Elizabeth Armitstead celebrates her win at the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic women's World Cup.(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)
A Colavita-Bianchi rider wrestles with the Manayunk Wall(Image credit: Emory Ball/Cyclingnews.com)
Two National Champions line up for our National anthem at the start of today's race(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
Team Jamis-Hagens Berman stretch out the field(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
The peloton moves ahead under the tracks(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
The field advances up the famed Manayunk wall(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
The peloton rides along Kelly Drive through historic Philadelphia(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
The women's field bunch up with a break up the road.(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
The women hit the top of the climb(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
The Women's field rolls out(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
Team Tibco-SVB sets the pace going up the wall(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
Team Twenty 16 p/b Sho-Air drive the field.(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
The "Ladies Who Lunch" manage a meal as they enter the feed zone.(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
The Women go up the Manayunk Wall together(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
Brazilian National Champion, Flavia Olivereira (Ale Cipollini) plays it safe(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
Joanne Kiesanowski (Team Tibco-SVB) tucks in the field(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
Mara Abbott (Wiggle Honda) pushes hard to left and manages to open up a small gap(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
Two-time defending champion, Evelyn Steven (Boels Dolman Cycling Team) looks calm and collected(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
One of the best sprinters in the world, Kirsten Wild (Hitec Products) takes on the Lemmon Hill challenge(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
Andrea Dvorak (Twenty 16 p/b Sho-Air) goes to work(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
Tayler Wiles (Velocio-SRAM) puts on her game face as she heads up Lemmon Hill(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
Marta Tagliaferro (Ale Cipollini) takes a flyer(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
Canadian rider Alison Jackson (Twenty 16 p/b Sho-Air) speeds down Kelly Drive(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
Croatian National Champion, Mia Radotic (BTC City Ljubljana) keeps the pace(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
The women on the start line(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
The top three. (Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Elizabeth Armitstead (Boels Dolmans) receives congratulations after her win(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Tiffany Cromwell (Velocio-SRAM) stretches out the field(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
The women hit the Lemon Hill climb(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Jasmine Glaesser (Optum) goes off the front by herself(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Evelyn Stephens (Boels Dolman) riding in the pack(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
The women on the way out for another lap(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Alison Jackson (Twenty 16) and Emilie Moberg (Hitec Products) working together off the front(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Jasmine Glaesser (Optum) by herself on Lemon Hill(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolman) shows off her new stars and stripes kit(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Evelyn Stephens (Boels Dolman) leads the field through the QOM(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Charlotte Becker (Hitec Products) off the front by herself(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Lauren Komanski (Twenty 16) shows the difficulty of the day(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
A big crowd around riders after the finish(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Mara Abbott (Wiggle Honda)(Image credit: Emory Ball/Cyclingnews.com)
The peloton heads into the base of the Manayunk Wall(Image credit: Emory Ball/Cyclingnews.com)
Emila Fahlin (Wiggle Honda) leads the bunch(Image credit: Emory Ball/Cyclingnews.com)
A rider from the Mexican National Team, already breathing hard before the climb starts(Image credit: Emory Ball/Cyclingnews.com)
A Twenty 16 rider is cut off by the race moto and gives him a few words(Image credit: Emory Ball/Cyclingnews.com)
Brianne Walle (Optum) and Loes Gunnewijk (Bigla)(Image credit: Emory Ball/Cyclingnews.com)
Chloe Hosking (Wiggle Honda) comes into the base of the climb(Image credit: Emory Ball/Cyclingnews.com)
Jasmin Glaesser (Optum) on the attack(Image credit: Emory Ball/Cyclingnews.com)
Brianne Walle (Optum) grits it out(Image credit: Emory Ball/Cyclingnews.com)
The Manayunk Wall begins to really bite(Image credit: Emory Ball/Cyclingnews.com)
Katie Hall (Unitedhealthcare) puts in a brave attack on the final climb(Image credit: Emory Ball/Cyclingnews.com)
Elizabeth Armitstead (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) took over the UCI World Cup lead Sunday with a win at the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic. The British rider sprinted up Manayunk Wall ahead of Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle Honda) and Alena Amialiusik (Velocio-SRAM).
The victory came as a bit of a surprise for Armitstead, who said the team's goal was to work for two-time winner Evelyn Stevens, but the American got lost in the shuffle for position in the three quick turns into the base of the Manayunk Wall.
"Evie got lost in that mess at the bottom. It's really difficult to get it right," Armitstead said. "I was trying to find her, and couldn't see her. She got lost in the chicane. Then [the responsibility] came back to me."
Armitstead was impressed with the aggressive nature of the race and the willingness of the other teams to make the racing hard throughout the whole 115km.
"In Europe, often times we are heavily marked, but I was really impressed with the peloton," Armitstead said. "Everyone was aggressive. They were taking on the race themselves, it was a good race."
Boels Dolmans came in with the defending champion, but with only four riders rather than the maximum six, they were outnumbered by the other teams and had to be smart with their efforts. Stevens, Armitstead, Chrstine Majerus and American champion Megan Guarnier stayed attentive near the front, and together with Velocio-SRAM, UnitedHealthcare, Wiggle Honda and Ale Cipollini ensured that no breakaway gained much of an advantage.
"With only four girls, it's harder. I think we did a good job with the number of girls we had today," Armitstead said.
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Jasmin Glaesser (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) was away during laps two and three, but was chased down after Lemon Hill. Emilie Moberg (Hitec Products) was the next rider to get away, and her moved lasted half a lap.
It wasn't until the final lap that a dangerous move from Moberg's teammate Charlotte Becker looked like it might stick, but Boels Dolmans got on the gas and brought her back. Ale Cipollini's Dalia Muccioli countered when Becker was caught, but the Twenty 16-Sho Air team nailed that move back.
Velocio-SRAM's Loren Rowney led a group of only 30 or so riders on the high-speed sprint to the base of the Manayunk Wall, but the quick right-right-left succession of turns with a section of cobblestones proved to be the undoing of a number of riders, including Stevens. Katie Hall (Unitedhealthcare) launched a vicious attack on the base of the climb to set up teammate Coryn Rivera, but faded after the steepest part of the ascent.
Amialiuski, who was fresh off her victory in the Winston-Salem UCI 1.2-ranked race last weekend, powered past Rivera and Shelley Olds (Bigla) to claim the final podium spot, but she couldn't match Armitstead or Longo Borghini's finishing kick.
"It was a good job from my team," Amaliusik said. “I'm so happy and I want to say thank you to my teammates. We fly home tonight and we had some great results here. We won Tour of California, last weekend and podium today. It was an amazing two months."
Hitec Products came away with the sprint classification with Moberg and the most aggressive rider's prize for Becker, and both were pleased to get some podium time.
"The strategy was for us to go in the breakaway because the finish doesn't suit any of us very well," Moberg said. “We're all better with the flat sprints. The tactic was to get in a breakaway and to do the sprint competition for me.”
Becker credited her entire team for the Hitec duo’s ability to come away with the jerseys.
"We were all very active, and Emilie got the sprint prize,” she said. “Unfortunately there was never a good break going. I tried a lot of times, and finally I was alone in the last lap out of about 20 riders. I thought if I try now I'll definitely get nothing in the finish if they catch me, but if I don't try, maybe I can get 15th place. So I tried, and it hurt a lot. I had no power left for the last climb."
Results
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#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
2:58:01
2
Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle Honda
Row 1 - Cell 2
3
Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Velocio - SRAM
0:00:01
4
Shelley Olds (USA) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
0:00:02
5
Coryn Rivera (USA) UnitedHealthcare Cycling Team
0:00:03
6
Evelyn Stevens (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
0:00:05
7
Leah Kirchmann (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
0:00:06
8
Lex Albrecht (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
Row 7 - Cell 2
9
Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Ale Cipollini
0:00:07
10
Ariane Horbach (Ger) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
0:00:12
11
Joelle Numainville (Can) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
0:00:13
12
Eugenia Bujak (Pol) BTC City Ljubljana
Row 11 - Cell 2
13
Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco-SVB
0:00:14
14
Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
0:00:15
15
Lauren Komanski (USA) Twenty 16 p/b Sho-Air
0:00:16
16
Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Velocio - SRAM
0:00:18
17
Lotta Lepist_ (Fin) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
0:00:22
18
Beatrice Rossato (Ita) Ale Cipollini
0:00:27
19
Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle Honda
0:00:28
20
Mary Zider (USA) Colavita-Bianchi
0:00:34
21
Miriam Bj¿rnsrud (Nor) Hitec Products
0:00:35
22
Hannah Barnes (GBr) UnitedHealthcare Cycling Team
Row 21 - Cell 2
23
Jessenia Meneses (Col) Itau Shimano Ladies Power Team
0:00:37
24
Katie Hall (USA) UnitedHealthcare Cycling Team
0:00:40
25
Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
Row 24 - Cell 2
26
Rhae-Christie Shaw (Can) BMW p/b Happy Tooth Dental
0:00:42
27
Joanne Kiesanowski (Nzl) Team Tibco-SVB
0:00:43
28
Kathrin Hammes (USA) Team Tibco-SVB
0:00:45
29
Mayuko Hagiwara (Jpn) Wiggle Honda
0:00:47
30
Aranza Valentina Villalon Sanchez (Chi) Itau Shimano Ladies Power Team
0:00:48
31
Rocio Parrado Guarnizo (Col) Itau Shimano Ladies Power Team
0:00:49
32
Alexis Ryan (USA) UnitedHealthcare Cycling Team
0:00:51
33
Emilie Moberg (Nor) Hitec Products
0:00:52
34
Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Velocio - SRAM
0:00:53
35
Megan Rathwell (Can) BMW p/b Happy Tooth Dental
0:00:55
36
Diana Pe–uela (Col) Colombia National Team
0:00:58
37
Elena Berlato (Ita) Ale Cipollini
0:01:00
38
Erica Zaveta (USA) BMW p/b Happy Tooth Dental
0:01:02
39
Emily Collins (USA) Team Tibco-SVB
0:01:03
40
Vita Heine (Nor) Hitec Products
Row 39 - Cell 2
41
Laura Jorgenson (USA) Pepper Palace p/b Happy Tooth Dental
0:01:04
42
Amy Charity (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
0:01:05
43
Dulce Pliego (Mex) Mexican National Team
0:01:06
44
Sharon Laws (GBr) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
0:01:07
45
Mara Abbott (USA) Wiggle Honda
0:01:09
46
Lisa Klein (Ger) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
0:01:11
47
Charlotte Becker (Ger) Hitec Products
0:01:17
48
Alison Jackson (Can) Twenty 16 p/b Sho-Air
0:01:19
49
Lorena Vargas (Col) Colombia National Team
0:01:20
50
Katie Dovovan (USA) Colavita-Bianchi
0:01:21
51
Kirsten Wild (Ned) Hitec Products
0:01:29
52
Joanne Hogan (USA) Team Tibco-SVB
0:01:30
53
Linda Melanie Villumsen (NZl) UnitedHealthcare Cycling Team
0:01:37
54
Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco - SVB
0:01:38
55
Carmen Small (USA) Twenty 16 p/b Sho-Air
0:01:40
56
Andrea Dvorak (USA) Twenty 16 p/b Sho-Air
Row 55 - Cell 2
57
Lauren Tamayo (USA) UnitedHealthcare Cycling Team
0:01:49
58
Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Velocio - SRAM
0:02:01
59
Lauren Hall (USA) Twenty 16 p/b Sho-Air
0:02:14
60
Jasmin Glaesser (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
Laura Weislo is a Cyclingnews veteran of 20 years. Having joined in 2006, Laura extensively covered the Operacion Puerto doping scandal, the years-long conflict between the UCI and the Tour de France organisers ASO over the creation of the WorldTour, and the downfall of Lance Armstrong and his lifetime ban for doping. As Managing Editor, Laura coordinates coverage for North American events and global news.
