Women’s Tour: Grace Brown wins hilly stage 4 in Welshpool
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This article originally appeared on Velo News
Grace Brown (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) sprinted to victory in Welshpool as stage 4 of the Women's Tour ended in a three-up sprint.
Brown held off Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) to win a tough stage in Wales.
After a group of 10 riders got away on the climbs between Wrexham and Welshpool, Brown, Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma attacked in the final six kilometers to contest the finish and deny a bunch finish.
"The gap kept growing and coming back, we didn't quite know if we would make it to the end," Brown said at the finish. "But in the last five kilometers, I decided to attack. At first, I was solo and then Elisa Longo Borghini and Kasia Niewiadoma joined me and we rode to the line and had a little sprint, and I was lucky enough to win.
"I knew that on paper I had a better sprint than the other two, but coming into the final 500m I was left on the front, so it's never the best place to be for a sprint, especially when it's a small group. But I think I played it alright and I was able to come around in the end to win.
"It's my first win this year and I feel like it's been coming for a while. It's a relief but it's also really fun for the team. It's my first win for FDJ, apart from the time trial in the nationals in January, so it's really good."
Brown's winning margin was enough to put her in the overall race lead, four seconds ahead of Niewiadoma. Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM), who started the day in the overall lead, kept the points jersey but slips to seventh on GC.
Grace Brown (@FDJ_NAqui_Fut) wins stage four of the Women's Tour in Welshpool #WomensTour #UCIWWT pic.twitter.com/ZIGAAxuTVo
— The Women's Tour (@thewomenstour) June 9, 2022
How it happened
It was another cold and wet morning in Wrexham as the Women's Tour peloton lined up for the first of a doubleheader of tough, hilly stages in Wales. Though Friday's summit finish is touted as the race's queen stage, Thursday's ride featured more climbing with over 2,000m of elevation gain.
Several teams tried and failed to drop the sprinters on stage 3, but stage 4's difficult parcours looked like an opportunity for someone other than Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM) to take a win. As a result, the fight to get in the breakaway was fierce with several moves going before anything stuck.
Jumbo-Visma's Teuntje Beekhuis was one of the day's early attackers, getting away in the first 12km. She was joined by Lily Williams (Human Powered Health), Maike van der Duin (Le Col-Wahoo), and former race leader Clara Copponi (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) after taking maximum points at the first intermediate sprint. However, their lead was only slim and the quartet was caught after just 25km of racing.
Keen to be in the day's breakaway, Beekhuis joined the next move, which included Mikayla Harvey (Canyon-SRAM), Elena Cecchini (SD Worx), and Maaike Boogard (UAE Team ADQ). With better WorldTour representation and no threats to any of the jerseys, this four-rider group was let go and had a 1:05 advantage after 35km.
There were two notable abandons in the early part of stage 4, as Movistar's general classification rider Sara Martin climbed into the team car, as did Marlen Reusser (SD Worx). After Chantal van den Broek-Blaak didn't start the stage, Reusser's abandon took the SD Worx squad to just four riders for the second half of the race.
G-RACE LEADER #WomensTour #UCIWWT pic.twitter.com/eXo52LQOWU
— The Women's Tour (@thewomenstour) June 9, 2022
In the peloton, it was Trek-Segafredo controlling things as they looked to support Longo Borghini, who was just 20 seconds down on GC. Due to Trek's effort as the road began to rise to the first categorized climb of the day, the leaders' advantage came down quickly and they were caught after 60km of racing.
With four kilometers still to go to the top of the climb, the attacks from the peloton began. A group of 10 riders emerged over the first climb, led by Longo Borghini. She was joined by teammate Ellen van Dijk, Elise Chabbey and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM), Alex Manly and Kristen Faulkner (BikeExchange-Jayco), Grace Brown (FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine-Futuroscope), Veronica Ewers (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB), Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (SD Worx), and Riejanne Markus (Jumbo-Visma).
This group was still together and away as the race hit the base of the second categorized climb to Bryn-y-Fedwen. With 50km to go the leaders had 30 seconds over the chasing peloton, which was being driven by Team DSM.
At the top of the climb, Chabbey sprinted across the line first, securing enough points to put her in the lead of the mountains classification. Team DSM continued to put in the bulk of the work on the front of the peloton, but the strong leading group was not coming back quickly.
With 15km to go, the gap was 22 seconds. The chase in the peloton faltered when Team DSM drifted from the front, having used up several riders and it was down to just Pfeiffer Georgi and Wiebes to try to close the gap. Movistar began to help in support of Guarischi, but the gap went out to over 40 seconds. Van Dijk was dropped from the front group, but the remaining riders pressed on.
The attacks from the lead group began inside the final six kilometers, with Brown the first to try to go solo. Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma joined Brown, and the trio worked well together to pull out a lead. Despite the best efforts of Georgi in the peloton, it would come down to the breakaway to contest the finish.
It was Longo Borghini who launched her sprint first with 200m to go, but Brown was able to come around the Italian in the last 20m to take the victory. Niewiadoma came up fast from behind to beat Longo Borghini into second place. The remainder of the breakaway stayed away to take the top nine places, with former race leader Wiebes settling for 10th by winning the sprint from the bunch.
The hard Welsh section of this year's Women's Tour continues on stage 5, with the race's first ever major summit finish atop the 6km Black Mountain climb in Carmarthenshire.
Women's Tour Stage 4 Results
1 | BROWN Grace | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 3:48:34 |
2 | NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 0:00 |
3 | LONGO BORGHINI Elisa | Trek - Segafredo | 0:00 |
4 | MARKUS Riejanne | Team Jumbo-Visma | 0:10 |
5 | CHABBEY Elise | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 0:10 |
6 | MANLY Alexandra | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 0:10 |
7 | MOOLMAN Ashleigh | Team SD Worx | 0:10 |
8 | FAULKNER Kristen | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 0:36 |
9 | EWERS Veronica | EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | 0:36 |
10 | WIEBES Lorena | Team DSM | 1:16 |
11 | NEUMANOVA Tereza | Liv Racing Xstra | 1:16 |
12 | MAJERUS Christine | Team SD Worx | 1:16 |
13 | GUARISCHI Barbara | Movistar Team | 1:16 |
14 | ASENCIO Laura | Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling | 1:16 |
15 | BERTIZZOLO Sofia | UAE Team ADQ | 1:16 |
16 | LACH Marta | Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling | 1:16 |
17 | BOSSUYT Shari | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 1:16 |
18 | GASKJENN Ingvild | Team Coop - Hitec Products | 1:16 |
19 | YSLAND Anne Dorthe | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 1:16 |
20 | COPPONI Clara | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 1:16 |
21 | CORDON-RAGOT Audrey | Trek - Segafredo | 1:16 |
22 | BUIJSMAN Nina | Human Powered Health | 1:16 |
23 | LABECKI Coryn | Team Jumbo-Visma | 1:16 |
24 | SCHWEINBERGER Kathrin | Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling | 1:16 |
25 | HOLDEN Elizabeth | Le Col - Wahoo | 1:16 |
26 | CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia | Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling | 1:16 |
27 | JORGENSEN Tiril | Team Coop - Hitec Products | 1:16 |
28 | DOEBEL-HICKOK Krista | EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | 1:16 |
29 | CROMWELL Tiffany | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 1:16 |
30 | DUVAL Eugenie | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 1:16 |
31 | KASPER Romy | Team Jumbo-Visma | 1:16 |
32 | VAN DIJK Ellen | Trek - Segafredo | 1:16 |
33 | WILLIAMS Georgia | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 1:16 |
34 | TON Quinty | Liv Racing Xstra | 1:16 |
35 | LOWDEN Joscelin | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 1:16 |
36 | STORRIE Becky | CAMS - Basso | 1:16 |
37 | HARVEY Mikayla | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 1:16 |
38 | FAHLIN Emilia | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 1:16 |
39 | GUTIERREZ Sheyla | Movistar Team | 1:16 |
40 | DE JONG Thalita | Liv Racing Xstra | 1:16 |
41 | GROSSETETE Maelle | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 1:16 |
42 | GEORGI Pfeiffer | Team DSM | 1:16 |
43 | MORROW Beth | CAMS - Basso | 3:12 |
44 | KOCH Franziska | Team DSM | 3:12 |
45 | GONZALEZ Alicia | Movistar Team | 3:12 |
46 | SWINKELS Karlijn | Team Jumbo-Visma | 3:12 |
47 | JASTRAB Megan | Team DSM | 3:12 |
48 | VANDENBULCKE Jesse | Le Col - Wahoo | 3:12 |
49 | SMITH Abi | EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | 4:07 |
50 | STUART Sammie | CAMS - Basso | 4:07 |
51 | OYARBIDE Lourdes | Movistar Team | 4:07 |
52 | BARNES Alice | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 4:07 |
53 | HANSON Lauretta | Trek - Segafredo | 4:07 |
54 | KIRCHMANN Leah | Team DSM | 4:07 |
55 | FIDANZA Arianna | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 4:07 |
56 | MOHR Mari Hole | Team Coop - Hitec Products | 4:07 |
57 | KOOL Charlotte | Team DSM | 4:07 |
58 | BOOGAARD Maaike | UAE Team ADQ | 4:07 |
59 | CECCHINI Elena | Team SD Worx | 4:07 |
60 | FOURNIER Roxane | Team SD Worx | 4:07 |
61 | SHROSBREE Danielle | CAMS - Basso | 6:13 |
62 | KUIJPERS Evy | Human Powered Health | 11:12 |
63 | BEEKHUIS Teuntje | Team Jumbo-Visma | 13:17 |
64 | VERHULST Gladys | Le Col - Wahoo | 13:17 |
65 | KESSLER Nina | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 13:17 |
66 | BORGHESI Letizia | EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | 13:17 |
67 | SCOTT Katie | CAMS - Basso | 15:09 |
68 | ROBERTS Jessica | Team Coop - Hitec Products | 15:13 |
69 | TOMASI Laura | UAE Team ADQ | 15:13 |
70 | VAN DER DUIN Maike | Le Col - Wahoo | 15:13 |
71 | CHRISTIE Henrietta | Human Powered Health | 15:13 |
72 | IVERSEN Ane | Team Coop - Hitec Products | 15:13 |
73 | WRIGHT Sophie | UAE Team ADQ | 15:13 |
74 | WILLIAMS Lily | Human Powered Health | 15:13 |
75 | VAN 'T GELOOF Marjolein | Le Col - Wahoo | 15:13 |
76 | LETH Julie | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 15:13 |
77 | LUDWIG Hannah | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 15:13 |
78 | OTTESTAD Mie Bjorndal | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 15:13 |
79 | CAMPBELL Teniel | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 15:13 |
80 | HOSKING Chloe | Trek - Segafredo | 15:13 |
81 | BACKSTEDT Elynor | Trek - Segafredo | 19:30 |
82 | RAAIJMAKERS Marit | Human Powered Health | 24:17 |
83 | PATUELLI Alessia | UAE Team ADQ | 24:17 |
84 | KROGER Mieke | Human Powered Health | 24:33 |
85 | ERATH Tanja | EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | 24:33 |
1 | BROWN Grace | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 12:39:11 |
2 | NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 0:04 |
3 | LONGO BORGHINI Elisa | Trek - Segafredo | 0:06 |
4 | MANLY Alexandra | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 0:13 |
5 | CHABBEY Elise | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 0:17 |
6 | MOOLMAN Ashleigh | Team SD Worx | 0:18 |
7 | FAULKNER Kristen | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 0:46 |
8 | WIEBES Lorena | Team DSM | 1:06 |
9 | EWERS Veronica | EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | 1:18 |
10 | BERTIZZOLO Sofia | UAE Team ADQ | 1:19 |
11 | BOSSUYT Shari | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 1:22 |
12 | LABECKI Coryn | Team Jumbo-Visma | 1:22 |
13 | CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia | Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling | 1:24 |
14 | MAJERUS Christine | Team SD Worx | 1:24 |
15 | HARVEY Mikayla | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 1:24 |
16 | GASKJENN Ingvild | Team Coop - Hitec Products | 1:26 |
17 | DUVAL Eugenie | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 1:26 |
18 | JORGENSEN Tiril | Team Coop - Hitec Products | 1:26 |
19 | LACH Marta | Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling | 1:26 |
20 | BUIJSMAN Nina | Human Powered Health | 1:26 |
21 | HOLDEN Elizabeth | Le Col - Wahoo | 1:26 |
22 | DOEBEL-HICKOK Krista | EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | 1:26 |
23 | TON Quinty | Liv Racing Xstra | 1:26 |
24 | CROMWELL Tiffany | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 1:26 |
25 | KASPER Romy | Team Jumbo-Visma | 1:26 |
26 | ASENCIO Laura | Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling | 1:26 |
27 | GUTIERREZ Sheyla | Movistar Team | 1:26 |
28 | VAN DIJK Ellen | Trek - Segafredo | 1:26 |
29 | CORDON-RAGOT Audrey | Trek - Segafredo | 1:26 |
30 | WILLIAMS Georgia | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 1:26 |
31 | STORRIE Becky | CAMS - Basso | 1:49 |
32 | LOWDEN Joscelin | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 1:58 |
33 | NEUMANOVA Tereza | Liv Racing Xstra | 3:47 |
34 | JASTRAB Megan | Team DSM | 4:00 |
35 | GEORGI Pfeiffer | Team DSM | 4:01 |
36 | CECCHINI Elena | Team SD Worx | 4:08 |
37 | BOOGAARD Maaike | UAE Team ADQ | 4:16 |
38 | SMITH Abi | EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | 4:17 |
39 | COPPONI Clara | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 4:31 |
40 | YSLAND Anne Dorthe | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 4:45 |
41 | FAHLIN Emilia | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 4:45 |
42 | GROSSETETE Maelle | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 4:45 |
43 | MARKUS Riejanne | Team Jumbo-Visma | 5:01 |
44 | DE JONG Thalita | Liv Racing Xstra | 5:08 |
45 | SCHWEINBERGER Kathrin | Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling | 5:08 |
46 | MORROW Beth | CAMS - Basso | 6:41 |
47 | VANDENBULCKE Jesse | Le Col - Wahoo | 6:41 |
48 | KOCH Franziska | Team DSM | 6:41 |
49 | OYARBIDE Lourdes | Movistar Team | 6:52 |
50 | SWINKELS Karlijn | Team Jumbo-Visma | 7:19 |
51 | FIDANZA Arianna | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 7:36 |
52 | MOHR Mari Hole | Team Coop - Hitec Products | 7:36 |
53 | KOOL Charlotte | Team DSM | 7:36 |
54 | GONZALEZ Alicia | Movistar Team | 9:16 |
55 | STUART Sammie | CAMS - Basso | 9:20 |
56 | GUARISCHI Barbara | Movistar Team | 9:30 |
57 | SHROSBREE Danielle | CAMS - Basso | 9:42 |
58 | HANSON Lauretta | Trek - Segafredo | 9:57 |
59 | KIRCHMANN Leah | Team DSM | 12:17 |
60 | BARNES Alice | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 12:27 |
61 | VERHULST Gladys | Le Col - Wahoo | 13:26 |
62 | BORGHESI Letizia | EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | 13:27 |
63 | KUIJPERS Evy | Human Powered Health | 14:41 |
64 | WILLIAMS Lily | Human Powered Health | 15:21 |
65 | OTTESTAD Mie Bjorndal | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 15:23 |
66 | LUDWIG Hannah | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 15:23 |
67 | TOMASI Laura | UAE Team ADQ | 17:06 |
68 | VAN DER DUIN Maike | Le Col - Wahoo | 18:30 |
69 | ROBERTS Jessica | Team Coop - Hitec Products | 18:42 |
70 | HOSKING Chloe | Trek - Segafredo | 18:42 |
71 | BEEKHUIS Teuntje | Team Jumbo-Visma | 20:40 |
72 | FOURNIER Roxane | Team SD Worx | 20:55 |
73 | KESSLER Nina | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 21:37 |
74 | VAN 'T GELOOF Marjolein | Le Col - Wahoo | 23:33 |
75 | CAMPBELL Teniel | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 23:33 |
76 | BACKSTEDT Elynor | Trek - Segafredo | 23:56 |
77 | CHRISTIE Henrietta | Human Powered Health | 25:51 |
78 | RAAIJMAKERS Marit | Human Powered Health | 30:21 |
79 | WRIGHT Sophie | UAE Team ADQ | 32:01 |
80 | IVERSEN Ane | Team Coop - Hitec Products | 34:22 |
81 | LETH Julie | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 35:58 |
82 | SCOTT Katie | CAMS - Basso | 36:19 |
83 | KROGER Mieke | Human Powered Health | 41:44 |
84 | PATUELLI Alessia | UAE Team ADQ | 42:11 |
85 | ERATH Tanja | EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | 43:56 |
1 | WIEBES Lorena | Team DSM | 31 |
2 | COPPONI Clara | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 20 |
3 | MANLY Alexandra | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 17 |
4 | BOSSUYT Shari | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 16 |
5 | BROWN Grace | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 15 |
6 | LONGO BORGHINI Elisa | Trek - Segafredo | 15 |
7 | LABECKI Coryn | Team Jumbo-Visma | 15 |
8 | NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 12 |
9 | BERTIZZOLO Sofia | UAE Team ADQ | 12 |
10 | GUARISCHI Barbara | Movistar Team | 12 |
11 | CECCHINI Elena | Team SD Worx | 11 |
12 | FIDANZA Arianna | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 11 |
13 | DUVAL Eugenie | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 9 |
14 | CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia | Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling | 8 |
15 | MARKUS Riejanne | Team Jumbo-Visma | 7 |
16 | VAN 'T GELOOF Marjolein | Le Col - Wahoo | 7 |
17 | CHABBEY Elise | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 6 |
18 | GASKJENN Ingvild | Team Coop - Hitec Products | 6 |
19 | BARNES Alice | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 6 |
20 | MOOLMAN Ashleigh | Team SD Worx | 4 |
21 | FAULKNER Kristen | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 3 |
22 | NEUMANOVA Tereza | Liv Racing Xstra | 3 |
23 | YSLAND Anne Dorthe | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 3 |
24 | BORGHESI Letizia | EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | 3 |
25 | EWERS Veronica | EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | 2 |
26 | VAN DER DUIN Maike | Le Col - Wahoo | 1 |
27 | HOSKING Chloe | Trek - Segafredo | 1 |
1 | CHABBEY Elise | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 32 |
2 | MAJERUS Christine | Team SD Worx | 18 |
3 | MOOLMAN Ashleigh | Team SD Worx | 16 |
4 | NIEWIADOMA Katarzyna | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 15 |
5 | LONGO BORGHINI Elisa | Trek - Segafredo | 14 |
6 | MARKUS Riejanne | Team Jumbo-Visma | 14 |
7 | EWERS Veronica | EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | 12 |
8 | VERHULST Gladys | Le Col - Wahoo | 11 |
9 | FAULKNER Kristen | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 8 |
10 | BROWN Grace | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 6 |
11 | WILLIAMS Lily | Human Powered Health | 3 |
12 | VAN DIJK Ellen | Trek - Segafredo | 2 |
13 | JASTRAB Megan | Team DSM | 2 |
14 | MANLY Alexandra | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 1 |
15 | GUTIERREZ Sheyla | Movistar Team | 1 |
16 | KOCH Franziska | Team DSM | 1 |
17 | OTTESTAD Mie Bjorndal | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 1 |
1 | Canyon//SRAM Racing | 37:59:29 |
2 | Team BikeExchange - Jayco | 0:36 |
3 | FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope | 1:06 |
4 | Trek - Segafredo | 1:06 |
5 | Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling | 2:22 |
6 | Team SD Worx | 4:07 |
7 | EF Education-TIBCO-SVB | 4:33 |
8 | Movistar Team | 4:41 |
9 | Team DSM | 4:56 |
10 | Team Jumbo-Visma | 5:13 |
11 | Liv Racing Xstra | 6:04 |
12 | Team Coop - Hitec Products | 8:32 |
13 | CAMS - Basso | 14:10 |
14 | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | 16:19 |
15 | Le Col - Wahoo | 19:38 |
16 | UAE Team ADQ | 20:37 |
17 | Human Powered Health | 29:34 |
Results provided by ProCyclingStats.
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