Philadelphia Cycling Classic Women: Chiara Consonni victorious in first edition since 2016

Chiara Consonni (Canyon-SRAM) scored an emphatic victory in the revived Philadelphia Cycling Classic, out-sprinting Alexandra Volstad (EF Education-Oatly) and Ella Sabo (Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28).

The Italian narrowly edged out the young Canadian with a bike throw after a crash disrupted the final kilometre of the 101.9km race.

When asked how it felt to take her first win on US soil, Consonni said, "Really, really nice! You know, it was a really long travel, and it's not easy with the jet lag to arrive here and do a race like this."

Consonni stayed patient amid numerous attacks on the hilly final circuits, waiting as EF Education-Oatly and her own team tried repeatedly to break up the peloton, before hitting out late in the final 200 metres.

"We knew that the climb can make a difference, and we managed quite good. The last time we tried to attack to split a bit of the group, but then in the end we re-grouped together.

"I think we were in numbers in the end, so we also managed really good the last two small laps with the breakaway. Then the girls made a really good job for me for the lead-out, and I only did my sprint, and we achieved the first place. I need to say thanks to them."

Volstad was philosophical after coming within a tyre's width of her first pro win.

"It's pretty nice. We've been learning all year as a team, doing the sprints together and stuff," she said.

"And I think like lately we've been getting a lot of podiums, so I think it's starting to come together with our young team. So I'd say I'm pretty happy, and I love the racing in the US, so it's a cherry on top."

The first running of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic began under a cloudy sky with a crash at the back of the 116-rider peloton keeping the race neutral for the run-out along Kelly Drive to allow the affected riders to rejoin. Once racing got underway, EF Education-Oatly announced their intentions by controlling the pace on the first trip up the Manayunk Wall - the famous short but steep ascent.

Auke De Buysser led the peloton over the summit, as the steady pace caused a bit of damage at the tail end of the bunch. Sofia Arreola (Virginia's Blue Ridge Twenty28) claimed the mountains points on Lemon Hill – the smaller of the climbs on the 23.2km circuit – but the race remained together until the start of the second lap.

Mairen Lawson (Aegis) and Farah-Dale Morris (Automatic Racing) made a move and gained 20 seconds, but they were caught on the Manayunk Wall. EF Education-Oatly led again on the Manayunk Wall with Babette van der Wolf leading over the top, while Elizabeth Dicon (HigherDose | Renova) took the points on Lemon Hill before a breakaway could be established.

Elisa Valtulini (Vini-Fantini-BePink) attacked on lap 3 to form the longest breakaway of the race. She was joined by Haixin Dong (XDS China), Rachel Galler (1K Flips-FTP Racing Jakroo), Philadelphia local Kim Stoveld (Automatic Racing), Marlen Lawson (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment), Galen Bolard (Competitive Edge), and Rebecca Lang (Winston Salem-Flow). They gained 40 seconds before the wall, with Bolard riding away on the steepest section.

Bolard claimed the points, heading down with 25 seconds as EF Education-Oatly continued to control the reduced peloton. The breakaway came back together minus Dong and re-established a 40-second lead as they headed in for their last long lap. Bolard won the sprint on Lemon Hill, too, with Lawson distanced, and then Galler lost contact, too.

EF Education-Oatly swept past the breakaway at the base of the wall, pulling away another breakaway of five, with Kristen Faulkner and Van der Wolf (EF Education-Oatly), Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka and Chiara Consonni (Canyon-SRAM) followed by the last winner of the race in 2016, Megan Guarnier (CCB Kenetik p/b Levine Law Group).

They began the descent with ten seconds on a further-reduced chasing group of around 20 riders but faced three ascents of Lemon Hill after the flat run down Kelly Drive and 21.5km to go.

With two of the WorldTour teams represented, Human Powered Health were forced to do much of the chasing, and the breakaway was reeled in with roughly 10km to go.

There were several attacks on the short laps, with Aegis and Vini Fantini putting in short-lived digs. EF Education-Oatly and Canyon-SRAM were aggressive in the final kilometres, but the race came back together for the bunch sprint.

Results

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