2016 Women's Tour de Yorkshire

2016 Women's Tour de Yorkshire
Race details
Date 30 April
Distance 135 km (83.89 mi)
Winning time 3h 22' 26"
Palmares
Winner  Kirsten Wild (NED) (Team Hitec Products)
Second  Lucy Garner (GBR) (Wiggle High5)
Third  Floortje Mackaij (NED) (Team Liv-Plantur)
Youth  Lucy Garner (GBR) (Wiggle High5)
Team Great Britain (National Team)

The 2016 Womens Tour de Yorkshire was a cycling one-day race that took place in Yorkshire in April 2016. It was the first edition of the Womens Tour de Yorkshire and was organised by Welcome to Yorkshire and the Amaury Sport Organisation. The race started in Otley, ended in Doncaster and was rated as a 1.2 event.

The race was won by Kirsten Wild (Team Hitec Products) in a bunch sprint. Notable race entrants also included reigning world champion, Lizzie Armitstead who raced for the Great Britain national team, as well as the return of former world time trial champion, Emma Pooley. Pooley stated she would make her return to cycling as part of her build up and bid for Olympic selection.[1]

Teams

Lizzie Armitstead, pictured here at the 2016 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, competed on behalf of the Great Britain national team.
UCI Women's teams Domestic Elite teams National teams

Wiggle High5
Lares–Waowdeals
Cylance Pro Cycling
Hitec Products
Team Liv-Plantur
Podium Ambition Pro Cycling
Drops Cycling Team
Ale Cipollini

Boot Out Breast Cancer Cycling Team
Team Breeze, Team WNT
Team Footon Velosport
Fusion RT Fierlan
Team Ford EcoBoost
Les Filles Racing Team
Team Jadan Weldtite

Great Britain

Source:[2]

Route

Conisbrough Castle, was one of the three categorised climbs the riders would face.

Starting in Otley, the race headed East towards Harewood, where the women would tackle the first categorised climb of the day - the 1.2km Côte de Harwood averaging 5% in gradient. The race would continue East, heading through East Keswick taking on the second classified climb of the day - the Côte de East Rigton. The second climb was slightly shorter, at 0.8km, but boasted a steeper average gradient of 8.2%. The race now headed south, to the intermeidate sprint point in Scholes. After the sprint point, the route would take the riders South East, to Sherburn-in-Elmet, then South to Knottingley. After passing through Pontefract the route headed South through Wentbridge, South Elmsall and Hooton Pagnell. After skirting round the Westerly side of Doncaster the riders would go through the second intermediate sprint point at Warmsworth and would almost immediately tackle the final and shortest classified climb of the day, the 0.5km 6.5% Côte de Conisborough Castle. The final stages of the race saw the route pass through Tickhill and Bawtry before heading North to finish line in Doncaster.[3]

Race overview

The race was won by the Dutch rider Kirsten Wild (Team Hitec Products) in a bunch sprint taking victory ahead of Lucy Garner (Wiggle High5) and Floortje Mackaij (Liv-Plantur).

The race started in Otley with Swiss national time trial champion, Doris Schweizer Cylance Pro Cycling building an early lead of over three minutes within the first 75km. Towards the second half of the race the sprinters teams came to the fore and began to eat into the lead carved out by Schweizer. With a trimmed lead of only 25 seconds at the summit of Conisbrough Castle, Schweizer was caught by world road race champion Lizzie Armitstead and Canadian rider Leah Kirchmann with around 36km to go.[4] The trio now joined forced and forged their lead out to over a one minute with 15 km remaining in the race. As the route headed North, back towards Doncaster, the trio encountered a strong headwind - handing the initiative back to the chasing peloton - lead by Team Hitec Products and Alé Cipollini. With 10km to go the lead stood at 45 seconds,[5] but the trio were caught with less than 5km to go, resulting in Wild opening the bunch sprint with 150m to go,[5] taking the win by a bike length from Garner.[4][6]

Aftermath

The race was notable for a number of reasons other than it being a new Women's race in Great Britain. The race boasted a significant prize fund of £50,000, with the victor taking home £15,000. At 136.5 km the race is longer than six one day races which comprise the UCI Women's WorldTour, as well as being close to the maximum limit of 140 km for Women's races.[7]

The race should have been broadcast live on both Eurosport and ITV4, however technical issues with the relay aeroplane meant there were little, to no, live pictures.[7]

Final classification

Race winner, Kirsten Wild, pictured here at the 2015 UEC Track Elite European Championships.
Final classification
Rank Rider Team Time
1  Kirsten Wild (NED) Team Hitec Products 3h 22' 26"
2  Lucy Garner (GBR) Wiggle High5 s.t.
3  Floortje Mackaij (NED) Team Liv-Plantur s.t.
4  Alice Barnes (GBR) Great Britain (National Team) s.t.
5  Marta Bastianelli (ITA) Alé Cipollini s.t.
6  Anna Trevisi (ITA) Alé Cipollini s.t.
7  Jennifer George (GBR) Drops Cycling Team s.t.
8  Nicola Juniper (GBR) Team Ford Ecoboost s.t.
9  Nicole Moerig (AUS) Podium Ambition Pro Cycling s.t.
10  Evie Richards (GBR) Great Britain (National Team) s.t.
Source: Tour de Yorkshire website
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