurch and Akaroa. Roulston dominated the leading group of 12 riders that formed after the Port Hills out of Christchurch. The races longest climb was Hilltop and Roulston forced the pace dropping everyone Callum Gordon.

Roulston out sprinted Gordon at the finish in Akaroa to win Le Race. Hayden Roulston is preparing to make the New Zealand track team for the Rio Olympics.

“Today was one of those winds that just catches your front wheel but I’m really happy to win, I haven’t won for a long time so it’s always nice to get the result. I wanted a hard day out and I definitely got that.”

“Every day counts; every day is important from now until Rio if I want to make the team,” Roulston said. “There’s only four places and there’s nine guys going for those four places, so every day counts.”

Linda Villumsen and two time Le Race winner Sharlotte Lucas dominated the women’s event finishing eleven minutes clear of third place Fiona Humpheson. Villumsen got a small gap to Lucas in the descent to the finish and won by 5 seconds in her last race before leaving for Europe.

“It was a really hard day,” Villumsen said. “Two girls riding along with a group of men, just looking at each other to see how it’s going. I definitely got what I needed today after a tough couple of months with my health, getting the win is a bonus.”

Results of the Men’s Le Race

1. HAYDEN ROULSTON 02:41:46
2. CALLUM GORDON 02:41:46
3. THOMAS HUBBARD 02:43:58
4. PAUL ODLIN 02:46:03
5. RICHARD LAWSON 02:46:47
6. ROBERT STANNARD 02:49:09
7. OLLIE JONES 02:49:17
8. HAYDEN STRONG 02:49:18
9. JAKE MARRYATT 02:49:18
10. TIM RUSH 02:49:28

Results of the Women’s Le Race

1. LINDA VILLUMSEN 03:10:46
2. SHARLOTTE LUCAS 03:10:51
3. FIONA HUMPHESON 03:22:00
4. OLIVIA BIRD 03:27:39
5. SHELLEY NISBET 03:29:35
6. SARAH BOYS 03:29:35
7. HELEN BEATTIE 03:35:01
8. LISA MCMILLAN 03:36:45
9. MELISSA OOSTENBROEK 03:39:30
10. KATE SMITH 03:40:09

Results via lerace.co.nz

Riders claim Demare received a tow to win Milan-San Remo

Arnaud Demare (FDJ) win's Milan-San Remo 2016

Since winning the Milan-San Remo on Saturday a row has erupted between a group or riders including Matteo Tosatto (Tinkoff) and Eros Capecchi (Astana) that claim Arnaud Démare received a massive tow back to the peloton from his team car after the crash that also included Australia’s Michael Matthews.

“Démare passed us at 80kph on the climb,” Capecchi told La Gazzetta. “I’ve never seen anything like that before. I was on Tossato’s wheel, and saw it very clearly. Démare was hanging onto the team car. It’s disgusting.” and Tosatto also claims to have witnessed the tow.

“Démare was not there at the base of the Cipressa, but he passed us at double-speed. I couldn’t see if it was his water bottle or the window,” Tosatto told La Gazzetta. “For sure he would have made a strong sprint, but without this tow, he would have never returned to the front to make the sprint. I’ve never seen something so blatant. I wasn’t the only rider there, and I am sure others saw it as well.”

Arnaud Démare in his defence adamant all was above board in his chase back on.

“I have done nothing wrong,” he said to L’Equipe. “There are judges in cycling. If I had done something forbidden, I would have been disqualified. Because [Michael] Matthews didn’t raise his arms in victory like me, we don’t care if he took shelter in the caravan. It’s part of cycling and always has been: we profit from the draft of the cars. They block the wind. It is not forbidden.”

Démare took down his ride data on Strava before uploading later with no power data and claimed jealousy was driving the riders claims.

“I sense a little jealousy from some of our rivals after our third place in the team time trial at Tirreno,” Démare said to L’Equipe. “I also won a stage at Paris-Nice, as did Nacer Bouhanni.”

“This story won’t spoil my moment of pleasure.”

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