Annette Edmondson (Wiggle-High5), who is from just an hour down the road from the finish town of Gumeracha, got the better of her former teammate Giorgia Bronzini (Cylance Pro Cycling) to win the opening stage of the Santos Women’s Tour. Lauretta Hanson (UniSA-Australia) took a hard-earned third place.
Edmondson’s victory makes her the first wearer of the leader’s ochre jersey, with a six-second lead over Bronzini thanks to the bonus seconds.
It was a hot day out for the riders as the temperatures hit 38 degrees and the peloton was happy to take it easier at points and allowed Sabrina Stultiens (WaowDeals) to slip up the road with Emma Grant (Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank) to take the mountains classification points. As the peloton went over the top, Rachel Neylan took a solo flyer and held an advantage until the final three kilometres.
With Neylan taken back, the sprint teams jostled for position as they prepared for the finish line. It was Edmondson who had the legs to take her first victory at the race in three years.
