2024 Tour of Britain Women: stage 1 report and results
World champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx - Protime) pipped Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco) in a photo finish to win stage 1 of the Tour of Britain Women, Thursday 6 June
World champion Lotte Kopecky showcased her brilliance in a nail-biting finish to win the opening stage of the 2024 Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women. In a fierce sprint against Letizia Paternoster, Kopecky secured victory after a gruelling 142.4km race from Welshpool to Llandudno, featuring 2,276m of climbing.
Featured image: SWpix.com
Report
The race began with a lively departure from Welshpool’s Broad Street, where Josie Talbot (Cofidis) made the first significant move. Christine Majerus (SD Worx – Protime) quickly closed the gap, setting the stage for an intense battle.
As the peloton reached the base of the Llangynog climb, averaging 5.3% over 6.1km, Connie Hayes (Doltcini O’Shea) accelerated, marked by Elena Cecchini (SD Worx-Protime). Heidi Franz (Lifeplus Wahoo) then displayed her climbing prowess, securing maximum points at the summit.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com – 06/06/2024 – Cycling – UCI Women’s World Tour – Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women – Stage 1: Welshpool to Llandudno, Wales -The Peloton – Llangynog climb
A breakaway group of strong riders, including Katia Ragusa (Human Powered Health), Millie Couzens (Great Britain Cycling Team), Amber Pate (Liv Alula Jayco), Valeria Demey (Volkerwessels Pro Cycling Team), Barbara Guarischi (SD Worx-Protime), and Franziska Koch (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL), forged ahead with 70km to go, creating a significant gap on the main peloton.
Once this move was snuffed out, National Road Series leader Lucy Harris, making her debut for the Pro-Noctis-200° Coffee-Hargreaves Contracting after signing from Loughborough Lightning last week, made a bold solo attack, earning the Combativity Award with a lead that reached one minute. However, an injection of pace from the Great Britain squad saw Harris reeled in at the second Queen of the Mountains, Ty’n y Llidiart.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com – 06/06/2024 – Cycling – UCI Women’s World Tour – Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women – Stage 1: Welshpool to Llandudno, Wales – Lucy Harris of Pro-Noctis-200° Coffee-Hargreaves Contracting
Pfeiffer Georgi (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) put in a big effort near the climb’s peak but was chased down by Great Britain with Lizzie Deignan moving ahead to take the Queen of the Mountain with her teammate Anna Henderson close behind.
The pair continued their push over the top of the climb, taking with them Paternoster (Liv-Alula-Jayco), Georgi, Kopecky (SD Worx – Protime), Majerus, Victore Guilman (St Michel – Mavic – Auber93), Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv-Alula-Jayco), and Eline Jansen (Volkerwessels Women’s Pro Cycling Team). With most of the major teams represented, the group quickly established a commanding lead, the peloton’s chase muted.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com – 06/06/2024 – Cycling – UCI Women’s World Tour – Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women – Stage 1: Welshpool to Llandudno, Wales – Pfeiffer Georgi of Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL and Anna Henderson of Great Britain Cycling Team leading the breakaway
At the intermediate sprint, Paternoster edged out Kopecky for bonus seconds, setting the stage for their final showdown. With a three-minute lead and 10km remaining, the race intensified as the riders approached Llandudno’s promenade.
The stage concluded with a tense sprint finish. Kopecky launched early. In the closing moments Paternoster pulled alongside her as they both lunged for the line. It was impossible to tell who had taken it from the overhead shots, but Paternoster thought she had won, raising her right arm aloft. After a lengthy review of the photo finish, however, Kopecky was declared the winner.
Georgi completed the podium with Deignan in fourth. Behind, Lucy Lee (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK), celebrating her 26th birthday, attacked the peloton to take 10th place, with Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) winning the bunch sprint for 11th.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com – 06/06/2024 – Cycling – UCI Women’s World Tour – Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women – Stage 1: Welshpool to Llandudno, Wales –
Reflecting on her victory, Kopecky said, “I’m not sure if I won and it took quite a while before we found out that I won, so it was a nice final finish. At moments it felt pretty slow because of the wind, however, I’m happy that I could get a break in the final climb.”
Deignan commented, “I was happy with my form today. It was a strange race, almost nothing and everything. We would have liked moments of attack in the final finish, but with the headwinds stretch and the launchpads, we just had to do what we could. I think moving forward it will be a really open race, so hopefully a big breakaway could go, and we can use some of our other ideas and take other opportunities.”
Kopecky’s triumph places her at the top of the general classification and the sprinter’s jersey, while her team SD Worx-Protime leads the team classification. Georgi’s podium finish earned her the Best of British jersey, and Deignan’s climbing efforts secured her the Queen of the Mountains title. Young rider Eline Jansen finished fifth, claiming the young rider’s jersey.
World champion Lotte Kopecky showcased her brilliance in a nail-biting finish to win the opening stage of the 2024 Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women. In a fierce sprint against Letizia Paternoster, Kopecky secured victory after a gruelling 142.4km race from Welshpool to Llandudno, featuring 2,276m of climbing.
Featured image: SWpix.com
Report
The race began with a lively departure from Welshpool’s Broad Street, where Josie Talbot (Cofidis) made the first significant move. Christine Majerus (SD Worx – Protime) quickly closed the gap, setting the stage for an intense battle.
As the peloton reached the base of the Llangynog climb, averaging 5.3% over 6.1km, Connie Hayes (Doltcini O’Shea) accelerated, marked by Elena Cecchini (SD Worx-Protime). Heidi Franz (Lifeplus Wahoo) then displayed her climbing prowess, securing maximum points at the summit.
A breakaway group of strong riders, including Katia Ragusa (Human Powered Health), Millie Couzens (Great Britain Cycling Team), Amber Pate (Liv Alula Jayco), Valeria Demey (Volkerwessels Pro Cycling Team), Barbara Guarischi (SD Worx-Protime), and Franziska Koch (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL), forged ahead with 70km to go, creating a significant gap on the main peloton.
Once this move was snuffed out, National Road Series leader Lucy Harris, making her debut for the Pro-Noctis-200° Coffee-Hargreaves Contracting after signing from Loughborough Lightning last week, made a bold solo attack, earning the Combativity Award with a lead that reached one minute. However, an injection of pace from the Great Britain squad saw Harris reeled in at the second Queen of the Mountains, Ty’n y Llidiart.
Pfeiffer Georgi (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) put in a big effort near the climb’s peak but was chased down by Great Britain with Lizzie Deignan moving ahead to take the Queen of the Mountain with her teammate Anna Henderson close behind.
The pair continued their push over the top of the climb, taking with them Paternoster (Liv-Alula-Jayco), Georgi, Kopecky (SD Worx – Protime), Majerus, Victore Guilman (St Michel – Mavic – Auber93), Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv-Alula-Jayco), and Eline Jansen (Volkerwessels Women’s Pro Cycling Team). With most of the major teams represented, the group quickly established a commanding lead, the peloton’s chase muted.
At the intermediate sprint, Paternoster edged out Kopecky for bonus seconds, setting the stage for their final showdown. With a three-minute lead and 10km remaining, the race intensified as the riders approached Llandudno’s promenade.
The stage concluded with a tense sprint finish. Kopecky launched early. In the closing moments Paternoster pulled alongside her as they both lunged for the line. It was impossible to tell who had taken it from the overhead shots, but Paternoster thought she had won, raising her right arm aloft. After a lengthy review of the photo finish, however, Kopecky was declared the winner.
Georgi completed the podium with Deignan in fourth. Behind, Lucy Lee (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK), celebrating her 26th birthday, attacked the peloton to take 10th place, with Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) winning the bunch sprint for 11th.
Reflecting on her victory, Kopecky said, “I’m not sure if I won and it took quite a while before we found out that I won, so it was a nice final finish. At moments it felt pretty slow because of the wind, however, I’m happy that I could get a break in the final climb.”
Deignan commented, “I was happy with my form today. It was a strange race, almost nothing and everything. We would have liked moments of attack in the final finish, but with the headwinds stretch and the launchpads, we just had to do what we could. I think moving forward it will be a really open race, so hopefully a big breakaway could go, and we can use some of our other ideas and take other opportunities.”
Kopecky’s triumph places her at the top of the general classification and the sprinter’s jersey, while her team SD Worx-Protime leads the team classification. Georgi’s podium finish earned her the Best of British jersey, and Deignan’s climbing efforts secured her the Queen of the Mountains title. Young rider Eline Jansen finished fifth, claiming the young rider’s jersey.
Stage 2 promises more hills, including the iconic Horseshoe Pass, as the peloton takes on a circular route starting and finishing in Wrexham.
Results
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