Laws bests Whitelaw in opening stage

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Sharon Laws (Cervelo TestTeam) outsprinted breakaway companion Vicki Whitelaw (Lotto Ladies Team) to win stage one of the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche. Laws's teammate Lizzie Armitstead won the field sprint for third in the 112.4km stage, leading in the peloton 1:41 after Laws and Whitelaw.

With her victory in the opening stage, Laws also earned the first leader's jersey of the five-day French stage race. As in the stage results, Whitelaw holds second overall in the same time as Laws while Armitstead is third, 1:41 back.

"My legs were good today, I felt that I was stronger than Vicki, as she mostly followed in my wheel and I was able to beat her in the sprint," said Laws after winning the first UCI-sanctioned race of her career. "I have to say thanks to the team, today we were the smartest and strongest team.

"I will try to keep leader's jersey as long as possible on my shoulders, and we have a lot of other options in the team. I have had some bad luck this year, I broke my collarbone in the Giro and didn't race for a long time, so this is very gratifying."

Cervelo TestTeam sports director Egon van Kessel is pleased that Laws was able to have a breakthrough performance in France. "Sharon is a really good rider who has given the team a lot of support this year though she had never won a race," said van Kessel. "So it is great that she is able to win today, with a good perspective for the GC with an advantage of 1:41.

"Today's first stage in the Tour de Ardeche was an easy stage with only a small climb at the beginning of the race but the peloton stayed together," said van Kessel. "The Australian rider Amanda Spratt was in the lead and with 75km to go she had a quite a big gap. Then there was some wind from the side so we decided to attack with the whole team. We took Spratt back and then Sharon Laws attacked and took Vicky Whitelaw with her, together they took quite a big advantage."